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King Is Queen at 2011 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event; Halpin Leads American Effort

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USA's Sinead Halpin and Manoir de Carneville. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

Lexington, KY – Great Britain’s Mary King was unstoppable on cross-country day at the 2011 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, presented by Bridgestone. She guided two horses around Derek di Grazia’s course to claim the top two places on the leaderboard. Australia’s 2007 winner, Clayton Fredericks, sits third on Be My Guest and Sinead Halpin jumped up to fourth in her first CCI4* with Manoir de Carneville, to lead the assault on the USEF National CCI4* Championship.

King cruised around on Kings Temptress, her 11-year-old homebred mare. She was one of only three double-clear rounds all day and jumped her way from fourth after the dressage, to the top of the leaderboard on a score of 47.7. With her less experienced horse, Fernhill Urco, she used all of her expertise to guide the Portuguese-bred gelding home for owners Sue and Edwin Davies in his first try at this level. Second after the dressage behind American rider Tiana Coudray, Fernhill Urco kept his position even after he picked up eight time faults. His score of 49.7 means his stablemate doesn’t have a rail in hand.

“The mare was pretty fluid all the way around,” said King. “I was amazed, galloping along thinking how good the ground was. The mare had a fairly fault-free round and she was quite easy with the time.”

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Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Events, FEI, FEI, Show Jumping, USEF

Kessler Leads American Effort in Final Round of EY Cup

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Reed Kessler and Ligist. Aly Sanderford/ Phelps Media Group

Leipzig, Germany – The EY Cup, held in conjunction with the Rolex/FEI World Cup Final, came to close in Leipzig this morning with the final round of the CSI2*. The six Americans riders that have been contesting the competition all week looked to complete their time in Germany on a high note. With each competitor limited to riding one horse, there was all to play for over Frank Rothenberger’s 1.45m course. Twenty-nine combinations would start the first round with six returning to the jump-off.

Reed Kessler of Armonk, NY lead the American effort placing fifth with her Swedish Warmblood Ligist. Throughout the three rounds of the EY Cup, Kessler improved her performance each time she entered the ring. As the sixth horse in the ring, Ligist jumped a confident clear round to be the first to qualify to return for the shortened course.

“I had some really bad luck yesterday, I had a really fast time and he just nicked the back rail in front which is so unlike him. The luck evened out today, as he nicked the first couple, after the first few jumps he started jumping really well. I was definitely excited to be the only clean American.”

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*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Events, USEF, Western/Reining

Shawn Flarida Wins First-Ever CRI 5* Kentucky Reining Cup

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Shawn Flarida and KL Lil Conquistador. (Photo by Stock Image Services.com)

Lexington, KY – For the first time in the history of the Western saddle sport of reining, a collection of the world’s best reining athletes slid into the Alltech Arena at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY, to contest the inaugural five-star reining competition known as the CRI5* – the Ariat Kentucky Reining Cup. When the dirt in the arena settled, it was Shawn Flarida and KL Lil Conquistador who laid down a spectacular pattern to take the title on a score of 226.5 in this the highest level of reining competition in the world.

From a country music icon to the current USEF Equestrian of the Year to the four-member U.S. Team that rocked the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games with their Team Gold and two Individual medals to a three-member family show down, this was a night of reining that won’t soon be forgotten. Reiners from three nations (United States, Canada and Mexico) took part at the event which was held concurrent with the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event sponsored by Bridgestone. In addition to the Ariat Kentucky Reining Cup CRI5*, which offered $50,000 in prize money and is this year’s only five-star reining event in the Western hemisphere, there will be the first-ever World Championship Freestyle competition on Saturday.

The level of competition was expert, and performances these Western horses and riders put in thrilled the crowd. In fact, three of the four members of the Gold-medal WEG team were the top four riders.

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USA’s Coudray Springs into Lead after Dressage at 2011 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event

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Tiana Coudray and Ringwood Magister. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

Lexington, KY – There was one new name added to the top three riders after the dressage at the 2011 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, presented by Bridgestone, but it was an important one. Tiana Coudray made the trip from California worth the effort when she wowed the judges in the Rolex Stadium with Ringwood Magister. Their score of 40.8 leaves them with a narrow margin over Mary King, from Great Britain who lies second on 41.7. Thursday’s winner, Allison Springer, holds on to a top-three placing with Arthur on 42.3.

Ringwood Magister, an elegant and flashy 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse, has excellent paces and presence. Coudray coaxed him down the ramp into the Rolex Stadium and into the electric environment, managing him beautifully in the ring.

“He’d been really good in warm up,” said Coudray. “And I started down the ramp so he kind of knew something was up.”

Ringwood Magister misbehaved quite exuberantly on the way to the ring and found relaxing quite difficult, but Coudray is confident that once he gets in the ring, he goes to work. “When I got him down into the ring,” said Coudray, “I still wasn’t quite sure which way this was going to go. But he really put it together and went to work.”

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Jan Ebeling and Rafalca Make Top 10 at the Reem Acra FEI World Cup Dressage Final

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Jan Ebeling and Rafalca. (Photo by Aly Sanderford/ Phelps Media Group)

Leipzig, Germany – The Reem Acra FEI World Cup Final got underway Thursday evening with the grand prix presented by Sparkasse. The U.S. sent three combinations to the arena in Hall One of the Leipzig Exhibition Hall. The American horse/rider combinations did not disappoint in the field of 17.

First in the arena for the U.S. were Jan Ebeling and Ann Romney’s Rafalca. This veteran pair demonstrated fluid trot work emphasized by a solid half-pass and had a consistent canter tour. Throughout the test, Rafalca was the picture of obedience and finished with a fluent centerline.

The 52-year-old from Moorpark, CA, could not have been more proud of his longtime partner and found vindication tonight for a tense FEI World Cup Final debut in Las Vegas in 2009.

“I couldn’t be happier with her, she didn’t really have any mistakes and she handled the arena really well, for me that was one thing I really wanted to show everyone, she is not as silly as she was two years ago in Vegas.”

Rafalca and Ebeling earned a score of 68.191% to finish the grand prix in 10th place.

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Margie Engle in Fifth Place after First Round of the Rolex/FEI World Cup Jumping Final

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Margie Engle and Gladewinds Farm. Photo by Rebecca Walton/Phelps Media Group.

Leipzig, Germany – The Leipzig Exhibition Center hosted the first round of the Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping Final, the speed leg, this afternoon and all ten American combinations looked to get a head start on the competition. Frank Rothenberger set a scopey yet technical course that tested all 43 competitors in the 2011 Final and allowed for a number of different lines and options to be ridden. With the faults converted format, finding the correct balance between forward and efficient riding and careful jumping was the name of the game.

Margie Engle (Wellington, FL) piloted Gladewinds Farm, Garber, Griese and Hidden Creek Farm’s Indigo through the finish in a time of 65.62 seconds to stand in fifth place. Engle used all of her experience to guide the ground covering Dutch Warmblood gelding to an efficient clear round. A handy turn to the vertical at four and executing the inside turn to the ninth fence, the Rolex vertical, ensured the pair a strong result.

“I wanted to be in the top ten, and he was great.  Once I started jumping he felt like he really focused on everything and rode great,” Engle said of the ever-maturing Indigo. “He’s never really gone in and gone fast in the first round so I wanted to just go medium because he tends to be high strung normally.”

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*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Dressage, Eventing/H.T., Events, Kentucky Three-Day, USEF

Springer Sparkles during First Day of Dressage at the 2011 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event

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Allison Springer and Arthur. Shannon Brinkman Photo

Lexington, KY – With the sunshine came the first day of dressage at the 2011 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by Bridgestone. After a week of rain, the sun shone brightly and the wind blew through the Kentucky Horse Park. Spectators that were here first thing were treated to the best test of the day as Allison Springer took the lead with Arthur.

The pair was first in the ring – and their score of 42.3 rewarded an elegant effort for a pair that frequently lands atop the dressage leaderboard.  Great Britain’s Mary King, who was third last weekend at the Mitsubishi Motors Horse Trials. cruised into second place on Derek Rostron Baden’s Kings Temptress with a score of 47.7. William Coleman and Twizzel were third as Jim Wildasen’s 15-year-old Westfalen contested his first USEF National CCI4* Championship.

Arthur, who Springer owns with her parents William and Caroline, is very experienced even though he is only 12 years old, but he isn’t always the most manageable in an electric environment.

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Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Dressage, Eventing/H.T., Events, Kentucky Three-Day, Show Jumping, USEF

2011 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event Presented by Bridgestone Shines On

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Buck Davidson and Titanium at the jog. Photo by Joanie Morris/USEF Archives

Lexington, KY – The weather has been the topic of conversation at the 2011 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by Bridgestone as a rain-plagued Kentucky was battered once again on Wednesday morning.

But the show goes on at the Kentucky Horse Park.

The first horse inspection was delayed one hour from its rescheduled 10 a.m. start time and about halfway through the inspection the sun even began to shine. Due to tornadic activity in the area, the eventing horses were moved from their stabling to the Alltech Arena where they peacefully coexisted with the reining horses (in town for the inaugural Kentucky Reining Cup CRI5*) while the storm passed.

Forty-five horses were presented for America’s only CCI4* and of those, 29 are vying for USEF National CCI4* Championship honors.

Buck Davidson, USEF National Champion from 2003 and 2009, just returned from the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials where he rode BallyNoe Castle RM to 21st place. He’ll ride Titanium in Kentucky this weekend. The pair was 16th in 2010 in the horse’s first CCI4* and Davidson is looking forward to one of his favorite events.

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U.S. Horses Fit to Compete in the Reem Acra FEI World Cup Dressage Final

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Shawna Harding and Come On III at the First Horse Inspection at the 2011 Reem Acra FEI World Cup Final. (Photo by Aly Sanderford/PMG)

Leipzig, Germany – The United States presented three horses to the veterinary panel at the Horse Inspection this afternoon for the Reem Acra FEI World Cup Dressage Final. All proved sound and ready to compete. There were 18 horse/rider combinations fielded from the 11 nations competing at the 2011 Final.

The U.S. will be represented by:

Rider / Age / Home Town / Horse / Age / Breed / Sex / Owner
Jan Ebeling / 52 / Moorpark, CA / Rafalca / 14 / Oldenburg / Mare / Ann Romney
Catherine Haddad-Staller / 47 / Vechta, Germany / Winyamaro / 11 / Hanoverian / Gelding / Catherine Haddad-Staller
Shawna Harding / 41 / Aiken, SC / Come On III / 12 / Danish Warmblood / Gelding / Shawna Harding

“All of our combinations looked good, sound and ready to compete. Everyone is really excited to be here,” said Eva Salomon, USEF Dressage Team Chef d’Equipe. “We will do our first training in the main arena tonight and look forward to getting underway tomorrow.”

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This Week in International Disciplines – April 27, 2011

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Eventing

Tamra Smith stormed to victory with Mar de Amor by nearly 14 points in the CIC3* at the Twin Rivers Ranch in California. The pair won the dressage and never looked back, adding just a few time faults on both the cross country and the show jumping. Their final score was 53.6. Barbara Crabo and Eveready II were second on a score of 67.3 after picking up 13.6 time faults on the cross country, and Pam Fisher and Sea Lion rounded out the top three on the strength of a clear show jumping round.

Jolie Wentworth and Governess scored a win in the CIC1*, capitalizing on a clear show jumping round to win by three-tenths of a point over Olympic Silver medalist Gina Miles, who was second on her dressage mark of 50.9 with Sunspite Patronus. Erin Kellerhouse and Parfait were third with a score of 52.4 after one rail in the final phase kept them from the top spot.

In the Revere CCI2*, the Gold medalist from the 2009 Adequan FEI North American Junior and Young Rider Championships presented by Gotham North won another close division  on the colorful paint, Project Runway. Their final score of 54.4 gave them a narrow lead over Anna Collier and Uppercrust D, who finished on a score of 54.9. Dressage winner Lauren Billys on Ballingowan Ginger were third after picking up time faults on the cross country.

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