All posts by Associate Editor

Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Events, HITS, Hunter/Equitation, Show Jumping

HITS Announces Qualifying Specifications for the $500,000 HITS 3’3″ Hunter Prix Final

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©ESI Photography. Megan Edrick and Van Guard in the $10,000 Devoucoux Hunter Prix at the 2010 HITS-on-the-Hudson Show Series in Saugerties, New York.

SAUGERTIES, NY (November 9, 2010) — HITS, Inc. is pleased to announce that the qualifying specifications for the world’s richest hunter class have been finalized and are now available on-line at HitsShows.com.

The $500,000 HITS 3’3” Hunter Prix Final will take place the weekend of September 10-11, and will be featured alongside the second annual $1 Million Grand Prix at HITS-on-the-Hudson in Saugerties, New York. This unprecedented Hunter Prix Final will be the culmination of more than 30 qualifying events that will take place at each of the five HITS horse show circuits starting in January 2011.

The Devoucoux Hunter Prix will be the official qualifying class for the $500,000 HITS 3’3” Hunter Prix Final and will be offered as a weekly event at the HITS Ocala Winter Circuit in Ocala, Florida; HITS Desert Circuit in Thermal, California; HITS Arizona Winter Circuit in Tucson, Arizona; HITS Culpeper Show Series in Culpeper, Virginia and HITS Saugerties Show Series in Saugerties, New York. Each Devoucoux Hunter Prix held through September 4 will count toward the 2011 HITS Hunter Prix Final Rider Rankings. In addition, HITS will host one Wild Card class at HITS-on-the-Hudson VIII, September 7-11, from which the winner, if not already qualified, will earn a spot in the Final.

Continue reading HITS Announces Qualifying Specifications for the $500,000 HITS 3’3″ Hunter Prix Final →

Awards, Community/Charity, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Dressage, Events, FEI, JRPR

Caroline Roffman Honored by HRH Princess Haya at FEI Awards Ceremony in Taipei

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United States Dressage rider Caroline Roffman won the 2010 Rising Star Award from the International Equestrian Federation and received her award at the 2010 FEI Awards ceremony in Taipei. HRH Princess Haya, FEI President, presented Roffman with her award. (Photo courtesy of William Tzeng/FEI)

One American Rider Recognized at FEI Awards Ceremony

Wellington, FL (November 8, 2010) – Although she just turned 22 years old, dressage rider Caroline Roffman has already had many memorable moments in her career. Roffman can now add winning the 2010 FEI Rising Star Award to that list, along with flying to Taipei for a dazzling awards ceremony and accepting her award from Her Royal Highness Princess Haya, FEI President.

Roffman was named the 2010 Rising Star by the International Equestrian Federation and received her award at the 2010 FEI Awards ceremony in Taipei.

“I was both honored and astounded to win the Rising Star Award,” Roffman said.

Roffman said that being able to see Taipei and experience the culture in a different part of the world was an unforgettable experience. “The most amazing part of winning the award was getting to meet Princess Haya. I also enjoyed meeting the other winners and hearing their experiences,” Roffman said, adding that she also was honored to meet USEF President David O’Connor and Frank Kemperman, the Managing Director of the Aachen Horse Show.

Read more> http://www.horsesinthesouth.com/article/article_detail.aspx?id=12523

Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Events, Hunter/Equitation, Phelps Media Group, Show Jumping

Jennifer Alfano of SBS Farms Awarded Leading Hunter Rider Title at 127th National Horse Show

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SBS Farms' Jersey Boy and Jennifer Alfano at National Horse Show Photo Credit: Lauren Fisher/PMG

Buffalo, NY – November 8, 2010 – SBS Farms had a fantastic competition at the 127th National Horse Show under the direction of renowned horsewoman Susan B. Schoellkopf. SBS Farms’ rider and head trainer Jennifer Alfano rode to numerous accolades aboard her top mounts, while student Meredith Lipke showed her horses to top ribbons as well. The riders were thrilled with their week of competition in Syracuse, NY, and were elated with their conclusion of the Indoor circuit.

Alfano showed SBS Farms’ gelding Jersey Boy to the reserve championship in the Regular Working Hunter division after two days of success in the War Memorial Arena. They won the handy round and were also awarded two thirds over fences and second place in the under saddle.   Alfano and Jersey Boy also participated in the $50,000 NHS Hunter Classic to honor legendary horseman, Charlie Weaver and were awarded fifth place honors for their efforts.

Continue reading Jennifer Alfano of SBS Farms Awarded Leading Hunter Rider Title at 127th National Horse Show →

*Featured/Spotlights, Associations/Breeds, Breeds, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Driving, Events, JRPR, World Equestrian Games

Hackney Ponies Added to the Excitement at the World Equestrian Games

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Lieutenant Dan, a Hackney Pony owned by Georgia Blevins, gave a high stepping, action packed driving demonstration at the WEG. (Photo by JRPR)

Lexington, KY (November 9, 2010) – Early Edition, a high stepping Hackney Pony, took part in a driving demonstration at the Equine Village at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, much to the delight of the crowd who gathered around to find out more about the glamorous, eye-catching Hackney. Early Edition, owned by T. J. and Georgia Blevins of Blevins Farm in Bowling Green, Kentucky, is an American and Canadian National Champion Hackney Pleasure Pony.

Blevins said she was thrilled to be asked to perform a demonstration with Early Edition at the World Equestrian Games and was pleased that so many people were introduced to the breed. In addition to winning the Canadian National Champion Pleasure Pony title in 2009, the flashy Hackney, who is trained by Matt Schuckert of Debonaire Stables, also won the Championship at the Indianapolis Charity Horse Show in 2010.

Early Edition was bred by Bent Tree Farms of Virginia and started his career as a Road Pony, becoming the 2002 World Champion Four-Year-Old Road Pony Champion. Under the ownership of the late Jane Mueller, Early Edition switched to the Pleasure Pony division where in 2006 he became the World Grand Champion Pleasure Pony.

Read more> http://www.horsesinthesouth.com/article/article_detail.aspx?id=12521

Competitions, Contributors/Press, Diana de Rosa, Disciplines, Events, Show Jumping, Sydney Masters-Durieux, Washington Int'l Horse Show

Hillary Dobbs at the 2010 Washington International Horse Show

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Photos by Diana De Rosa.

Former CNN anchor Lou Dobbs’s daughter Hillary showed her wining style at the 2010 Washington International Horse Show in DC the last week. The 22 year old, who lives between Palm Beach, FL and Sussex, NJ, competed as “The Flash” aboard Marengo placing in second during always colorful and exciting $20,000 Gambler’s Choice Costume Class. Rodrigo Pessoa won the class, decked out in an authentic Formula One racing outfit, complete with helmet.  Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s daughter Georgina (also of Palm Beach and NYC) placed 6th, in a full nun’s habit.  The 3rd place ribbon in the costume class went to Shane Sweetnam, who partnered with Dobbs to win Saturday night’s $15,000 Open Jumper Pair Relay.

Please contact the Washington International Horse show www.wihs.org.

*Featured/Spotlights, Championships, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Events, Hunter/Equitation, Phelps Media Group, Show Jumping

Hayley Barnhill Proves Victorious in 2010 ASPCA Maclay National Championships

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Hayley Barnhill was victorious with Podest during the 2010 ASPCA Maclay National Championships. Photo Credit: Rebecca Walton/PMG.

Syracuse, NY – November 7, 2010 – Today marked the final day of competition at the 2010 Syracuse Invitational Sporthorse Tournament featuring the 127th National Horse Show. The highlight event at the Oncenter Complex in Syracuse, NY, was the 2010 ASPCA Maclay National Championships. Riders worked all year to qualify for this event and after three phases of competition and it was 17-year-old Hayley Barnhill of Collierville, TN, leading the victory gallop and taking home the championship honors.

In the first round of competition, 153 riders were tested on a course designed by the judges, Scott Hofstetter and Melanie Smith Taylor in cooperation with course designer Richard Jeffery. The fences included a vertical-oxer-vertical triple combination, a natural fan jump off of a sharp left turn and then a sharp right turn to the ASPCA fence. Riders then continued to a tall vertical on the left lead before making their way to a triple bar double combination. While some riders had difficulties during the first round, the course was very inviting overall and gave riders many opportunities to show-off their horsemanship.

Continue reading Hayley Barnhill Proves Victorious in 2010 ASPCA Maclay National Championships →

*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Events, FEI, FEI, Show Jumping

Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping 2010/2011 – Round 4

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The Netherlands' Jeroen Dubbeldam steered BMC Van Grunsven Simon to victory in the fourth leg of the 2010/2011 Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping series in Verona, Italy. Photo: Kit Houghton.

DUBBELDAM DELIVERS IN VERONA by Louise Parkes

Verona (ITA), 7 November 2010 – The Netherlands’ Jeroen Dubbeldam broke the German stranglehold on the 2010/2011 Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping series when delivering a sensational victory in Verona, Italy this afternoon.  German riders dominated at the first three legs at Oslo (NOR), Helsinki (FIN) and Lyon (FRA) so far this season, but the flying Dutchman set an impossible target when second to go in today’s thrilling 10-horse jump-off and couldn’t be caught despite the best efforts of the world-class field that followed him.

His winning margin was a narrow one however as Germany’s Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum, winner with Checkmate just a week ago in Lyon, came dangerously close to making it a back-to-back double with a superb performance from the 17 year old Shutterfly who was only fractionally slower against the clock.  And Sweden’s Rolf-Goran Bengtsson and Casall La Silla finished third in the star-studded line-up.  Dubbeldam was crowned Olympic champion in Sydney (AUS) in 2000, Michaels-Beerbaum’s many successes include three Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping titles and, most recently, team Jumping gold at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky, USA, while Bengtsson took individual silver at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.  Also in the top ten today were Carsten-Otto Nagel (4th) who was a member of that German gold medal winning side last month, Ireland’s Billy Twomey (5th) who finished individually 11th in Kentucky, and the man who continues to wear the Rolex armband as No. 1 Rider in the World Rankings, Kevin Staut from France (6th).  This truly was a line-up of champions.

Read more> http://www.horsesinthesouth.com/article/article_detail.aspx?id=12512

Contributors/Press, Diana de Rosa, Disciplines

Tip of the Week: The Asymmetrically Built Horse

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[singlepic id=567 w=200 h=150 float=] As with humans, the dominance of a horse being one-sided creates uneven lateral musculature. A rider often spends more time on the weaker side of the horse, working on lateral balance.

When a symmetrical saddle is placed on an asymmetrically built horse, the saddle is going to fall into the weaker side. This may not be an issue for men, who have narrowly placed sitting bones, and can merely sit slightly to the stronger side for lateral balance. For most women though, with a much wider base, they often have to sit further to the stronger side to get that same feeling and often have to collapse their upper body to laterally balance – this starts a chain of compensations.

Whereas a man’s centered position seldom interferes with the horse’s biomechanical movement, a woman’s cantilevered position will force the horse to brace on the rein of the stronger side for his or her lateral balance. This promotes additional muscling on the stronger side of the horse, and other compensations including inward lateral tracking on the passive hock.

Because of those compensations, the saddle should be fitted so the rider’s position does not negatively affect the biomechanical movement of the horse, and allow the rider to sit evenly in the saddle having full use of his or her relaxed core strength – the asymmetrical fit.

-By George Gullikson – Master Saddle Fitter – to view this article in full visit www.equineinspired.info.

This tip was brought to you by KAM Animal Services, now offering the Cookies with a Clue Holiday Gift Bucket, the perfect gift for anyone that loves and owns horses. The treats can be ordered from now until the end of December by going to www.kamanimalservices.com or by calling 519-463-9640. It’s only $29.95 and the cute bucket is loaded with wonderfully wrapped baggies of delicious, all organic, sugar-free supplement cookies.

*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Events, Phelps Media Group, Show Jumping

Margie Engle and Indigo Top International Competition in $100,000 World Cup Qualifier of Syracuse

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Margie Engle and Indigo jumped to victory in the $100,000 Detwiler Fenton FEI World Cup Qualifier of Syracuse. Photo By: Reflections Photography.

Syracuse, NY – November 6, 2010 – The fast paced action continued in downtown Syracuse today.  The featured class of the night was the $100,000 Detwiler Fenton FEI World Cup Qualifier of Syracuse presented by G&C Farm.  The great US rider, Margie Engle, out rode 27 riders representing six countries to take the lionshare $100,000 purse.  As she stepped into the arena as the last of three qualifiers of the jump-off, Margie Engle knew all she had to do was to keep the rails from hitting the dirt and she would leave the ring as the winner of the $100,000 Detwiler Fenton FEI World Cup Qualifier of Syracuse presented by G & C Farm. Her Dutch warmblood horse, Indigo, helped her reach that goal as the massive grey gelding gave it his all over every fence and crossed the timers clean in 39.15 seconds. “He’s such a trier. He gives it everything he has,” said Engle after her win.

Earlier this afternoon Engle also rocked the house by winning the $30, 0000 TK99 Speed Derby.  Besting a field of 22 riders from five different countries was rider Margie Engle and her mare Pamina L. The pair dominated the class with a blistering clean round in 48.91 seconds.  The only rider to come close to taking home the blue ribbon was the young Irish rider, Darragh Kenny, who finished second aboard Looping Star, posting a clean go in 49.220 seconds.  The TK99 class is all about speed and strategy and the key to winning is having a fast, responsive horse with the ability to turn smoothly on the fly. Rails down convert to the time so riders with errors on course could still potentially win if their horse was fast. Richard Jeffery designed a challenging course that pushed riders to move forward while keeping their horses focused on the job at hand. The fifth fence on the course, a narrow white gate in shallow cups, proved to be a bogey fence, falling several times during the performance.  As the class progressed the riders pushed their horses faster and faster trying to have the best time.  Although Engle’s mare jumps big over every fence, Pamina L is still incredibly fast.  Although there were five riders to follow the pair, including hometown favorite Beezie Madden, no one was able to best Engle’s time and she earned the win and points towards a spot in Sunday’s Syracuse Sporthorse Cup.

Continue reading Margie Engle and Indigo Top International Competition in $100,000 World Cup Qualifier of Syracuse →

*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Dressage, Eventing/H.T., Events, FEI, Show Jumping

Dibowski Wins First CCI4* but Fox-Pitt Takes a Second HSBC FEI Classics

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William Fox-Pitt (GBR), 2010 season's winner of the FEI HSBC Classics (c) Peter Nixon/FEI

Pau, 7 November – Andreas Dibowski (GER) finally achieved the CCI4* win he so deserves with an immaculate Jumping round in the most testing of conditions at a rain-soaked Les Etoiles de Pau (FRA), the final leg of the HSBC FEI Classics.

But William Fox-Pitt’s (GBR) second place on Navigator, who hit three rails, was still good enough to win him a second HSBC FEI Classics title in three years and US$150,000.

Dibowski, who has endured four runner-up spots at CCI4*s, earned a rapturous reception from an excited, if damp, French crowd. “I am really happy and excited,” he said. “After my Dressage (he was 11th), I didn’t expect to win, but everyone needs a little bit of luck at this level and today it was my day.”

Fox-Pitt was generous in defeat. “If someone had told me I’d be second at the start of this week, I’d have thought it was a dream. It’s the first time I’ve had a clear Cross-Country at Pau! And I had to stay in second place to win the HSBC FEI Classics, so I’m very relieved and pleased and pleased with my horse for coping so well.”

Read more> http://www.horsesinthesouth.com/article/article_detail.aspx?id=12506