Category Archives: Competitions

*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Disciplines, Dressage, Events

Isabell Werth & Warum Nicht Win Exquis World Dressage Masters Grand Prix in Cannes

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Isabell Werth on Warum Nicht. © 2010 Ken Braddick

CANNES, France, June 10 – Isabell Werth on Warum Nicht led a German sweep of the top three places in the Exquis World Dressage Masters Grand Prix presented by Massa Stud Thursday, but was disappointed the horse was distracted by flowers blowing in the wind.

Riding in her third WDM this year – she came third in Palm Beach in February and at Munich last month – and her first ever competition in Cannes, Isabell and her 2007 World Cup champion mount scored 71.489 per cent, a fraction ahead of Anja Plönzke on Le Mont d’Or with 71.447 per cent and Matthias Alexander Rath on Triviant UNICEF with 70.851 per cent.

This French Riviera resort was the launching pad in 2008 for the world’s richest lineup of dressage competitions that has grown to five premier CDI5* competitions this year, each one with prize money of €100,000 (US$120,000). Falsterbo, Sweden has been added to the calendar this year and followed by the 2010 finale at Hickstead, England.

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Competitions, Disciplines, Dressage, Events

Isabell Werth Tops Field for Exquis World Dressage Masters Cannes

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Luiza Almeida of Brazil on her Lusitano stallion Samba on whom she competed at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. © Ken Braddick

CANNES, France, June 9 — Isabell Werth on her World Cup champion mount Warum Nicht top the field for the Exquis World Dressage Masters starting Thursday and that will include riders from Brazil for the first time, including Luiza Almeida who was the youngest ever dressage Olympian at the 2008 Beijing Games.

This glamorous French Riviera resort was the launching pad for WDM two years ago and is now the midway point in the lineup that this year has been enlarged to five premier competitions on both sides of the Atlantic each offering €100,000 (US$119,350) in prize money.

The Cannes CDI5* event kicks off Thursday with the €10,000 (US$11,935) Grand Prix presented by Exquis, Lusitano Sport/Elevage Massa. The €30,000 (US$35,800) Grand Prix Special presented by Moorlands and Massa Autopneu on Friday and the €60,000 ($71,600) Grand Prix Freestyle presented by Exquis World Dressage Masters and Groupe Massa on Saturday, will both be at night under lights.

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

Fellers Goes Double Clear in First World Cup Class of the Season

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Rich Fellers and Flexible won the opening World Cup Qualifier at Thunderbird Show Park. Photo By: Totem Photographics.

Unlucky number seven narrows the field at Thunderbird Show Park

Langley, BC (June 8, 2010) – Thunderbird Show Park welcomed international riders from four continents to the CSI2*-W Keg Steakhouse & Bar World Cup on Saturday. Twenty-six entries from Canada, the United States, Ireland and Venezuela challenged Peter Holmes course, but with a technical triple combination and 1.60m vertical at fence seven, just three advanced to the jump-off. Rich Fellers and Flexible were flawless through two rounds to finish with the only double clear of the day and a win in the season’s first World Cup class for the FEI North American League.

“Flexible loves this ring and he’s comfortable here, so I came in today feeling really good about letting him do his thing,” explained Fellers. “I had a little touch on that number seven fence in the first round, so in the jump-off I took it wide and gave it extra time to make sure that I didn’t take it out.”

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Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Events, Jennifer Wood, Show Jumping

Pablo Barrios and G&C Quick Star 11 Notch Second Place Finish in $55,000 BC Open World Cup Grand Prix at Thunderbird Show Park

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Pablo Barrios and G&C Quick Star 11. Photo © 2010 Totem Photographics

Langley, BC, Canada – June 8, 2010 – In another strong week of competition, Pablo Barrios of Wellington, FL, finished second in the $55,000 BC Open World Cup Grand Prix on Saturday, June 5, at the BC Open Tournament at Thunderbird Show Park in Langley, British Columbia, Canada. Barrios rode G&C Quick Star 11, owned by G&C Farm and Gustavo and Carolina Mirabal, to the top placing. G&C Farm’s state-of-the-art jumper facility is based in Wellington, FL.

Barrios and G&C Quick Star 11, a 12-year-old KWPN mare by Quick Star x Grannus, were one of 26 entries in the World Cup qualifying grand prix.  The course designer was Peter Grant, and Barrios commented, “It was a pretty tough course. There were a few tall verticals, and the oxers had a good spread. The track was very nice, and it was good for our first World Cup qualifier (this season).”

In the jump-off, Barrios was chasing the winning time set by Rich Fellers and Flexible. “Unfortunately in the jump-off I had a rail down. I was trying to catch Rich’s time. I did it but had the second to last fence down. I ended up second because Ashlee Bond had the same rail down but wasn’t as fast,” Barrios recalled.

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*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Dressage, Events, JRPR, Training/Clinics

Cesar Parra and the Piaffe-Performance Team Win Big at ESDCTA CDI Dressage

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International dressage rider Cesar Parra and his Piaffe-Performance Team debuted their horses at the Eastern States Dressage and Combined Training Association Memorial Day CDI with great success. (Photo by SusanJStickle.com)

Allentown, NJ (June 8, 2010)  – Cesar Parra and his Piaffe-Performance team debuted their horses in the northeast at the Eastern States Dressage and Combined Training Association’s Memorial Day CDI with great success.  It was the team’s first show in New Jersey after returning from the winter season in Florida and collectively they spent much of the show in the winner’s circle.

Cesar Parra dominated the small tour with Lori Washton’s KWPN gelding, Olympia. Parra and Olympia won the Prix St. Georges score of 71.789 and the Intermediaire I with a score of 71.000 percent. The seasoned pair has shown at this level just over a dozen times and has always been over 70%. They are in top form as they head for the USEF/Collecting Gaits Farm Dressage Festival of Champions August 6-15 at the U.S. Equestrian Team headquarters in Gladstone, New Jersey. Parra also notes that Olympia’s consistent performances will be just what it takes to represent the US at next year’s Pan American Games.

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*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Events, Racing

Ryan Moore on Workforce breaks track record at Epsom Derby, England with best Derby winning performance since Generous in 1991

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Three times Champion jockey Ryan Moore completed a famous Investec Derby/Oaks Classic double at the weekend, breaking the track record in the process. Saturday’s stunning 7 length victory on Workforce was also the best Derby winning performance since Generous in 1991. This talented but inexperienced colt showed great acceleration on fast ground on this notoriously difficult and undulating course. Owned and bred by Prince Khalid Abdulla (Juddmonte Farms), Workforce (by King’s Best – USA) carried his famous green and pink silks to a third Derby victory following Quest For Fame in 1990 and Commander In Chief, 1993. Prince Khalid has extensive breeding and racing interests in America, England and Ireland. Trainer Sir Michael Stoute, who is based in Newmarket, is now the most successful current trainer of the Derby with five wins.

The Investec Oaks winner Snow Fairy, owned by Cristina Patino was bought for just 1,800 euros at Tattersall’s Ireland sales in 2008. Winning in determined fashion by a neck, with the rest of the fifteen runners strung out behind, this gutsy filly by Intikhab (USA) was supplemented for the Oaks at a cost of £20,000 after winning a listed race at Goodwood last month. This was trainer Ed Dunlop’s second Oaks victory after previous success with the brilliant Ouija Board six years ago.

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

Meydan FEI Nations Cup 2010 – French Make It Three-in-a-Row at St Gallen

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Olivier Guillon and Lord de Theize were members of the French team that secured a third consecutive victory in the 2010 Meydan FEI Nations Cup at St Gallen, Switzerland today. Photo: Valeria Struen.

St Gallen (SUI), 4 June 2010 – The French team, already leading the series by a considerable margin following their double of wins over the first two legs, swept to victory again today in the third leg of the 2010 Meydan FEI Nations Cup at St Gallen, Switzerland.

The competition came down to a two-way battle in the closing stages between the eventual winners and the crack German side that was sent out to ensure an improved position on the leaderboard.  But once again the winners were in a league of their own.  They established the advantage in the first round and held firm to clinch maximum points, while Germany finished second ahead of Great Britain in third and Ireland in fourth place.  The home team had to settle for fifth when things did not go their way, and the Spanish slotted into sixth ahead of the USA.  The Netherlands finished eighth, and this result has now dropped them down to second-last on the leaderboard, so they are in serious trouble going into their home leg in Rotterdam in two weeks time.

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Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Events, FEI, Para-Equestrian, Phelps Media Group, World Equestrian Games

The United States Para-Dressage Riders Earn Top Honors at WindReach International Para-Dressage CPEDI 3*

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WindReach International Para-Dressage CPEDI3*

Thousand Oaks, CA – June 2, 2010 – This year is the most exciting calendar year for the United States Para-Equestrian Team in history.  It will be the first time ever that the Para-Dressage team will compete with all of the equestrian disciplines at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG) in Lexington, KY.  The hopeful WEG riders first stop this summer was May 28-30, 2010, in Ashburn, Ontario, Canada.  While in Canada riders earned top scores for their performances including the Silver Medal for the United States.  Riders used this show as their last big qualifier for the 2010 World Equestrian Games Selection Trials scheduled for June 24-27, 2010 held at the Lamplight Equestrian Center in Wayne, Illinois.

The Para-Equestrian’s journey to Ashburn, Ontario, Canada was to compete at the WindReach International Para-Dressage CPEDI3* and WindReach EC Gold Para-Dressage Competition.  This FEI event was an official qualifier for WEG.

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Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Events, Jennifer Wood, Show Jumping

Pablo Barrios and G&C Quick Star 11 Win $25,000 BC Timberframe Grand Prix at Thunderbird Show Park

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Barrios and G&C Quick Star 11. All Photos © 2010 Totem Photographics

Langley, BC, Canada – June 1, 2010 – Pablo Barrios of Wellington, FL, took the top prize in the $25,000 Timberframe Grand Prix on Sunday, May 30, at the Canadian Premier Tournament at Thunderbird Show Park in Langley, British Columbia, Canada. Barrios rode G&C Quick Star 11 to the win. G&C Farm’s state-of-the-art jumper facility is based in Wellington, FL, and owned by Gustavo Mirabal.

Barrios and G&C Quick Star 11, a 12-year-old KWPN mare by Quick Star x Grannus, went 16th in a class of 32 entries. In the jump-off, they went fifth out of eight. “There were only two double clear in the jump-off,” Barrios remembered. “I had the opportunity to watch Rich Fellers, and I watched his jump-off. He had one down, but at that point I still had to go fast because I had two or three after me and I didn’t know how fast they could go. I went pretty fast.”

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

Todd Minikus and Pavarotti Win the $50,000 EMO Grand Prix, Presented by Pfizer Animal Health, at HITS Saugerties

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© ESI Photography. Todd Minikus and Pavarotti in the $50,000 EMO Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health

SAUGERTIES, NY (June 1, 2010) — The $50,000 EMO Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, was the perfect stage as Pavarotti, with Todd Minikus in the irons, took home the win in Sunday’s class to highlight HITS-on-the-Hudson I.

“It was a good first round,” said Minikus, of Loxahatchee, Florida, who competed and placed in his third Pfizer Million Grand Prix qualifier. “The jumps were big enough and challenging. The second vertical downhill and the line across the middle had good rideability questions.”

Minikus and Little Annie were the first of 30 horse-and-rider teams to take to the field designed by Olaf Petersen, Jr. of Paehl, Germany. The team had a rail down on the second fence, which would also prove troublesome for four other riders in the first round.

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