Category Archives: Events

Championships, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Dressage, Events, FEI, Para-Equestrian, World Equestrian Games

Britain Leads Medal Hunt Halfway through Para Dressage World Championships

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October 5, 2010 – Lexington, KY – Great Britain, the team expected to win the gold medal at the Para Dressage World Championships, has taken the lead halfway through the team competition. Germany stands second, with the Netherlands third and Denmark fourth.

The 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games mark the first time that para dressage has been part of the World Games.

“[The British team hasn’t] lost a gold medal at a major championship since the sport started, so there is a lot pressure,” said Sophie Christiansen of the British team, whose score of 69.41 percent in grade Ia team test on Rivaldo Of Berkeley aided the British effort. “I went to [the 2004 Athens Paralympics] at 16, so I know how to deal with the pressure. We have so much support, and that gives us Brits the upper hand.”

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Chardon & Weber Share Lead after First Day of Driving World Championships at the WEG

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Chester Weber

October 7, 2010 – Lexington, Ky., – The battle has begun for the Individual and Team medals in the Four-In-Hand Driving World Championships, held as part of the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, and tied for the top spot are two of the sport’s biggest names.

IJsbrand Chardon of The Netherlands was the second driver in the arena for the opening Dressage phase, and he turned in a spectacular performance to score a 35.97.

In the next to last position was Chester Weber, driving for the United States, and he turned in the identical score to stand tied with Chardon for first place.

Neither Chardon nor Weber is a stranger to this top level of competition.  Chardon, a legend in the sport of Driving, has been Dutch National Champion twenty-one times and has won medals in four World Equestrian Games, including Team and Individual Gold.  Weber has won eight consecutive U.S. National Championships and has a Team Silver Medal from the 2002 World Equestrian Games in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain.

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Great Britain Is Golden in Para Dressage World Championships at Alltech FEI WEG

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October 7, 2010 – Lexington, KY – Great Britain continued its historical domination of the Para Dressage World Championships by taking the team gold, and sweeping all three individual medals in the Grade Ia division, as well as the individual gold and silver in grade Ib. These medals follow yesterday’s gold-medal performance by Sophie Wells, bringing to seven the total British medal count in para dressage at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.

Leading the British charge was Sophie Christiansen, 22, who took individual gold in the grade Ia test with a score of 76.100 percent and provided a crucial score for her team. Christiansen was overcome when her score was announced.

“My trainer decided I should ride for longer today. I normally ride for 15 minutes, and today I rode for 30 minutes,” she said. “I’m so happy with him because he just took care of me. That score is the highest I’ve ever gotten in the individual test. The feeling afterward is so wonderful. I was so nervous this morning!”

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Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2010 Day 13 Para Dressage Championships

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The British team of Sophie Christiansen, Lee Pearson, Anne Dunham and Jo Pitt claimed team gold in the Para Dressage Championship at the WEG today. Photo: FEI/Kit Houghton

UNBEATABLE BRITS TAKE TEAM GOLD ONCE AGAIN AS CHRISTIANSEN, VAN DE SANDE AND PEARSON CLAIM INDIVIDUAL TITLES by Louise Parkes

Lexington, 7 October – The British were in stunning form in the Para Dressage Championship at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky, USA, when winning the team title, taking a clean sweep of the medals in the Grade 1a Individual, and gold and silver in Grade 1b.  It was The Netherlands Petra Van de Sande who put a stop to their gallop when winning Grade 2 ahead of Germany’s Britta Napel, while Denmark’s Caroline Cecilie Nielsen took bronze.

Britain’s Para Dressage record is outstanding – they have never been beaten in the battle for the World title since taking team gold on their home turf in Hartpury in 1991.  But their shining star, the formidable Lee Pearson who predictably also took the Grade 1b gold in convincing fashion today, said tonight that the standard of the sport is improving rapidly and that he and his team-mates no longer have the advantage they have grown accustomed to – the margins are getting tighter all the time.

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Championships, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Events, FEI, Vaulting, World Equestrian Games

Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2010 Day 13 Vaulting Championships

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Germany's Simone Wiegele heads the leaderboard after today's Female Individual Freestyle Vaulting Championship at the Alltech FEI WEG. Photo: FEI/Kit Houghton.

WIEGELE AND LOOSER HEAD VAULTING RANKINGS AFTER FREESTYLE by Louise Parkes

Lexington, 7 October – The Alltech Arena at the Horse Park in Kentucky, USA was packed to capacity today for the first round of the Male and Female Freestyle Vaulting Championships at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.  And a superb performance from Germany’s Simone Wiegele clinched pole position in the Female division while Switzerland’s Patric Looser now heads the Male Freestyle leaderboard. Scores from yesterday’s Compulsory Test and today’s Freestyle decide the current standings.

The crowd really got involved with every test, hardly able to contain their enthusiasm until the end when, time after time, they burst into waves of spontaneous applause as the 20 Male, and 33 Female vaulters put on quite a show.

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Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2010 Day 13 Four-In-Hand Driving Championship

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USA’s Chester Weber is the joint-leader after the first day of Driving Dressage. Photo: FEI/Rinaldo Craen

WEBER AND CHARDON SHARE EARLY LEAD AFTER FOUR-IN-HAND DRIVING DRESSAGE by Cindy Timmer

Lexington, 7 October – With twelve more competitors to go, USA’s Chester Weber and title defender IJsbrand Chardon from The Netherlands have already set the standard in today’s driven dressage, with the two drivers scoring the same marks to take the early lead.

The many spectators were treated to wonderful dressage tests in the Driving Stadium, which was blessed with a warm autumn sun.

Chardon was second to go in the morning and put down a wonderful performance which was awarded by the international Ground Jury with a score of 35.97 penalty points to go into first place. With the Swedish warmblood geldings Isovlas Tango and Isovlas Paganini in the lead of his team and the Dutch warmblood horses Zidane and Whooper in the wheel, Chardon produced a near faultless dressage test.

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German Team Unbeatable on Show Jumping World Championships, Presented by Rolex

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October 6, 2010 – Lexington, Ky. – Germany was nearly perfect tonight in the Show Jumping World Championships, presented by Rolex, and they rode off with the team gold medal (17.8 faults). France jumped up to the silver medal (24.32), and Belgium climbed up to the bronze medal (24.7) at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.

Ten teams moved forward to tonight’s final round under the lights of the Rolex Stadium, after jumping a speed round on Monday and then nearly the same course as tonight on Tuesday to narrow the field down from the original 27 teams.  France entered the final round poised in fifth place, while Belgium stood eighth.

Germany had not won the World Championship since 1998.

“Twelve years is a long time ago, and there have been exciting years since then,” said Otto Becker, the German chef d’equipe, dryly. “All the riders and all the grooms, and the whole German federation, is fantastic to work with, and tonight’s victory is the result.”

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U.S. Team Leads the Way in Vaulting World Championships at 2010 Alltech FEI WEG

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October 6, 2010 – Lexington, KY – The Vaulting World Championships swung into action today at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, with the compulsory portion of both team and individual competition being contested at the Alltech Arena.

At day’s end, the U.S. team held the highest score (7.207), followed by Germany (6.996) and Austria (6.990). Switzerland (6.880) and France (6.594) rounded out the top five. Team freestyle continues on Friday, with the final freestyle round on Sunday.

Vaulting combines gymnastic and dance elements, performed to music on a cantering horse. A longeur, who controls the horse, completes the three-way partnership, and harmony between all participants is imperative. Vaulting has been an FEI-recognized discipline since 1983.

Although there is a lot of competition left before medals are awarded, the Americans are happy with their inaugural performance on home soil.

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American Shetland Ponies and Minis Wow the Crowd at the Secretariat Festival in Kentucky

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Chuck McCallister gave a harness demonstration with his award-winning pony Seamair All That Glitters during the Secretariat Festival in Paris, Kentucky. (Photo by JRPR)

Paris, KY (October 7, 2010) – While the recent Secretariat Festival in Paris, Kentucky was all about the famous Triple Crown winner called Big Red, some of Secretariat’s smaller equine cousins put on a show during the festival that brought the fans to their feet. Members of the American Shetland Pony Club and American Miniature Horse Registry (ASPC/AMHR) wowed the crowd with a driving exhibition, costume contest, jumping and halter demonstrations.

Chuck McCallister, of Tuigpaarden Farms in Ocala, Florida and Shelbyville, Kentucky, gave a harness demonstration with his award-winning pony Seamair All That Glitters, a double registered American Show Pony and American Hackney Pony. “Glitter is part of the American Show Pony Registry that was created by the American Shetland Pony Club in 1995,” said Zona Schneider, Director of Operations with the ASPC/AMHR, who was on hand for the Secretariat Festival. “The American Show Pony Registry includes Hackneys, Shetlands and Shetland/Hackney crosses that measure 48” and under at the wither. American Show Ponies are sought after as impressive athletes and are a crowd favorite when they drive into the show ring.”

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Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Dressage, Driving, Events, FEI, Media/Radio/TV Sources, Para-Equestrian, Vaulting, World Equestrian Games

2010 Radio Show Episode 121 by SUCCEED – Vaulting, Para, Driving and Glenn’s Quest

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Today we covered Para, the start of vaulting with an early lead by the USA and driving starts tomorrow. Plus, Glenn went on a quest to find adventure at the horse park! Listen in to what happened with that….

2010 Radio Show Episode 121 by SUCCEED – Show Notes and Links:

  • Hosts: Samantha Clark and Glenn the Geek
  • Location: The International Equestrian Festival in downtown Lexington.
    Recording at 7:00 PM every night. Stop down and join us.
  • Guest: Kegan Smith, South African Vaulter
  • Guest: Georgina Bloomberg – ASPCA Exhibit
  • Guest: John Nicholson, Director of Kentucky Horse Park
  • Guest: Great Britain – Vaulting Team
  • See all of the videos and pics from today on Facebook.
  • Coverage: Follow all the coverage of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games on the Horse Radio Network.

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