Category Archives: *Featured/Spotlights

Special features, spotlights, headlines

Americans Sweep Presentation to Start Driving World Championships at Alltech FEI WEG

October 6. 2010 – Lexington, KY – The Americans who will be contesting the Driving World Championships wish today’s presentation competition counted toward the medal scores, but they don’t. It was just for fun and beauty — and a bottle of champagne presented to each of the 17 drivers who took part.

The three judges declared Chester Weber the winner, awarding him 49.5 of a possible 50 points. James Fairclough (48.33) and Tucker Johnson (48.17), who’ve been Weber’s championship teammates for most of the last two decades, finished second and third.

The grooms and drivers spent about 10 hours polishing the horses, harnesses and vehicles, before putting on their finest driving livery. Not all drivers in these World Championships took part in this presentation.

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Wells and Brenner Gather Gold in Para Dressage World Championships

October 6, 2010 – Lexington, KY – British riders have traditionally dominated the medals at the Para Dressage World Championships, and Sophie Wells lived up to that history by taking individual gold in the grade IV individual test, aboard the flashy chestnut Dutch Warmblood, Pinocchio. Her score of 71.677 percent gave her the definitive lead over the Netherlands’ Frank Hosmar, and Denmark’s Henrik Weber Sibbesen at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.

“I was quite pleased with my test,” said Wells, 20. “ My horse was a little difficult to warm up, but I thought that the trot work was actually quite good. He came against me a little bit when I picked up the canter after the walk, but then he came back to me again, which was good.  When we were in here on Monday, he was quite distracted by the open corners, but today he was much better.”

Hosmar, 42, was equally thrilled with his score of 70.129 percent aboard his bay Dutch Warmblood Tiesto.

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Germany Takes Team Lead on Day 2 of Jumping World Championship, Presented by Rolex

October 5, 2010 – Lexington, KY – Germany rose to the top of the leaderboard with a score of 17.80 on the second day of team competition in the Jumping World Championship, presented by Rolex, at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.

An impressive showing by Brazil put them in second with 18.49 faults, with the U.S. fractionally behind them in third place (18.69 faults). Tomorrow (Wednesday) the 10 top-placed teams will contest the third and final round to decide the gold medal.

Brazil’s Rodrigo Pessoa, who sits in second individually, said the team is thrilled with their performance today, but he knows there are many more jumps in front of them.

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Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2010 Day 11 Para Dressage Championship

Great Britain's Lee Pearson topped the Grade 1b Team Test as the Para Dressage Championship got underway at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky, USA today. Photo: FEI/Kit Houghton.

BRITISH DOUBLE ON OPENING DAY OF PARA DRESSAGE by Louise Parkes

Lexington, 5 October – Great Britain scored a double on the opening day of the Para Dressage Championship at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky, USA today, while riders from Holland, Germany and Belgium also topped their divisional contests.  Lee Pearson, a living legend of the Para Dressage world, clinched the Grade 1b Team Test honours with his nine year old gelding, Gentleman, while fellow-Briton, Anne Dunham, steered Teddy into pole position in Grade 1a.

Para Dressage has been included in the FEI World Equestrian Games for the first time in Kentucky, and the big question is whether any of the other competing nations can beat break the British stranglehold. Great Britain has won team gold in every championship since the sport began.

Para-Dressage, which joined the FEI disciplines in 2006, provides riders with physical disabilities the opportunity to compete in high performance equestrian sport alongside able-bodied riders from all over the world.  The FEI was one of the first international governing bodies to regulate sport for both able-bodied and disabled athletes.

Read more> http://www.horsesinthesouth.com/article/article_detail.aspx?id=12280

Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2010 Day 11 Jumping Championship

Saudi Arabia's Khaled Al Eid jumped into the individual lead with Presley Boy today in the Jumping Championship at the WEG. Photo: FEI/Dirk Caremans.

GERMANY JUMPS AHEAD ON TEAM LEADERBOARD, SAUDI ARABIA’S AL EID HEADS INDIVIDUAL RANKING by Louise Parkes

Lexington, 5 October – As the American team lost their grip on pole position, Germany snatched the lead in the Jumping Championship at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky, USA today.  And, lying fifth overnight, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Khaled Al Eid rocketed to the top of the individual leaderboard when all those ahead of him faltered.  The 41 year old Saudi rider added just a single time penalty to his tally in an otherwise flawless performance from his stallion, Presley Boy, but the 2000 Olympic bronze medallist has his tutor, Brazil’s Rodrigo Pessoa, breathing down his neck going into tomorrow’s next Championship leg.  It’s going to be a hard-fought battle for the 2010 individual title, with only a fence dividing the top 13 riders heading into the third day of competition.

Brazil lies second in the team standings, less than a fence behind the leading Germans, while only fractions further in arrears in third, the host nation holds a narrow advantage over Canada, with France and Saudi Arabia in fifth and sixth places.  Perhaps not the biggest surprise of the day was the success of the strong Australian foursome who produced two of just 17 clear rounds to move up from 14th to seventh position. Belgium lies eighth, Sweden ninth and Great Britain holds tenth spot, and only the top ten teams from today’s competition go through to tomorrow evening’s second round team medal decider.

Read more> http://www.horsesinthesouth.com/article/article_detail.aspx?id=12279

ALLTECH FEI World Equestrian Games 2010 Day 10 Jumping Championship

Mario Deslauriers and Urico won the first qualifier to help put the USA in pole position in the Jumping Championship at the WEG today. Photo: FEI/Kit Houghton.

AMERICANS TAKE THE LEAD AS JUMPING CHAMPIONSHIP GETS UNDERWAY by Louise Parkes

Lexington, 4 October – The host nation took a firm grip on both the team and individual leaderboards as the Jumping Championship got underway at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky, USA today. Mario Deslauriers steered the powerful gelding Urico into pole position in the exciting Speed event, which is both the first individual qualifier and the class that decides the rankings for tomorrow’s team competition.  And he had the best back-up around in the shape of fellow-American McLain Ward who steered the great mare Sapphire home just a little slower to slot into runner-up spot.

As expected, the US riders, who are strongly tipped for medals this week, came out with all guns blazing.  But there were plenty of surprises throughout the day and the biggest of these was the spectacular performance of Hungary’s Sandor Szasz who slotted into third place.  Riding Moosbachhofs Goldwing the relatively unknown 39 year old stormed into the lead with a clear round in 71.79 seconds as the first half of the competition was coming to a close. But, with just four left to run before the lunch-break, Deslauriers and Urico raced through the timers in 71.25 seconds to re-set the target.

Read more> http://www.horsesinthesouth.com/article/article_detail.aspx?id=12271

U.S. Tops First Day of Jumping World Championships, Presented by Rolex

Mario Deslauriers

Lexington, Ky., Oct. 4, 2010 — U.S. riders Mario Deslauriers, on Urico, and McLain Ward, on Sapphire, set the pace in the first leg of the team competition at the Jumping World Championships, presented by Rolex. Their performance led the U.S. team to the top of the team rankings, with two more days of team jumping to go at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.

Deslauriers and Urico stopped the clock after a clear round in 71.25 seconds. Ward and Sapphire, riding almost five hours later in the field of 121 horses, fell just short, in 71.79 seconds.

Sandor Szasz of Hungary, who is competing in his first international championship and has never placed in a major international competition before, surprised his competitors and the roaring crowd in the Rolex Arena by urging Moosbachhofs Goldwing through the finish in 73.24 seconds.

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Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2010 Day 10 Eventing/Jumping

Michael Jung

CORRECTED FINAL RESULTS FOR EVENTING CHAMPIONSHIP, JUMPING BEGINS THIS MORNING … by Louise Parkes

Lexington, 4 October – Please find below corrected final results for the Eventing Championship at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky which finished yesterday with Great Britain taking the team title and Germany’s Michael Jung securing an all-the-way individual win with La Biosthetique Sam.

ALLTECH FEI WORLD EQUESTRIAN GAMES – EVENTING, FINAL RESULT

Team: Great Britain 139.40; 2, Canada 151.50; 3, New Zealand 154.50; 4, USA 160.30; 5, Germany 200.70; 6, Belgium 227.10; 7, Ireland 236.50; 8, France 245.70; 9, Japan 334.10.

Individual: 1, La Biosthetique Sam NRW (Michael Jung) GER 33.00; 2, Cool Mountain (William Fox-Pitt) GBR 42.00; 3, Nereo (Andrew Nicholson) NZL 43.50; 4, Gazelle de la Brasserie (Karin Donckers) BEL 44.40; 5, Redesigned (Pippa Funnell) GBR 45.50; 6, Imperial Cavalier (Mary King) GBR 46.20; 7, Clifton Promise (Jonathan Paget) NZL 46.40; 8, Vettori (Stuart Tinney) AUS 47.60; 9, Port Authority (Stephanie Rhodes-Bosch) CAN 48.20; 10, Neville Bardos (Boyd Martin) USA 49.50.

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Cross-Country Keeps Germany’s Jung atop Eventing World Championships

October 2, 2010 – Lexington, KY – As the day’s third-last starter, Germany’s Michael Jung and La Biosthetique-Sam FBW made the cross-country course look easy at the Eventing World Championships, presented by Reem Acra.  The pair added nothing to their dressage penalty score of 33.00, to keep the lead they took yesterday in the dressage phase at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.

Creeping up behind Jung after equally impressive rounds are Great Britain’s William Fox-Pitt on Cool Mountain, finishing on their dressage score of 42.00, and USA’s Becky Holder on Courageous Comet, finishing on 42.50.

Of the 79 horses that started today’s course, 60 finished (75.9%).  Some 13 riders, including Jung and Fox-Pitt, finished faster than the ideal time of 11:14 and added nothing to their dressage penalties.

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Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2010 Day 9 Eventing Final Result

The British team of Nicola Wilson, Tina Cook, William Fox-Pitt and Mary King celebrate their team gold medal winning performance in the Eventing Championship at the WEG. Photo: FEI/Kit Houghton.

TEAM GOLD FOR BRITAIN AS JUNG TAKES INDIVIDUAL TITLE FOR GERMANY by Louise Parkes

Lexington, 3 October – In a nail-biting conclusion to the Eventing Championship at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky today, the British stood firm to claim team gold and Germany’s Michael Jung did likewise to take the individual title.  Jung’s win was delivered with consummate ease when, last into the arena, he produced another flawless performance from his 10 year old gelding La Biosthetique Sam.  And Britain’s William Fox-Pitt, whose polished ride with Cool Mountain secured individual silver, paid the highest compliment to the winner, who led the competition from the outset.  When asked what he thought of the German rider’s result, he said, “Quite honestly it’s a case of Michael Jung – 1, the rest – nowhere! He’s so far ahead we’ve all got our work cut out for us for the next two years!”

The British triumph was the first in a World Championship since 1994 and it was achieved in the best possible way, with clears from Fox-Pitt, Mary King (Imperial Cavalier) and Nicola Wilson (Opposition Buzz) while Tina Cook (Miners Frolic) had two fences down. There was turmoil on the leaderboard, with the USA slipping out of medal contention and having to settle for fourth place while the sensational Canadians moved up into silver and New Zealand took bronze.

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