Tag Archives: dressage

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

Sharon Hunt Is Talk of the Town in Luhmühlen

June 20, 2010 Associate Editor 1 Comment

HuntS_Luh10kh639 — Sharon Hunt (GBR) claimed her first-ever CCI4* victory when winning at Luhmühlen with the Irish Sport Horse Tankerstown to move into fourth place in the HSBC FEI Classics standings after three of five events. (Photo: Kit Houghton/FEI)

20 June 2010 – Sharon Hunt (GBR) enjoyed the biggest thrill of her long partnership with Tankers Town when the fleet-footed gelding gave her a first CCI4* win, at Luhmühlen, presented by E.ON Avacon, the third leg of the HSBC FEI Classics.

“I’m shocked,” said the 32-year-old, “but I always knew he was a phenomenal horse.”

The optimum time of 90 seconds proved extremely difficult on the spacious Jumping track and only nine out of the 32 finishers avoided collecting time penalties.

Tankers Town lowered the third fence, but Hunt kept up a good speed and did not incur any other penalties, giving her the slimmest of leads – just 0.2 of a penalty – over Ingrid Klimke (GER), whose chances of a first CCI4* win disappeared when she had both parts of the double at five down.

“The course really suited my horse because he is so good at jumping fast,” explained Hunt.

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Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Dressage, Eventing/H.T., Events, FEI, Hunter/Equitation, Show Jumping

Confident Klimke Retains Lead at Luhmühlen

June 19, 2010 Associate Editor Leave a comment

KlimkeI_Luh10kh151small — Ingrid Klimke (GER) and Butts Abraxxas were fast and clear round Capt Mark Phillips’ Cross Country course to retain their lead at Luhmühlen, the third leg of the HSBC FEI Classics. (Photo: Kit Houghton/FEI)

19 June 2010 – Ingrid Klimke (GER) was deservedly jubilant after a superb Cross Country ride on Butts Abraxxas which kept her in the lead and still on her Dressage score at Luhmühlen (GER), presented by E.ON Avacon, the third leg of the HSBC FEI Classics.

Klimke, who says her nerve has not been affected at all by the recent birth of her second child, said: “I’m really thrilled. My plan worked, my horse felt confident and fit and although I had thought I would take the long route at the corner in the arena (23), when I got there I decided I would like the challenge!”

Klimke declared herself “eager for tomorrow”, but she has no room for error in the final Jumping phase. Olympic team bronze medallists Sharon Hunt and the 16-year-old Tankers Town, who have proven ability over the coloured poles, have moved up three places to lie second and are just 3.8 penalties behind.

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*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Dressage, Events, FEI

Klimke Clinches Pole Position at Luhmühlen

June 19, 2010 Associate Editor Leave a comment

18 June 2010 – Ingrid Klimke (GER) proved that she is back at the top of her game when producing a typically convincing display to take the Dressage lead at Luhmühlen, presented by E.ON Avacon, which is the third leg of the HSBC FEI Classics.

The Olympic and World team gold medallist, who gave birth to her second daughter, Philippa, on March 8, is, surprisingly, making her debut at her home nation’s CCI4*, and is out to convince the German selectors that she should be a member of the team defending their title at the FEI Alltech World Equestrian Games in September.

Klimke, 42, was relieved at the calmness of the 13-year-old Butts Abraxxas, which she said had been over-excited on his arrival at the event. “He was doing the flying changes without any help from me,” she joked. “Fortunately, in the arena he was so relaxed and was totally listening to me.”

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*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Dressage, Driving, Endurance Riding, Eventing/H.T., Events, FEI, Para-Equestrian, Show Jumping, Vaulting, Western/Reining, World Equestrian Games

FEI Secretary General Marks 100-day Countdown to the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games

June 17, 2010 Associate Editor Leave a comment

17 June 2010 – Alex McLin, FEI Secretary General, marks the 100-day countdown to the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games with a specially extended video message today, expressing his confidence that the FEI’s flagship event will be an incredible celebration of equestrian sport when it opens in the 1,200 acre Kentucky Horse Park on 25 September.

“Spectators can expect to see the best equestrian sport can offer,” Alex McLin says. “The Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games are 100 days away so we’re in the final stretches of preparation. It’s hard to believe it’s been five years since the award of the bid because everything that’s been achieved since then is absolutely incredible.

“All the infrastructure has been delivered on time, the teams are working well together on the ground and we have every reason to be confident that we’ll have a fantastic Games.”

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

Todd Flettrich Receives Invitation to Compete at CHIO Aachen

June 14, 2010 Associate Editor Leave a comment

Flettrich004855 — Todd Flettrich and Otto. Photo by Susan J. Stickle.

Wellington, FL – June 14, 2010 – Dressage rider Todd Flettrich will depart for Europe the week of June 14, 2010, to compete in international competition with his Grand Prix mount Otto, a 13-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding (Rambo X Rampal), owned by Cherry Knoll Farm. Flettrich plans to begin his trip competing in Fritzen, Austria, and will then head to the Falsterbo Horse Show CDI 5* in Sweden on July 8-11, 2010. Flettrich will then show at The World Equestrian Festival at CHIO Aachen on July 9-18, 2010.

CHIO Aachen is the “Official International Equestrian Tournament of the Federal Republic of Germany” and the #1 ranked horse show in the world. It is a huge honor for Flettrich and Otto to be invited to compete amongst many of the world’s greatest horses and riders at this illustrious event. Flettrich will use the opportunity to gain exposure on the world stage and experience championship competition on the international level as he prepares for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG).

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

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

June 13, 2010 Associate Editor Leave a comment

CANNES, France, June 12 – Isabell Werth rode Warum Nicht FRH to victory in the Exquis World Dressage Masters Grand Prix Freestyle Saturday night, the event providing the first victory for the German pair in more than a year and since returning to competition after a six-month break to give birth to a son.

Isabell, competing in her third straight €100,000 (US$121,000) WDM CDI5*, scored 77.950 per cent with Belgium’s Stefan van Ingelgem and Withney van’t Genthof in second place on 70.90 per cent and Poland’s Michael Rapcewicz on Randon third on 69.20 per cent.

She was smiling happily at the end of the ride on the 14-year-old Hanoverian gelding on whom she won the World Cup Final in 2007, although she did not get to give her final salute until about midnight as the €60,000 (US$72,700) freestyle did not start until completion of the Global Champions Tour jumping Grand Prix in this French Riviera resort.

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Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Dressage, Events, JRPR

Grand Prix Dressage Star Sagacious Receives Papers with KWPN Crown Predicate Honors

June 11, 2010 Associate Editor Leave a comment

Wellington, FL (June 11, 2010) – Al Guden’s 11-year-old Grand Prix KWPN gelding, Sagacious HF, recently earned Crown Predicate honors from the KWPN (Dutch) Registry. This special symbol on his registration papers means he is ranked in the top 200 FEI Dressage Horses in the world. Sagacious HF was actually ranked 56th in the world.

Guden’s journey with Sagacious HF started when Al purchased the 4-month-old colt in Holland in 1999. Sagacious was imported to the US in 2004. Guden put the young gelding in training with Lauren Sammis and that combination turned out to be a very successful match. In 2007, Sagacious and Sammis proved they had what it takes to be international contenders by winning the Team Gold and Individual Silver Medals at the Pan American Games in Rio. Over the next three years they made a very successful transition from the small tour to winning CDI Grand Prix classes at the nation’s most competitive shows. Al Guden, Lauren Sammis and Sagacious became on popular trio on the dressage circuit.

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Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Dressage, Training/Clinics

Ruth Poulsen’s June Newsletter – Horses and Music and Other Great Stuff!

June 11, 2010 Associate Editor Leave a comment

Freestyles from A to C

Hi everyone! I hope that the warm weather and the beginning of summer has inspired you to start implementing your new goals for you and your horse. The beginning of a new season is a great time to set some goals and start attaining them one step at a time. I find that writing my goals down as if I have already achieved them helps me stay focused and positive about my day to day progress. It’s easy to over look how much progress you have made in any area when you get drawn in to the day to day routine. Be fair to yourself when you are looking at where you were 6 months ago and where you are now. Sometimes when we have a bad ride or a bad day, our first conclusion is that we are “stuck in a rut”. But if you look back to the challenges you were having 6 months ago, you will find that there have been positive changes! Remember that training is relative! What used to be good enough 6 months ago is maybe not good enough now. So for example, if you worked 6 months ago on putting your horse in front of the driving aids, and you realize that you have to have that lesson again, it may not be because your horse slipped back in his training, it could be that you are in a new place in training and that your expectations are higher than they were 6 months ago.

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

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

June 10, 2010 Associate Editor Leave a comment

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

June 9, 2010 Associate Editor Leave a comment

almeida-samba — 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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