Tag Archives: Sterling Graburn

Sterling Graburn to Represent the U.S. in Portugal

FEI Single Driving World Championships Begin Today

Sterling Graburn and Ulano (Picsofyou.com)

GEORGETOWN, KY – SEPTEMBER 12, 2012 – It’s official! Kentucky-based combined driving National Champion Sterling Graburn and his equine partner Ulano will lead the team representing the United States at the 2012 FEI Singles Driving World Championships, which begin today in Lezirias, Portugal and run through September 16.

Graburn will begin his quest for the gold with the Dressage competition tomorrow morning. The Marathon phase will follow on Saturday and the three-day event will end with the Cones contest on Sunday.

Graburn, who is the head trainer at the Gayla Driving Center in Georgetown, KY, has had a banner year in 2012.

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Sterling Graburn Captures USEF National Single Horse Championship

Sterling Graburn and Ulano navigate the Hazards at Southern Pines. Photo by Pics Of You

GEORGETOWN, KY – APRIL 17, 2012 – Kentucky-based equestrian Sterling Graburn went wire-to-wire this weekend at the Southern Pines Combined Driving Event to claim his second USEF National Single Horse Championship title.

The National Championship ran concurrently with the Southern Pines CDE, which was held at the Carolina Horse Park April 13-15.

On Friday Graburn, driving the Larry Denny-owned Ulano, took the lead during the dressage phase of the championship CDE and continued to dominate the competition over the marathon and cones courses, which were contested over the remainder of the weekend. Graburn finished first overall with a final score 119.76, besting the second place finisher by more than 10 points.

The Southern Pines CDE also served as a United States Equestrian Federation Selection Trial that will determine team members for the 2012 Singles World Driving Championships, to be held in Lezirias, Portugal September 12-16.

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Graburn Produces Wire-to-Wire Victory to Claim Second USEF National Single Horse Championship

Sterling Graburn claims his second USEF National Championship (Picsofyou.com)

Raeford, NC – The USEF National Single Horse Championship concluded Sunday afternoon at the Carolina Horse Park, with the cones phase shaking up the final standings. Time faults and balls down proved extremely costly for competitors all day at the Southern Pines CDE, which hosted the USEF National Championship. Sterling Graburn seized the lead in the Single Horse division during Friday’s dressage and refused to relent over Richard Nicoll’s challenging marathon and cones courses to produce a wire-to-wire victory.

Graburn (Georgetown, KY) held his nerve and drove a determined, confident cones phase on the Twin Gates Farm Derby Field to claim his second USEF National Champion title. Driving Larry Denny’s Ulano, Graburn added three faults for a knock down and just .43 time penalties over Sunday’s course to complete on a score of 119.76.

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Graburn Extends Lead in the USEF National Single Horse Championship at the Southern Pines CDE

Sterling Graburn and Ulano (Picsofyou.com)

Raeford, NC – Competitors in the USEF National Single Horse Championship set scorching paces through Richard Nicholl’s eight obstacle marathon course. Leading times through each obstacle dipped lower and lower as the afternoon went on. Sterling Graburn, Friday’s dressage leader, posted the quickest marathon score of the division, lengthening his overall lead, and he heads into Sunday’s cone phase on a score of 116.33.

Graburn (Georgetown, KY) won today’s marathon and retained the National Championship lead, which is running in conjunction with the Southern Pines CDE, on the strength of quick smooth driving. Piloting his own Ulano, Graburn posted the leading times in hazards two and six.

The KWPN gelding was formerly a member of a Four-in-Hand team but is taking to the Singles division quite well. Graburn was pleased with his horse and their performance today barring a mishap in the final obstacle.

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Graburn Storms to the Front of the USEF National Single Horse Championships at the Southern Pines CDE

Raeford, NC – Thirteen of the best U.S. drivers in the Single Horse division went to task Friday afternoon on the Twin Gates Farm Derby Field at the Carolina Horse Park. The USEF National Single Horse Championship got underway with the dressage phase under sunny skies. At the end of the first day Sterling Graburn holds a six point lead in the division.

Graburn (Georgetown, KY) drove a flashy and accurate test to score a 37.97. Graburn’s KWPN gelding, Ulano, impressed the Ground Jury with his presence and stunning gaits. Their attractive and powerful test was only marred by a few bobbles.

“I have a really, really good horse. He was very good today and really steady. We had a little impulsion problem at Live Oak but his impulsion was good today.” Said Graburn: “He is a good mover and was rewarded for that. It [the test] was steady and even without too many technical errors.”

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Kentucky Combined Driving Team One Step Closer to World Championships

Team Sterling Is 2nd Overall at Live Oak International

GEORGETOWN, KY – MARCH 30, 2012 – Sterling Graburn and his equine partner Ulano gave another exceptional performance at the Live Oak International Combined Driving Event held in Ocala, FL March 22-25.

In the highly contested FEI Single Horse competition Team Sterling battled hard to finish 1st in dressage with a score of 44.54 and 2nd overall with a score of 124.61, ceding top honors by a mere 1/10 of a point.

Ulano, the 11-year-old Dutch Harness horse owned by Larry Denny, dazzled in the dressage portion of the CDE while he continued to show improvement in the marathon, noted Graburn. “It was a very challenging marathon course with many technical hazards,” he said. “But we are still fine tuning our marathon and expect to see even better results next time.”

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TeamSterling Hosts Successful Fundraiser March 16

Funds Aid Combined Driver Sterling Graburn’s Quest for World Championship Gold

GEORGETOWN, KY – MARCH 21, 2012 – On Friday March 16, TeamSterling hosted a successful fundraiser at Spindletop Hall in Lexington, KY. The event brought together members of the Bluegrass Regions’ equestrian community for an evening of dining, music, and a silent auction.

The event raised nearly $7,000, with proceeds going to the nation’s leading combined driving competitors Sterling Graburn and the Larry Denny-owned Dutch Harness Horse Ulano and their quest for the gold at the FEI World Singles Driving Championships 2012, to be held in Lezirias, Portugal Sept. 12-16.

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Kentucky Team Closes In on World Championships

Sterling Graburn and Ulano Still No. 1 in Single Horse

Photo by Picsofyou

GEORGETOWN, KY – MARCH 2012 – Team Sterling took a giant step forward on the road to the Combined Driving Single Horse World Championships at the Little Everglades International Combined Driving Event in Dade City, Fla.

The first USEF Selection Trial was held Feb. 23, with Team Sterling placing third overall.

Sterling Graburn drove away with first place in the dressage test with a score of 40.1, and took third in the marathon phase, which was enough to keep him at the top of the field. But a tough and technical cones course promised to be a game changer and it was. There was only one double clear in the FEI division, dropping Graburn and his equine partner Ulano, owned by Larry Denny, to third.

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Sterling Graburn and Ulano Longlisted for the FEI World Singles Driving Championships 2012

Graburn and Ulano at the Katydid CDE, Aiken, N.C.

GEORGETOWN, KY – FEBRUARY 7, 2012 – The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) has announced that Team Sterling – driver Sterling Graburn and the horse Ulano – are now longlisted for a coveted spot on the U.S. Combined Driving Team at the FEI World Singles Driving Championships 2012, to be held in Lezirias, Portugal Sept. 12-16.

Elizabeth Staller, Director of High Performance Driving at USEF, made the eligibility pronouncements in January.

Graburn, who is head trainer at the Gayla Driving Center in Georgetown, KY, is the only Kentucky-based equestrian under consideration for the team. He plans to compete in Florida this spring where the process of final team placings will begin.

Graburn debuted Ulano, owned by Lebanon, Ohio-based Larry Denny, at the Advanced Level at the USEF National Single Horse Championship at the Katydid CDE in Aiken, S.C. last November. Besting 16 more-experienced combinations, Graburn finished 1st in dressage and placed 6th overall – high enough in the rankings to earn consideration for the championship team.

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