Tag Archives: World Pony Driving Championships

*Featured/Spotlights, Championships, Competitions, Dressage, Driving, Events, FEI

Shelly Temple to Represent US at World Pony Driving Championships

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Shelly Temple and Cooper compete in cones at the Germany National Championship in Minden, Germany, August 2011. Photo: Bettina Ruckelshaus

For the second time in her career, US National Champion Combined Pony Driver Shelly Temple and her Morgan gelding LR Ami B-Line (Cooper) will represent the US at the World Pony Driving Championships.  This year the event is held in Lipica, Slovenia, September 22-25, 2011.

Making the US Team has been a yearlong process for Shelly, Cooper, and her navigator/husband, Fran Doto.  They and other members of the long listed drivers have been competing and training under the tutelage of US driving coach, Michael Freund.  Overa August and September several long listed drivers have trained and competed in Europe.  In August, Shelly was 5th at the German National Championship in Minden, Germany where she won the dressage and cones classes for single ponies.

Shelly acknowledges the team aspect of combined driving: “I am thankful for the USEF’s support and the training and instruction from Michael Freund over the past year.  Michael’s coaching has been instrumental at improving all aspects of my driving.  I also appreciate the support of the individual donors and corporate sponsors whose products keep Cooper health, fit, and in top form: Kentucky Equine Research, Kombat Boots, Purina feeds, Omega Fields, ThinLine, Leather Therapy, and Charles Owens.  This is truly a team sport and I couldn’t be competing next week in the World Championships without the generosity of sponsors and all the great people who have donated to Team Catalyst.”

Other members of the USEF World Pony Driving Team are Miranda Cadwell, Jennifer Matheson, Wendy O’Brien, Laurie Astegiano, and Allison Stroud.  Suzy Stafford will compete as an individual.

U.S. Coverage will be available here: http://www.usefnetwork.com/coverage/archives.aspx.

More information is available here: http://www.lipica.org/en/enter-page/305?id=113.

To follow Shelly and Team Catalyst World Championship efforts, visit http://catalystdriving.blogspot.com/.

Community/Charity, Driving, Events, FEI

Make a Purchase, Help Sponsor a Rider!

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Team Catalyst, Shelly Temple, Fran Doto and ‘Cooper’, are very proud to once again be poised to represent our country at the World Pony Driving Championships to be held in September, 2011 in Lipica, Slovenia.  You may know that Team Catalyst had this honor in 2007 when the championships were held in Denmark, finishing with a silver individual medal in dressage and an overall team bronze. We were very proud to have played a part in such a strong US showing!

Team Catalyst has had continued success at major combined driving events in 2010 and 2011, most recently the Live Oak International Combined Driving Event, where we won the 2011 USEF National Championship in a very competitive class, our second National Championship in a row and third total. At Live Oak, Cooper won the coveted ‘Hanzi Award’, given to the best horse in the competition in the opinion of the judges, just as he had in 2010.

In 2007 the cost of transporting pony, people, and equipment to Europe as well as training and competition costs totaled nearly $35,000. Costs have only risen since then. With driving being a small group when compared to other international equestrian sports, our National Federation only covers a small portion of our expenses.  Our ability to attend and compete at this year’s event will depend on our ability to raise the funds to do so; the bulk of which will come from private donations.

Team Catalyst is asking for your support.

Continue reading Make a Purchase, Help Sponsor a Rider! →

Breeds, Championships, Competitions, Driving, Events

Combined Driver Shelly Temple Raising Funds to Represent US in World Driving Championships

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June 27, 2011 – Getting to Europe for humans isn’t as hard as it seems — passport, airplane ticket, maps, and some spending money and you’re ready to go.

However, an equestrian athlete traveling to Europe to complete for one’s nation is a tougher.  Shelly Temple, 3 time US National Champion Combined Driver and member of the 2007 bronze medal team, is seeking to travel to Slovenia to compete in the World Pony Driving Championships.  Her Morgan pony, Cooper, is a top form in 2011 where Temple hopes to improve upon her second place in dressage in 2007.

Getting to Europe has been Temple’s goal since 2010; however, she states, “Shipping the horse and carriages is very expensive.” The cost for Team Catalyst to compete at the World Championships is estimated to be around $50,000.  Traditionally, the drivers have had to raise the majority of funds to get there and to compete. “We have worked very hard to get ready and now ask for your help to get there and hopefully win a medal for the US,” exclaims Temple.

To learn how you can support Temple, Cooper, and Team Catalyst visit www.catalystdriving.com or call 804-837-4888.