Tag Archives: Sierra Keasler

Dressage, Equinium Sports Mktg.

CDIO U25 Freestyle Performance Secures Silver Medal for Keasler and Lux Stensvang

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Sierra Keasler and Lux Stensvang (Photo courtesy of Equinium Sports Marketing)

Wellington, Florida (March 29, 2017) – Sean Sierra Keasler of Wellington, Florida closed out her 2017 CDI season on Friday, March 24 with a silver medal, champagne soaked shadbelly, and the realization of a career goal: to ride for the US in a Nations Cup. Aboard her own Danish Warmblood gelding Lux Stensvang (Lobster x Verona Stensvang x Diamond), Keasler was awarded Individual Silver for her CDIO U25 Freestyle on Friday and Team Gold during the CDIO Intermediaire II team competition on Wednesday, along with Team USA members Anna Buffini with Sundayboy and Kerrigan Gluch with HGF Brio. Team USA’s historic success at the first U25 Nations Cup in North America and the international camaraderie of all the countries represented speaks of a bright future for the sport.

Under the dazzling lights of the Adequan Global Dressage Festival’s International Arena, Friday’s Grand Prix Freestyle commenced with the characteristic excitement and electricity. In her first performance during the Friday Night Lights exhibition and second time presenting their newly developed Freestyle, Keasler and Lux rode a dramatic and precise test choreographed by Cynthia Collins of Luna Tunes and set to music that matched Lux’s movement and presence. Drawing accolades from judges Linda Zang (USA), Lee Tubman (CAN), Stephen Clarke (GBR), Dr. Evi Eisenhardt (GER), and Cesar Torrente (COL), the pair scored a 71.675% to finish second overall and secure the Individual Silver Medal.

“As soon as I heard the news that Wellington would be having a U25 Nations Cup in 2017, that became my goal for this season,” said Keasler. “It has been a dream of mine to ride under the lights here at Global, and to experience the team spirit of a Nations Cup competition. Lux felt great in the Freestyle; the highlight for me was just after the first canter tour and an extended trot, as we were coming through the short side I felt him really start to swing to the music and relax into the rhythm. In that moment I felt like ‘Okay, this is what it’s all about; this is riding a Freestyle,’ and that was a great feeling.”

Earlier in the week, Keasler and Lux put in a supporting score of 67.263% in the CDIO U25 Intermediaire II on Wednesday to boost Team USA to Gold in the Team Competition. Thursday’s CDIO U25 Grand Prix class saw the pair finish just out of the medals, with less than a percentage point separating third (Bronze) with fourth and fifth place. Keasler noted that while Lux’s abundance of energy had affected their performance earlier in the week, the pair seemed to hit their stride in the Freestyle.

“I was paying very close attention to how he felt in the warm up [on Friday], and he felt really good as we prepared to enter the stadium. My strategy going into the Freestyle was to do as many tempi changes as possible,” laughed Keasler. “The changes are really his forte and what he enjoys, so I knew it was to our advantage to do as many as we could. It’s really an honor to be able to ride in this fantastic competition with a team atmosphere; the Nations Cup is so important and having one for the U25 Grand Prix riders is such great experience for those of us who dream of competing on that level. I can’t thank the USEF, show organizers, and show sponsors enough for hosting this event, and am forever grateful to my horse, Lux, for carrying me here. I’d also like to thank everyone who has helped me every step of the way: my parents Sean and Andrea Keasler, my grandfather Pete Anderson, coach Silke Rembacz, sponsors, and team for supporting me, our Chef d’Equipe Debbie McDonald and my teammates who’ve all contributed to making this dream a reality, and Caroline Roffman of Lionshare Dressage for giving me the ride on Lux that began our career.”

Keasler began her advanced dressage career in 2011 as a successful Junior competitor at the NAJYRC. She spent almost 5 years as a working student for Lionshare Dressage in Wellington, Florida, where she honed her skills as a Young Rider and eventually came to purchase Lux. She placed in the top 5 at Nationals that year, and quickly progressed to the FEI level, earning her USDF Silver Medal after competing Hyperion Farm’s Corcovado at Prix St. Georges. She and Corcovado were also the Fourth Level Young Rider Region 3 Champions in 2014. In 2015 she earned the ride on Lux Stensvang, and in their first outing at Grand Prix scored 72.9%. That same year they successfully competed in the U25 Grand Prix at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival and were the Reserve Champions in the 2015 Brentina Cup. In 2016 she began training with Silke Rembacz, and again campaigned Lux in the U25 Grand Prix, culminating in a 4th place overall finish at the 2016 US Dressage Finals. Lux and Keasler are also active participants in the USEF’s Select Athlete One-on-One Coaching Program, and recently took advantage of her first training sessions with FEI Judge Charlotte Bredhal. This season she and Lux were victorious in the U25 Grand Prix during the Palm Beach Dressage Derby, and with a Team Gold and Individual Silver under their belt, Keasler plans to continue to develop her international dressage career.

Media contact:
Equinium Sports Marketing, LLC
Holly Johnson
holly@equinium.com
954 205 7992

Adequan Global Dressage Festival, Dressage, Equinium Sports Mktg.

Keasler and Lux Stensvang Deliver Hat-Trick in U25 Grand Prix at Palm Beach Dressage Derby CDI-W

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Sierra Keasler and Lux Stensvang (Photo courtesy of Equinium Sports Marketing)

Wellington, Florida (March 10, 2016) – In a clean sweep of the Intermediaire II, Grand Prix, and Grand Prix Freestyle in the U25 division, Sierra Keasler and Lux Stensvang once again proved their mettle, this time in the prestigious international arena during Week 8 of the Adequan Global Dressage Festival. In her first CDI of 2017, Keasler and the Danish Warmblood gelding (Lobster x Verona Stensvang x Diamond) delivered expressive, correct, and elegant tests across three days and against rigorous competition to dominate the Derby’s CDI U25 division, presented by Diamante Farms.

After a victorious U25 Grand Prix debut at the national level a few weeks before, Keasler was thrilled that her CDI performance was on par. Under the guidance of trainer and coach Silke Rembacz, Keasler and Lux kicked off the week’s competition with a win in the Intermediaire II, scoring 68.15% in their first CDI appearance of 2017. Friday’s U25 Grand Prix brought in a similar score for Keasler with less than a percentage point’s deviation from the Intermediaire II: she once again topped the class with a 68.860%. Sunday called for the FEI U25 Grand Prix Freestyle, which was Keasler’s first attempt at the Kur with Lux and at the CDI level. The pair opened their CDI Freestyle career with a 71.042% to once again win the class and delivering a hat trick succession of wins during the Palm Beach Dressage Derby CDI-W.

Highlighted by an exceptionally fluid and elastic canter tour, Lux and Keasler’s dressage partnership began in 2015 and has progressed to success in the FEI level. “I’m mainly thrilled with consistency of our scores, and of course with the success of our Freestyle,” said Keasler of their Derby performance. “Lux is so special to me and I am so incredibly thankful to have a horse of his caliber and talent. He really settled into the ring this week and tried his best for me. None of our success would be possible if not for Silke’s guidance and the support of my family and friends, especially my amazing mother who was our super groom. It was great to be surrounded by positive people who show so much support for my horse and I. The atmosphere was very relaxed and I really enjoyed being back in the international arena and sharing the experience with other young riders. I’m looking forward to the rest of the season and enjoying developing our dressage career even further this season.”

Lux and Keasler, in addition to Rembacz’s mentoring, have been selected to participate in the USEF’s Select Athlete’s One-on-One Coaching Program, and recently took advantage of the first of her sessions with FEI Judge Charlotte Bredhal before the Derby CDI-W.

Keasler began her advanced dressage career in 2011 as a successful Junior competitor at the NAJYRC. She spent almost 5 years as a working student for Lionshare Dressage in Wellington, Florida, where she honed her skills as a Young Rider and eventually came to purchase Lux. She placed in the top 5 at Nationals that year, and quickly progressed to the FEI level, earning her USDF Silver Medal after competing Hyperion Farm’s Corcovado at Prix St. Georges. She and Corcovado were also the Fourth Level Young Rider Region 3 Champions in 2014. In 2015 she earned the ride on Lux Stensvang, and in their first outing at Grand Prix scored 72.9%. That same year they successfully competed in the U25 Grand Prix at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival and were the Reserve Champions in the 2015 Brentina Cup. In 2016 she again campaigned Lux in the U25 Grand Prix, culminating in a 4th place overall finish at the 2016 US Dressage Finals. After purchasing Lux as her primary competition mount, Keasler began training in 2016 with FEI dressage trainer Silke Rembacz as she prepares to compete in the CDI U25 Grand Prix divisions at the 2017 Adequan Global Dressage Festival.

Media Contact:
Holly Johnson
Equinium Sports Marketing, LLC
holly@equinium.com
954 205 7992

Dressage, Training/Clinics

Sierra Keasler Accepts Invite for USEF’s Select Athlete’s One-on-One Coaching with Charlotte Bredahl

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Sierra Keasler and Lux Stensvang (Photo courtesy of SusanJStickle.com)

Wellington, Florida (February 7, 2016) – The USEF’s Dressage Youth Program targets some of the country’s best up-and-coming dressage talent, helping aspiring Juniors and Young Riders break their glass ceilings and build their skills in the upper echelons of dressage sport. As part of their resolve to connect with and teach America’s future dressage stars on a more regular basis, the USEF implemented the Select Athlete’s One-on-One Coaching Program, which identifies top Juniors and Young Riders to connect with top FEI coaches with the intention of providing support and resources for them to advance in competition. Following a decorated Junior and Young Rider career, Wellington, Florida based dressage rider Sierra Keasler was selected to participate in the prestigious 2017 coaching program with FEI Judge Charlotte Bredahl.

Horse and athlete combinations must meet rigorous criteria to be considered, including average scores of 68% or higher on the USEF Ranking Lists for the 2017 and 2016 Festival of Champions/NAJYRC/U25 Grand Prix or have earned a top 3 placing of 68% or higher in the last 12 months in the Young Rider or Junior Divisions at the Festival of champions and/or CDIs. Keasler, who has been a top placed competitor since 2011, has numerous advanced dressage placings including Reserve Champion in the Brentina Cup, a top 5 finish in the NAJYRC, and scores over 70 in the FEI Grand Prix and U25 Grand Prix. She currently trains with Silke Rembacz in Wellington, Florida, who will be included in the coaching program’s workshops as she and Bredahl work to take Keasler’s career to the next level. As she gears up for another season of intense competition on Florida’s winter dressage circuit, Keasler is thrilled to be able to receive concentrated, in depth instruction from Charlotte Bredahl and Dressage Youth Program.

“Any opportunity to work with the USEF has been an invaluable learning experience and particularly rewarding in terms of my development as a rider,” said Keasler. “I’m so happy that I’ve been selected to receive the One-on-One training, and look forward to the opportunity to ride with Charlotte and utilize the input from a highly regarded coach and judge. I cannot state enough how beneficial these programs are for competitors and am thankful that the USEF has chosen to invest their time and efforts into developing young riders.”

Keasler began her advanced dressage career in 2011 as a successful Junior competitor in the NAJYRC. She placed in the top 5 at Nationals that year, and quickly progressed to the FEI level, earning her USDF Silver Medal after competing Hyperion Farm’s Corcovado at Prix St. Georges. She and Corcovado were also the Fourth Level Young Rider Region 3 Champions in 2014. In 2015 she earned the ride on Lux Stensvang, and in their first outing at Grand Prix scored 72.9%. That same year they successfully competed in the U25 Grand Prix at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival and were the Reserve Champions in the 2015 Brentina Cup. In 2016 she again campaigned Lux in the U25 Grand Prix, culminating in a 4th place overall finish at the 2016 US Dressage Finals. After purchasing Lux as her primary competition mount, Keasler began training in 2016 with FEI dressage trainer Silke Rembacz as she prepares for the 2017 Adequan Global Dressage Festival.

Media contact:
Equinium Sports Marketing, LLC
Holly Johnson
www.equinium.com
holly@equinium.com
954 205 7992

Dressage, JRPR

Caroline Roffman Coaches Student to a Successful Grand Prix Debut

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Sierra Keasler, a working student at Caroline Roffman’s Lionshare Dressage, made an impressive debut into the Grand Prix (Photo courtesy of Al Guden) 

Wellington, FL (January 9, 2015) — During the Wellington Dressage Season Kickoff, held January 3-4, 2015, in Wellington, Florida, Caroline Roffman’s working student Sierra Keasler made her impressive debut into the Grand Prix. Keasler competed on Roffman’s own Lux Stensvang. Under the guidance of Roffman, Keasler’s performance earned a notable score of 72.791 percent. Keasler is thrilled with receiving such a high score for her first Grand Prix ride, and is thankful for the skills Roffman passed on to both her and Lux Stensvang.

It was no doubt a great day for Team Lionshare Dressage, a community of talented dressage riders led by international Grand Prix rider Roffman, the head trainer of Lionshare Dressage. “It was an amazing day,” smiles Keasler. “Sunday was the culmination of three years of being a working student with Caroline. One of my responsibilities as her student was to exercise Lux. Caroline recognized that he and I had a connection, and during our lessons she began to allow us to play with some of the Grand Prix movements.”

“I realize that riding Lux is an opportunity many young riders do not have, but what I learned from Caroline is that hard work, loyalty, and dedication pays off,” Keasler says. “It’s wonderful to have a mentor and friend like her who is willing to share her knowledge and her horse. Lux is the horse that Caroline also rode her very first Grand Prix on, and that made this ride even more special.”

Roffman is pleased to be a part of Keasler’s success. “I am so proud to be able to congratulate Lionshare Dressage working student Sierra Keasler on riding her first Grand Prix and scoring a 72.9 percent,” says Roffman. “Even though it was her first test above the Prix St. George level, she rode like an elegant and seasoned professional.”

Roffman has enjoyed fostering the partnership between her student Keasler and Lux — a horse she has owned for seven years. Watching the same horse that Roffman rode her first Grand Prix test on bring another rider through the levels is an exciting sight. Keasler’s success story is just one of many for Lionshare riders, who receive instruction from Roffman — a Nations Cup individual Bronze medalist and U.S. Team Gold medalist.

Roffman also coached students Rachael Hicks and Susan Posner to several championship titles at the 2014 Great American Insurance Group USDF Region 2 Dressage Championships, and Posner to several top-scoring rides at the 2014 U.S. Dressage Finals. Roffman looks forward to even more success for herself and her students in the show ring this year, following a successful year in 2014.

Roffman and her top-quality dressage training, lessons and sales business Lionshare Dressage is based out of Wellington, Florida. For more information about Roffman and Lionshare Dressage, visit www.lionsharedressage.com, email lionsharedressage@gmail.com, or call 617-633-1003.

For more information contact:
Caroline Roffman
Lionshare Dressage
1-617-633-1003
caroline@carolineroffman.com