04.14.10

SHOW JUMPING STARS TO SHINE AT THE HORSE PARK

Posted in 2010 Games, Test Event, World Equestrian Games at 6:11 am by Thomas

Top Riders Come To Kentucky To Compete At The
2010 Alltech World Equestrian Games Venue

LEXINGTON, KY—The Kentucky Cup Jumping Test Event in preparation for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games will feature some of the biggest stars in the sport.

The test event, to be held April 19-22 in conjunction with the Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event, is in preparation for the Games. The 2010 Games will be held at the Kentucky Horse Park September 25-October 10, marking the first time that equestrian sport’s biggest event is being held outside Europe.

Beezie Madden heads the list of entries to test the show jumping venue for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. At the 2008 Olympic Games, Madden helped lead the US team to the gold medal in the Team Jumping competition and also took the bronze medal in the Individual Jumping event. One of her greatest accomplishments was her win at the Rolex Grand Prix of Aachen in Aachen, Germany. To add to this honor, she was named leading rider in Aachen, one of the most coveted leading rider titles in the world.

Few will forget Madden’s remarkable performance at the 2006 FEI World Equestrian Games in Aachen, Germany, with only eight faults accumulated during the entire competition. Madden anchored the U.S. team that brought home the silver medal, and added the individual silver medal in a masterful show of horsemanship against the four top riders. Her performance is widely considered as one of the most impressive series of show jumping rounds ever to be seen in a world championship.

Madden is joined on the list of entries by Canadian Mac Cone, one of Canada’s most experienced riders with a steady performance record at the international level for over 30 years. Originally from Tennessee, Cone moved to Canada in 1979 and is the only rider to have competed on both the United States and Canadian Equestrian Teams.  In his Olympic debut in Atlanta, Cone was the highest-placed Canadian rider, a feat he would repeat at the 2002 World Equestrian Games in Jerez, Spain.  In his second Olympic appearance in 2008, Mac and the impressive Ole were members of Canada’s historic Silver Medal Team.

Fellow Canadian Beth Underhill was first named to the Canadian Equestrian Team in 1990, Beth has ridden in over 25 Nations’ Cup competitions and, in 1993 was the first women to win the Canadian World Cup League, a feat she repeated in 1999. With her retired partner, Monopoly, Beth earned more than $1 million in the show ring. A veteran of Pan American, Olympic and World Equestrian Games, Beth has claimed the Canadian Show Jumping Championship title on three occasions. Underhill won double silver medals at the 1991 Pan American Games in Cuba, and represented Canada at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona and were placed 14th individually at the 1995 World Equestrian Games.   Having represented Canada at the 1998 World Equestrian Games in Rome, Beth and Altair were part of the Canadian team bronze medal effort at the 1999 Pan American Games. The same year, they finished second in the richest show jumping event in the world, the $800,000 du Maurier International at the Spruce Meadows Masters tournament, where Beth was also named the Leading Lady Rider.

A Californian by birth, Lauren Hough lives the equestrian dream. Hough entered the grand prix circuit in 1993 – before she could drive. At a mere 15 years of age, she earned the title of Pacific Coast Horseman’s Association Rookie of the Year. No stranger to the international spotlight, Hough rode Clasiko to a strong finish in the 2000 Olympic Selection Trials and then to a sixth place team finish in the 2000 Sydney Olympics—when she was only 22 years old,   In 2003 Hough was named to the U.S. team for the Pan American Games where she grabbed Team Gold.  She then served as a team alternate for the 2004 Athens Olympics. She comes by her talent naturally as the daughter of noted equestrians Linda and Champ Hough (Champ Hough was on the 1952 Three-Day Eventing Olympic Team).

Adding international flair to the Kentucky Cup is Daniel Bluman who will represent Columbia.  The name Blumen in Colombia is synonomous with equestrian sports. With a big win at the USGPL Invitational in Canada at the age of 19, Bluman is certainly an athlete to watch.

Come watch some of the best and brightest athletes of jumping, who will join the stars of eventing and dressage at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, during the Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event, the hosts of the Kentucky Cup Dressage and Show Jumping Test Event.

ALLTECH FEI WORLD EQUESTRIAN GAMES TEST EVENT
Kentucky Cup Show Jumping


Show Jumping Warm-Up

Friday, April 23, 7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Show Jumping Grand Prix

Saturday, April 24, 7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Show Jumping Speed Class

Sunday, April 25, 6:00 p.m.– 9:00 p.m.

The Grand Prix on Saturday night and the Speed Class on Sunday night are ticketed events, priced at $15 and $20. Tickets to all events are now on sale. To purchase tickets to Kentucky Cup Dressage, the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, and Kentucky Cup Jumping, visit https://www.ticketreturn.com/prod2/team.asp?SponsorID=2513

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