04.30.17
Posted in Eventing, Rolex Kentucky 3 Day Event, Three-Day Eventing at 7:58 pm by EPR
Jung Scores A Three-Peat at Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, Presented by
Land Rover
Lexington, KY, April 30, 2017-In the 39-year history of the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, presented by Land Rover, only three riders have ever managed to win two years in a row. But Michael Jung made history by winning the 2017 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event for a third consecutive time aboard FischerRocana FST. The German duo lowered one rail in show jumping to finish on 42.7 penalties, just ahead of France’s Maxime Livio and Qalao Des Mers in second (44.6) and England’s Zara Tindall and High Kingdom in third (46.6).
|
|
 |
|
Michael Jung was all smiles when he received the Rolex watch for winning with FischerRocana FST at Rolex Kentucky. (Michelle Dunn Photo)
|
|
By placing fourth, a pair of U.S. veterans, Phillip Dutton and Mr. Medicott (54.6), who took home the Roger Haller Memorial Trophy for the Rolex/USEF CCI4* Eventing National Championship. Dutton won the national championship for a record fifth time, and his finish this weekend on three horses gives him an astounding 40 completions at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, presented by Land Rover.
Show jumping day was hot and blustery, but that didn’t prevent 24,159 fans from packing the Rolex Stadium to see the best in the world compete for $400,000 in prize money. Double-clean rounds were few and far between, with only one coming in the first session, for Will Faudree and Pfun. There would only be three more in the second session, for Livio, Tindall and Kurt Martin on Delux Z. Dutton and Mr. Medicott would leave all the rails in the cups, but add 1 time penalty to his score.
Jung, 34, Horb, Germany, would continue his streak of not being perfect, but still being good enough, by having a rail down in the triple combination. However, his six-point lead going in to the show jumping allowed for one mistake to claim the victory.
|
|
|
One rail down was not enough to keep Michael Jung of Germany from winning Rolex Kentucky aboard FischerRocana FST (Michelle Dunn Photo)
|
“Without the horse you are just walking people, I’m not sure how you say that in English,” said Jung with a laugh. “This is a very wonderful horse, she is absolutely a top horse, and she is always fighting for me. We have a partnership, I know everything that she needs for me to motivate her. But she was perfect. I am so thankful for my whole team and my horse.”
Jung went on to say the he felt his rail in the triple combination had begun earlier on course when she spooked at the stark white rails of an the Race Track Rail combination. “Maybe I used my hands too much,” he admitted. “Then we had the problem in the triple and I had two more jumps so that made me nervous!”
|
|
|
|
Maxime Livio and Qalao Des Mers of France were nearly perfect, but had to settle for second place at Rolex Kentucky. (Michelle Dunn Photo)
|
|
Livio, 29, Saumur, France, had been chasing Jung all weekend, and he is the only person to have beaten him in recent memory, but he settled for second place today. His powerful double-clean round put the pressure on Jung as he cantered out of the ring.
“There is always a little pressure in the ring, especially at a four-star with all the top riders,” Livio said. “With my horse, I just have to stick to him and stick to my ride, and if I do that the pressure goes down. I know if I’m very focused on my riding, the horse will do his best. But, of course there is pressure because I want to be good enough for my horse, and after that it’s good for me to start to put pressure on (Jung). I think to try beat such a rider you have to be 100 percent all the time. All this week my horse was 100 percent, but I was maybe only 90 percent in dressage. But after that I have no regrets.”
|
|
|
Zara Tindall and High Kingdom of Great Britain had a much better trip this time, to finish third at Rolex Kentucky. (Michelle Dunn Photo)
|
Tindall, 35, Gloucestershire, England, came in to this event keeping her expectations in check following a difficult trip to the Kentucky Horse Park two years ago where an injury in the stable prevented her from even starting. But each day she put in a sparkling performances to, like Livio, be one of only two to finish on their dressage score.
“I’m obviously very lucky to come back and very thankful to my owner and to Land Rover and Rolex to be able to come back,” she said. “It’s great to be sitting up here with these guys. My horse was fantastic all the way through the competition -he jumped great today.
“He doesn’t owe me anything,” added Tindall, noting the horse has been in the ribbons at several four stars and has an Olympic medal and a World Championship medal on his resume. “I loved riding him all weekend. This is such a fantastic competition, thanks for having it.”
Dutton came to Kentucky without his usual enthusiasm. In the fall of 2016, his step-daughter LeeLee Jones suffered a devastating head injury while riding, and has been in the hospital or a rehabilitation facility ever since. “It’s not easy,” he said, emotion coloring his voice. “LeeLee is in rehab at Bryn Mawr and I’m very glad for the livestreaming because she apparently loved watching. But it’s a struggle and it’s something I hope you all don’t ever have to go through. Everybody in the horse world has been great–it’s a great family to be a part of.”
|
|
|
|
Veteran competitors Phillip Dutton and Mr. Medicott took home the Roger Haller Memorial Trophy for the Rolex/USEF CCI4* Eventing National Championship. (Michelle Dunn Photo)
|
|
Dutton, 53, West Grove, Pa., brought three horses to Kentucky, and all three finished in the top 10, with Fernhill Fugitive finishing eighth (63.0) and I’m Sew Ready finishing 10th (69.1). But it was his top placing mount, Mr. Medicott, who brought Dutton his fifth national championship.
“Cave,” as he is known, is 18 this year, well past the age that many horses are competing at this level, but he has Olympic performances to his name and was bought for Dutton with those goals in mind. Unfortunately, he suffered an injury and has spent the last two years recovering, but after showing Dutton he was ready, he earned a trip to Rolex Kentucky.
“I was quite unsure about whether I should bring him,” Dutton admitted. “He’s been off for two years, but there wasn’t much else for him the rest of the year that was suitable, and for a horse like this, this is an appropriate event. But for him to show so much heart-I mean, I only did one horse trial on him in two years. He’s such as an incredible horse. I probably didn’t have him fit enough, but he was just incredible this weekend.”
While the horse looked wonderful all weekend, Dutton announced that he would be retiring Mr. Medicott from this level of competition.
In the Dubarry of Ireland Nations Team Challenge, Team USA jumped out in front of the combined New Zealand/France/Germany team to win with a score of 179.2. The combined team finished second with 180.3 over Team Canada in third with 231.5. Team USA included Hannah Sue Burnett/Under Suspection, Boyd Martin/Cracker Jack, Dutton/Fernhill Fugitive, and Lauren Kieffer/Vermiculus.
|
|
|
Ballynoe Castle RM gets a special bouquet during his retirement ceremony from rider Buck Davidson and groom Kathleen Blauth-Murray. (Michelle Dunn Photo)
|
Prior to the show jumping, Buck Davidson retired his venerable mount Ballynoe Castle RM in front of cheering crowds. Buck and “Reggie’s” friends and family turned out to wish the Irish Sport Horse gelding a happy retirement. Davidson and his long-time groom Kathleen Blauth-Murray choked back tears as they draped him in flowers and a blanket commemorating his long career.
In all, 80,654 people came to the Kentucky Horse Park this weekend to enjoy amazing performances at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, presented by Land Rover.
Permalink
05.10.15
Posted in Show Jumping at 3:19 pm by EPR
|
An International Roster of Champions Will Light Up Lexington, May 22-24
Lexington, KY – May 8, 2015 – There’s a new buzz in the air around Lexington, KY, “the Horse Capital of the World,” as anticipation builds for the debut of the Split Rock Jumping Tour, May 22-24 at Split Rock Farm. The vision of veteran show jumper Derek Braun is about to come to fruition. Promising an “unparalleled show jumping experience” for riders, spectators, and sponsors, the Split Rock Jumping Tour plans to deliver a revolutionary sporting event.
A CSI3* international event at a world-class venue that includes a pristine grass jumping field, top prize money, extravagant awards, and the promise of a unique full-service Rider Hospitality Experience, the Split Rock Jumping Tour has drawn an international group of top competitors, with entries continuing to roll in. Along with a superlative experience, the three star distinction from the FEI allows riders to earn world-ranking points here on American soil.
Among the high-profile show jumpers will be:
- the youngest Olympic equestrian ever and Longines Rising Star Award recipient Reed Kessler;
- Olympic veteran and 10-time American Grand Prix Association Rider of the Year Margie Engle;
- Olympic veteran Pablo Barrios of Venezuela who is representing Hagyard Equine Medical Institute as part of the All-Inclusive Entry Sponsor Package provided at Split Rock;
- Irish Olympic veteran Kevin Babington; and
- most recent winner of the $1,000,000 Great American Million Grand Prix, the first alternate to the 2012 Olympic and 2014 FEI World Equestrian Games U.S. teams, Charlie Jayne;
Joining them in the field are2011 Pan American Games Individual and Team Gold Medalist
Christine McCrea; 1999 Pan American Games team Silver Medalist and the top U.S. finisher at the 1998 FEI World Equestrian Games Alison Robitaille; and the first alternate to the 2010 FEI World Equestrian Games U.S. team, Candice King.
Alongside these venerable names will be a galaxy of young show jumping stars, including 2013 NAJYRC Junior Individual Gold Medalist Eugenio Garza Perez of Mexico; winner of the 2012 Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series Amateur-Owner Eastern Division, Meagan Nusz; Ali Wolff, who recently rode the only double-clear at the Nations’ Cup in Mexico to help clinch the win for the United States; and the winner of the 2015 Nutrena Spring I Grand Prix at Wellington, Kaitlin Campbell.
In addition to the chance to see many of the sport’s top horses and riders competing in world-class show jumping competition, spectators will also have the chance to enjoy a variety of boutique shops and food vendors, a Children & Family Festival, a Beer and Wine Garden with live music, as well as free raffles and cash giveaways!
The Split Rock Jumping Tour has partnered with the University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Foundation in which a portion of proceeds from all sales of Split Rock Jumping Tour Hospitality packages will go directly to the University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Foundation to support their programs. Split Rock will also provide staff and patients of the Center with free tickets to attend both horse shows. For more information please visit: https://ukmarkey.org.
Further information on the Split Rock Jumping Tour, including a detailed schedule and how to order tickets, is available on line at the Tour’s website at www.SplitRockJumpingTour.com or by emailing info@SplitRockJumpingTour.com. |
 |
Permalink
03.29.15
Posted in Announcement, Attractions, Competitions, Show Jumping at 9:27 am by EPR
Lexington, KY – March 26, 2015 – The Split Rock Jumping Tour, the new international show jumping show series held at Split Rock Farm in Lexington, Kentucky, “the Horse Capital of the World,” has launched the online entry system for its inaugural FEI 3* event, The Lexington International CSI 3*, held May 22-24.
Competitors and their teams may now complete online entries on the Split Rock Jumping Tour website at http://splitrockjumpingtour.com/competitor. Details of the All-Inclusive Entry Packages and classes available can be found within the prize list and show schedule, both also located on their website.
“We are excited to have the ShowGrounds Live online entry system on our website and we encourage competitors to register early, as entries will be limited,” said Derek Braun, Founder and President of Split Rock Jumping Tour. “One of the biggest perks of the online entry system is easily selecting one of our All-Inclusive Entry Packages with the option to add on additional amenities for convenient registering and check-out.”
Convenient online entries and All-Inclusive Entry Packages are just a few of the ways in which the Split Rock Jumping Tour is committed to creating an unparalleled experience for each competitor and their team.
The Lexington International is sanctioned by the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) as a 3* international competition that will allow riders to earn FEI points without having to travel to Europe. Featured classes include the $100,000 FEI CSI 3* Grand Prix, $40,000 FEI CSI 3* Grand Prix, $35,000 FEI CSI 3* Speed Cup and $15,000 Under 25 Young Rider Cup, all of which will all take place on pristine grass in The Rock Jumping Field.
Additional classes rounding out the class roster will be the High Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper, Low Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper, 1. 40m Jumper, 1.30m Jumper, 1.20m Jumper and the 1.10m Jumper.
The Split Rock Jumping Tour is modeled after successful European shows and will give competitors, sponsors and spectators an “Unparalleled Show Jumping Experience” by changing the way show jumping is presented in the U.S. Split Rock offers a world-class venue with a pristine grass jumping field, top prize money, extravagant awards and numerous first-class amenities for riders, horses, sponsors, and spectators, with close attention paid to every detail. All riders are required to dress in formal attire, and riders receiving ribbons will be required to ride their horse into the arena for the ribbon presentation and participate in the award ceremonies.
The Split Rock Hospitality Experience will include private ringside tables, top-of-the line dining, Gala tickets, lounge seating, music, dancing, access to the VIP Spa Indulge Zone, and exclusive boutique shopping. The Split Rock Jumping Tour has partnered with the University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Foundation in which a portion of proceeds from all sales of Split Rock Jumping Tour Hospitality packages will go directly to the University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Foundation to support their programs. Split Rock will also provide staff and patients of the Center with free tickets to attend the horse shows. For more information please visit: https://ukmarkey.org.
Further information on the Split Rock Jumping Tour is available online at the Tour’s website at www.SplitRockJumpingTour.com or by e-mailing info@SplitRockJumpingTour.com.
For information on sponsorship opportunities, please contact Marty Bauman at Marty@SplitRockJumpingTour.com or by calling 508-698-6810 extension 10.
Permalink
11.02.14
Posted in Competitions, National Horse Show, Show Jumping at 9:59 pm by Thomas
Wanted to give a quick shout out to Beezie Madden and CORTES ‘C’ on their win Saturday in the $250,000 Grand Prix at the 2014 National Horse Show here at the Kentucky Horse Park. I also send congratulations to Abigail Wexner, CORTES ‘C benefactor(I prefer over owner) on this win and all that she does in supporting the Equestrian World.
Kentucky Colonel
Thomas P. Demond
KyWEGO®
Permalink
12.13.13
Posted in Adequan, Reining, Rolex Kentucky 3 Day Event, United States Equestrian Federation at 10:32 pm by EPR
Lexington, KY–December 11, 2013–The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) is pleased to join with HorsePower, Inc. and Equestrian Events, Inc. (EEI), in announcing that the Adequan/USEF Open Reining National Championship will be held as part of the Kentucky Reining Cup which is being run in conjunction with the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by Land Rover, April 24-27, 2014 at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Ky. The Reining championship will also serve as the Selection Trial for the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games U.S. Reining Team.
Produced by HorsePower, Inc., the 2014 Kentucky Reining Cup will also feature a World Championship Freestyle class and offer $120,000 in total prize money. The Adequan/USEF Open Reining National Championship and Selection Trial will be a CRI3* event held in two rounds over three days, April 25-27 in the Horse Park’s Alltech Arena. Athletes must complete at least two Tryout Events/Qualifying Competitions to be eligible to compete in the Selection Trial. A list of Selection Trial Qualifying Competitions can be found here.
“It is very exciting to once again have the Kentucky Reining Cup held in conjunction with the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by Land Rover,” said John Long, USEF CEO. “The excitement will be elevated in 2014 with the addition of the Adequan/USEF Open Reining National Championship and Selection Trial. We look forward to a great weekend of competition.”
Reining was first held during the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event in 2011, following its success at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. Its popularity with both riders and spectators has been evidenced through the world-class field and enthusiastic crowds it has attracted.
“In just three short years, the Kentucky Reining Cup has become established as a major competition on the national reining calendar,” said Brad Ettleman, President of HorsePower, Inc. “The opportunity to host the Adequan/USEF Open Reining National Championship and WEG Selection Trial guarantees that we will have the best horses and riders in the nation at next April’s event!”
“The Kentucky Reining Cup has proven to be the perfect event to complement the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event,” said Darren Ripley, President of EEI, producer of the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event. “We are thrilled that it will be back bigger and better than ever in 2014.”
Further information on the Kentucky Reining Cup is available at www.KentuckyReining.com. Further information on the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event Presented by Land Rover is available at www.rk3de.org. Further information on the U.S. Equestrian Federation is available at www.usef.org. Further information on HorsePower, Inc., is available at www.hpowerinc.com.
Permalink
10.01.12
Posted in 2010 Games, Disciplines, Para-Dressage at 8:18 pm by Thomas
I am always confounded when an individual passes in the horse world that I did not know personally but at least knew of through their successes. I first want to send my thoughts and prayers to his family, I wish I had had the chance to know your son personally but I have no doubt the horse world was a better place because of his participation. I think I can safely say that Jonathan Wentz was a horse person first, Equestrian second and a person with a disability some where further down a list with many other things coming before it. I think it is also fair to say that Jonathan was able to accomplish a number of his dreams, namely competing in the 2010 World Equestrian Games and the 2012 London Summer Para-Olympics all by the age of 21. So Thank You Jonathan for just being yourself and proving that any so called disability does not define who we are as human beings.
For a more in depth article on Jonathan check out the photos and article by Lindsay Yosay McCall on the United States Para-Equestrian Associations website.
Thomas Demond
Permalink
11.06.11
Posted in Alltech National Horse Show, Show Jumping at 7:55 pm by Thomas
Last night I had the enjoyment of attending my first National Horse Show after having heard of this show for the last 30 plus years. Of course it is now known as the Alltech National Horse Show and was hosted at The Kentucky Horse Park. It is certainly one of the successes to come out of hosting the 2010 Alltech FEI World Games and we are thrilled to have it in Kentucky.
Onto the show itself, it was all general admission seating, unless you had connections to have a box seat at the end of the arena, but that also required suit and tie and after a busy Saturday not sure I really would have been up to getting all dressed up. We arrived a little earlier so we actually picked out some pretty nice seats on the upper end of the arena. There wasn’t a crowd but the arena was filled to a nice capacity and I would expect after a few years of Kentucky hosting it we would get capacity crowds.
I will admit my one goof of the night was buying my tickets through TicketMaster online @ $37.50 each, when we could have purchased them for $30 at the window. Of course I am one of those people that likes to have his tickets in hand before I go to an event, but a 25% premium gets my attention, especially when part of that you don’t see until you actually hit the submit button. Of course TicketMaster isn’t in the business of making friends, they are in the business of making money.
Now onto the competition, the horse and riders were of excellent caliber and did not disappoint. We had 31 competitors total and 5 had clear rounds within the 81 second time allowed to make it to the Jump Off. The Jump Offs are always what I think first attracts non-horse people to watch show jumping even if they never take up riding themselves. It was great to watch Jessica Springsteen(daughter of Bruce) riding Cincinatti Le Silla take 3rd with an excellent ride. This young lady is not 20 yet so I would expect her to win this before she is 30 easily. I know we had a blast and this will certainly be one of those annual events for our family.
I won’t type out the full results because you can find them here.
Kentucky Colonel
Thomas P. Demond
KyWEGO®
Permalink
09.25.11
Posted in 2010 Games, 2026, Alltech, My Thoughts, Opening Ceremonies, Reining, World Equestrian Games at 7:45 pm by Thomas
It was one year ago today that the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2010, or as you know I always refer to them as, The Kentucky World Equestrian Games started. I went back and read the posts I made from those initial days and remembered the excitement and nervousness of that first day.
The weather today was fairly similar to what it was last year, cool in the morning but warmed up nicely later in the day. It is all still amazingly fresh in my memory now when I think back, which I hope remains the case for the rest if my life because it was certainly one of those Great Experiences in my life.
The big news of that first day was that the turnout for the Opening Ceremonies was better then had been expected, though the expectations had been tempered by the economy. The other big news of that day was Italy taking the lead in the Reining World Championships in the first part of that competition.
It is bitter sweet in some ways to think back to the 4 1/2 years preparing for the Games, and then they were here and gone and now another year has passed. Though some or maybe even many people will think I am off my rocker to say definitively that the Games will again return to Kentucky, maybe not in 2018 or even 2022, but by 2026 I think we have a good shot of getting them back and you know I will be there again.
In closing on thinking back on this first day, I must as I have in the past give great thanks to many people starting with Dr. Pierce Lyons of Alltech, without whom I don’t think these Games would have taken place, and then all the staff and certainly the Volunteers without whom I do not think the Games could have been the success they were.
Kentucky Colonel
Thomas Demond
KyWEGO®
Permalink
07.27.11
Posted in Competitions, Dressage, Eventing, Kentucky Horse Park, Show Jumping, Young Rider Championships at 10:26 pm by EPR
Adequan FEI North American Junior and Young Rider Championships
Kentucky Horse Park’s Rolex Stadium: July 27-31
The NAJYRC is the premier equestrian competition in North America for junior and young riders, age 14-21. Young equestrians vie for team and individual FEI medals in the three Olympic equestrian disciplines of show jumping, dressage, eventing and the FEI World Equestrian Games disciplines of reining and endurance. Many of North America’s best equestrians who now regularly represent their country on Olympic, World Championship and Nations Cup teams got their first taste of international experience at NAJYRC. Watch a short video of last year’s NAJYRC.
Nearly 250 riders, ages 14-21, from 6 countries, along with their families, trainers, friends, veterinarians, farriers, judges, volunteers and spectators (174 riders from the U.S., 59 riders from Canada, 10 riders from Mexico, 2 riders from Columbia, 1 rider from Germany and 1 rider from Spain)
Permalink
07.07.11
Posted in Disciplines, Dressage, FEI at 9:39 pm by EPR
Alice Collins, H&H dressage editor
6 July, 2011
Enjoy 9 issues for £9 when you subscribe >>
Proposed new dressage rules, which may have enabled Adelinde Cornelissen to claim a medal at the World Equestrian Games (WEG) last year, have been commended by leading figures.
The rules detailing what to do if blood is seen on a horse during a dressage test at international level were decided at the FEI Dressage Committee meeting in Paris on 7-8 June.
FEI five-star international judge Andrew Gardner said the proposals are “totally positive”.
“The new guidelines would mean that the responsibility is shared between the judges and the vets,” he said.
“If a vet deems it acceptable for a horse to continue, it’s good not just for the combination but also for dressage’s public perception, as people would know the horse had the green light from the vet.”
Discrepancies on this issue between dressage and other FEI disciplines were highlighted by Horse & Hound and continental magazine Horse International earlier this year (news, 24 February).
Despite not having a rule specifically mentioning blood, dressage riders were being disqualified without investigation into the nature of the injury.
In other disciplines, officials were able to allow horses with “minor cases” to continue.
Based on this interpretation of the dressage rules, Dutch rider Adelinde Cornelissen and Jerich Parzival were immediately eliminated at WEG when blood was spotted in the horse’s mouth, scuppering her hopes of an individual medal (news, 7 October 2010).
The new rule, which will be debated at the FEI General Assembly in November, states a test should be stopped if blood appears anywhere on the horse.
But horses competing in the Olympics, World Equestrian Games and World Cup Finals would then be examined by an FEI vet and allowed to resume the test if the bleeding has stopped.
At lower level events, or where there is no FEI vet present to examine the horse, any bleeding would result in immediate elimination.
If passed at the general assembly, the new rules will be implemented on 1 January 2012.
Read this news story in full in the current issue of Horse & Hound (30 June 2011)
Permalink
06.28.11
Posted in Saddle Seat, United States Equestrian Federation at 11:01 am by Thomas
Lexington, KY – The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) is teaming up with the USEF Saddle Seat Equitation World Cup Committee to celebrate the U.S. Saddle Seat Equitation World Cup Team’s accomplishments during the 2010 Saddle Seat World Cup Competition held in Shelbyville, KY, last September.
A special luncheon will be held to provide awareness about the Saddle Seat Equitation World Cup Program. Guests will be able to meet team members who have participated in prior years and learn about what it takes to participate as a U.S. Team member, as well as how to support Team efforts.
The luncheon will be held at 12 p.m. on Monday, July 11, 2011, in the Round Barn (Floral Hall) at the Red Mile in Lexington, KY. The cost is $30 per person, and the total amount raised will benefit the 2012 USA Saddle Seat Team. Seating is limited so advanced reservations are recommended.
In March 2011, USEF announced its role in fielding and supporting the U.S. Saddle Seat Equitation Team for the Saddle Seat Equitation World Cup. The Saddle Seat Equitation World Cup competition is held bi-annually, and is scheduled for December 2012 in South Africa. The selection criteria for team competition will be available to the public soon.
If you are interested in attending the luncheon or providing support for the team efforts, please call the USEF Customer Care Center at 859-258-2472.For more information about the U.S. Saddle Seat Equitation World Cup team, please visit the USEF website’s Saddle Seat Equitation World Cup page.
If you have questions or comments, please contact Lori Nelson, USEF Assistant Executive Director, National Affiliates, at lnelson@usef.org.
Permalink
04.30.11
Posted in Disciplines, Eventing, Rolex Kentucky 3 Day Event at 10:16 pm by Thomas
As happens more times then not this time of the year in Kentucky, the weather went from bad to great in a matter of a days. The weather for the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event: Cross Country Day started out a little chilly but soon warmed up and it turned into a gorgeous day. Many people have sun-burns to prove it, which if I can give one bit of advice, wear Sun Screen.
Way to take the Lake.
The jump at the Head of the Lake is always a crowd favorite and this year was no exception. We watched a number of horses through this jump and other then a few minor mis-steps they all completed it with authority.
There were a few horses retired or eliminated over the length of the course but no major career ending injuries to any horse or rider and so that makes it a good Cross Country Day when everybody can come back another day.
At the end of the day, Mary King on KINGS TEMPTRESS with a clean round and no time faults was in first going into tomorrow’s Show Jumping finale.икони
Permalink
10.10.10
Posted in 2010 Games, Combined Driving, Disciplines, Results, World Equestrian Games at 9:31 pm by Press Release
Lexington, KY—Boyd Exell accomplished something today that no other Australian has ever done at a previous Driving World Championships—he won the individual gold medal, at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.
With one ball down in the obstacles phase, held in front of a packed Driving Stadium at the Kentucky Horse Park, Exell (134.04) edged Ijsbrand Chardon of the Netherlands (135.24) and Tucker Johnson of the United States (150.06).
Johnson is the second four-in-hand driving medalist in the history of the U.S. team, and he led teammates Chester Weber (who was the first U.S. individual medalist, winning individual silver in 2008) and James Fairclough to the team silver medal (330.92). This is the second team silver medal this trio has won at the World Equestrian Games. (The first was in 2002.)
Chardon, a four-time individual world champion, led the Netherlands to the team gold medal (279.77), the third time they’ve won the team gold medal in the World Equestrian Games. Germany moved up to the bronze medal (322.20) when Tomas Eriksson of Sweden was eliminated for going off course and took his third-placed team with him.
Exell closed out these World Games as the only Australian gold medalist. “I know it sounds like a cliché to say this, but it hasn’t really sunk in yet,” said Exell, who drove these championships with a broken left hand, suffered in a riding accident the week before they began.
In 2008, Exell won the individual bronze medal at the Driving World Championships, behind Chardon and Weber. “To get five horses and all the people and your equipment just right for one weekend is a huge task, and we’ve been trying to do it for 10 years. You get to the point where you can do it regularly, like we have, and then you have to be lucky to win.”
Exell, 38, added, “I left Australia at 21 and said I wasn’t coming home until I won the World Championship.”
Johnson, 46, said again that this would be his final world championship, that he is retiring from international competition.
“I won’t change my decision. We’ve all three been doing this for a long time, and it’s time for me to move on,” Johnson said. “This felt good. Not everyone gets a chance to end something on such a high note. It was a grand end to a lot of experiences.”
All three team members said that the World Equestrian Games being in Lexington had spurred on the team’s performance.
“Our program and our team—along with the program at the U.S. Equestrian Federation—all came together for this medal here,” said Fairclough.
“It’s been a whole group effort, and you feel like the whole nation is behind you here,” said Johnson.
Weber believes that the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games will have a lasting effect on driving in the United States. “There’s a future of driving in the U.S. because of these games,” he said. “Having the WEG here really got us going, and now, with Tucker leaving, Jimmy and I are looking forward to being the foundation of our team in the future.”
Permalink
Posted in 2010 Games, Disciplines, Results, Vaulting, World Equestrian Games at 9:28 pm by Press Release
Lexington, KY—If you asked the Team USA vaulters how they were feeling this afternoon, they’d answer with a chorus of screams. They feel that good, because they pulled out a come-from-behind win to earn the team gold medal at the Vaulting World Championships, held as part of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.
“We really connected today—we looked each other in the eye,” said team member and coach Devon Maitozo. “Our horse was just beautiful, and we had the love of the audience with us, which helped. We just were in our bodies today.”
Today was a contrast from the previous team freestyle competition on Friday, when two team members fell from their horse, because, said Maitozo, the team horse, Palatine, was spooky in the arena. The U.S. team had led after the compulsory exercises, but then dropped to third place after the fall, behind Germany and Austria.
To prepare for Sunday’s round, Maitozo said, “We made a different plan for the horse and for ourselves. We took a step back from the intensity of the energy before. We really calmed ourselves down, collected ourselves, and the horse had a longer warm-up but a much more calm warm-up.”
The plan worked, and the judges rewarded the U.S. team with the highest freestyle score of the day (8.779), which brought their composite score up to 8.029
The team’s lyrical performance was set to music from Sergei Prokofiev’s “Romeo and Juliet,” a ballet that was “spiced up” by Maitozo, said team member Rosalind Ross. She added, “That’s how we strive to set ourselves apart from the rest of the competition, by making vaulting more like a dance performance and a theater performance, not merely gymnastics on horses.”
“We want it to be a dance,” said Maitozo. “We want it to be a drama of emotion, of movement, elegance – with the horse, not against the horse. We’re dancing with the horse, not on the horse.”
Other U.S. team members were Blake Dahlgren, Annalise Van Vranken, Mary Garrett, Mari Inouye and Emily Hogye. The team longeur and horse trainer is Carolyn Bland.
The experienced team previously won the 2010 United States Equestrian Federation/American Vaulting Association national title. Members of this team were also on the 2006 World Equestrian Games silver-medal team and the 2008 bronze-medal team in the World Vaulting Championships. Maitozo was the individual gold medalist at the 1998 World Equestrian Games.
“I would say this is probably one of the most experienced teams of all time,” Maitozo said. “Cumulatively, the years that this team has been vaulting is well over 120 years. We have a long relationship.”
Germany, which had been leading going into Sunday’s freestyle, suffered a fall in the performance but still had a strong enough composite score (8.010) to earn the silver medal.
Team member Michaela Hohlmeier said, “It’s just sad, [but] it’s sports, so it can happen.”
Germany vaulted aboard Adlon, a 15-year-old Brandenburger, and the longeur was Alexander Hartl.
Austria turned in a vigorous freestyle performance, set to the music of Cirque du Soleil, to earn the team bronze medal ( 7.990).
Team member Daniela Penz said “it was teamwork” that resulted in the team’s best freestyle performance this year. “Everyone wants a medal – and gets a medal!” she said
The Austrians were vaulting on Elliot 8 and, and the longeur was Klaus Haidacher.
Permalink
Posted in 2010 Games, Disciplines, Para-Dressage, Results, World Equestrian Games at 9:20 pm by Press Release
Lexington, KY — Riders from Great Britain and Germany dominated the freestyle in all five grades of the Para Dressage World Championships at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. Today’s competition decided the grade IV champion, and it was Great Britain’s Sophie Wells on Pinocchio (78.50%).
Gold-medal winners over the last few days include Germany’s Hannelore Brenner on Women Of The World (79.20%) in grade III, Germany’s Dr. Angelika Trabert on Ariva-Avanti (75.90%) in grade II, Great Britain’s Lee Pearson on Gentleman (82.50%) in grade Ib, and Great Britain’s Emma Sheardown on Purdy’s Dream (78.55%) in grade Ia.
“He was a little bit more energetic than normal, so I decided not to go in with a whip, and that was very abnormal, so I was taking a risk from the beginning, really,” said Wells. “When I picked up the walk he came against me and he stopped and then I thought ‘Oh my gosh I need to find somewhere else in my plan where I can put in another simple change’. So all the time when I was going through my next movements I was trying to think where I could put it in.”
Pearson created his top-scoring freestyle just for this competition.
“For me the trot work is a lot easier than the walk work, so I try to incorporate some lateral work and some extensions,” he said. “I try to have my contingency plan if my horse is not going quite how I’d like him to go in the arena. Then I send a video of that to my music man, and I tell him what country I am going to and he makes me some music that’s pertinent for that country. So for these Games it was really quick, slap-your-thigh, cowboy-type music.”
Sheardown said her warm-up prepared her and her horse well for their performance.
“I am pleased with my horse,” she said. “He had a good walk, and I managed to keep him relaxed. The rest felt really nice.”
Great Britain completed a trifecta in Grade Ia, sweeping all the medals. Sophie Christiansen on Rivaldo Of Berkeley (77.85%) earned the silver medal, and Anne Dunham on Teddy (74.80%) took the bronze.
“It’s able-bodied trainers who train us as if we’re able-bodied people,” said Dunham. “They put the responsibility on us to ride the horse and get the best out of it. Trainers are as important as anything else. We’re lucky in Britain to have some marvelous trainers.”
In grade Ib the silver medalist was Denmark’s Stinna Tange Kaastrup on Labbenhus Snoevs (77.00%), while the bronze went to Finland’s Katja Karjalainen on Rosie (72.85%).
Kaastrup rode one of the few non-warmbloods in the Para Dressage Championships. Labbenhus Snoevs is a New Forest Pony.
“Since I started, it probably took around a year to make him the way he is today,” she said. “It’s not easy. I have a problem with the half-passes. It’s not easy to figure that out without any legs, but I did, and he’s just the best.”
The grade II silver medalist was The Netherlands’ Gert Bolmer and Triumph (75.85%), and bronze went to Great Britain’s Jo Pitt and Estralita (74.95%).
“My test was really great,” said Bolmer. “The competition was really good in grade II. I feel like we had different medal winners in the freestyle than in the individual, so the competition was really good and really hard. It was a long competition but a great competition.”
The grade III competition concluded on Friday and saw Denmark’s Annika Lykke Dalskov on Preussen Wind (75.40) earn silver and Australia’s Sharon Jarvis and Applewood Odorado (74.70%) take the bronze.
Today’s grade IV freestyle concluded the Para Dressage World Championships and saw Belgium’s Michele George on FBW Rainman (78.05%) earn the silver medal, while bronze went to Frank Hosmar and Tiesto (77.25%).
This afternoon’s press conference welcomed the 15 medalists—the first para dressage WEG medalists. When asked to choose one word to describe their discipline, these athletes in para dressage’s inaugural WEG championships chose words like “inspirational,” “partnership,” “amazing,” “opportunity,” “outstanding,” “harmony,” and “recognition.”
Pearson commented on how the United States and other countries have come a long way in this discipline and offered some insight in to how to keep that momentum going.
“I’ll give you an example,” he said. “I went down to the reining demonstration and asked if I could have a go at it, and they looked at me in my wheelchair and said, ‘No, but we’d love to get some para-equestrians to do some reining. How do we go about doing that?’ And I said, ‘You have to let them on the horse first. That’s a good start.’
“That’s my not-so-sensible answer, and my sensible answer is in England we have an amazing riding for the disabled organization, which is obviously therapy. Not all of the riders come from that, but quite a huge percentage come from riding for the disabled first. We also have a great support structure called World Class Performance, which is lottery funding to allow elite disabled and able-bodied athletes in England to apply to go on to a squad and receive funding. Then we have a great competition structure, because you’ve got to be able to compete and come here and feel confident. It’s just about giving people the opportunity.”
Permalink
Posted in 2010 Games, Disciplines, Results, Vaulting, World Equestrian Games at 3:43 am by Press Release
Lexington, KY—Joanne Eccles gave Great Britain its first-ever World Equestrian Games medal in vaulting, as she won gold in the female individual division of the Vaulting World Championships, held as part of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. Patric Looser of Switzerland bested his friend and teacher, Kai Vorberg of Germany, to win the gold medal in the male individual division.
“I think I’m a little bit stunned,” said Eccles, the 2009 European champion. “I was really pleased with my performance today, but the other girls are so strong, and they all went so well. I think it’s going to take a while for it to sink in.”
Eccles’ composite score over four days of competition was 8.413.
Eccles, 21, has her father, John, as her longeur, and her sister, Hannah, as a coach. Their mother, Jane, also supports the family effort. Eccles vaulted on W.H. Bentley, a 16-year-old French warmblood-Dale pony cross, whom the Eccles family has owned for the past 11 years.
“He was absolutely perfect,” Eccles said of her horse. “I don’t have to think about him when he’s out there. He’s got such a partnership with my dad that they’re a team in themselves, and I just do my thing on top.”
Both the silver and bronze medals will be going home to Germany in the female division.
Antje Hill, vaulting on Airbus, took silver with a composite score of 8.322, while Simone Wiegele, with Arkansas, earned bronze with an 8.281. When the German contingent realized it would hold two spots on the medal podium, a cacophony of cheers and tears erupted. Hill said she and Wiegele had been rooting for one another all along.
“We were very supportive of each other, and that made us stronger as a team,” she said.
The United States’ Mary McCormick turned in the women’s highest score of the day, with an 8.680 in this freestyle competition. Her composite score (8.270) left her in fourth place.
“I came to this competition saying that all I wanted to do was my best, and I feel like I did that, and I’m not disappointed,” McCormick said. She said she now plans to go home and unwind by trail riding with her vaulting partner, Sir Anthony Van Dyck.
In the male division, it came down to the last vaulter, Looser, who in his last freestyle performance had the chance to take the lead away from Vorberg, his friend and teacher and a two-time vaulting world champion (2004 and 2006) and two-time European champion (2005 and 2007).
For both men, it was a difficult situation, and in the end, Looser said he decided to concentrate on making a clean performance and let the judges decide who was better.
Immediately after the men’s performances, Vorberg said, “He definitely deserves it. For him, it is a great achievement. He has done so much for the Swiss vaulting sport.”
Looser’s composite score after four days of competition was an 8.498, while Vorberg’s was 8.463, working aboard Sir Bernhard RS von der Wintermühle.
After a bit of reflection, Vorberg said that perhaps his freestyle music choice, “Wind of Change” by the Scorpions, had proven prophetic.
“The wind of change is coming,” Vorberg said. “I’m an old man now [at 28]. You can’t go on that long. It won’t stay like this forever, so I’m happy that I had this last peak here.”
Looser, 26, vaulted aboard a horse from Vorberg’s stable, Record RS von der Wintermühle, an 18-year-old Hessian stallion. An 18-time Swiss champion, Looser called his final freestyle performance at the World Equestrian Games “one of my best competitions, ever.”
The bronze medal went to Nicholas Andreani of France, who turned in the day’s high score of 8.905 in the freestyle. His composite score was 8.452.
Andreani’s performances have carried a military theme, and in his final freestyle, he portrayed a soldier coming home after the war. And, for him, WEG was about performing.
“In our sport, in our discipline, it’s too bad that it’s about being graded, because for me, it’s what I have in my heart and in my soul,” Andreani said. He vaulted on Idefix de Braize.
Another medal round will be held on Sunday, after the teams’ final freestyle.
Today’s total attendance was 44,954. The total attendance for the first15 days of the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games is 468,340.
Permalink
« Previous entries Next Page » Next Page »
AbitaNet Corporation