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)
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)
Lexington, Ky., Oct. 1, 2010 – In an historic sweep, Dutch rider Edward Gal and Moorlands Totilas captured three gold medals at the Dressage World Championships, presented by Alltech, part of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. Friday night, in front of a sold-out crowd at the Kentucky Horse Park’s Main Stadium, he won the Grand Prix Freestyle with a score of 91.8 percent.
Earlier in the week, Gal and “Totilas” earned the gold medal in the Grand Prix Special and were members of the gold-medal-winning team from the Netherlands.
The Grand Prix Freestyle’s top placings mirrored those of the Grand Prix Special, with Laura Bechtolsheimer of Great Britain capturing the silver medal with Mistral Hojris (85.35%), and Steffen Peters of the United States taking bronze on Ravel (84.90%). Peters, with two medals now, is the only U.S. rider ever to earn an individual medal at a World Equestrian Games. The three top riders also finished the team Grand Prix on Sept. 28-29 in the same order.
Before the medals ceremony, announcer Brian O’Connor brought Gal into the arena to thank him for taking dressage in an “unbelievably new direction. … You are in charge of what’s happening worldwide in dressage,” O’Connor said.
Linda Zang, president of the ground jury, discussed her impressions of the top three horses: “They’re actually, to me, three totally different types of horses. Totilas is a horse that shows so much power, but at the same time is very easy and seems very light. I think Edward does an amazing job to be able to sit and keep a horse with so much power and energy into a frame and work happily with him. Laura’s horse, for me, has a lot more power and is a very big horse. And Steffen has a different kind of horse. It’s a horse that is very elastic and soft and has a different kind of harmony. All three of them have harmony.”
Gal, who came into the World Games highly touted, said he was relieved that he and his horse lived up to the expectations.
“When I came here, I knew I could do it, but it also has to happen. And then it’s quite difficult, and there was, of course, a lot of pressure on me because everyone expected it,” he said.
Peters noted that he dedicated the freestyle ride to his fellow U.S. rider Courtney King-Dye, who suffered a head injury after a riding accident in March. Peters wore a protective helmet in his celebratory victory lap aboard Ravel.
Also, during the post-medals ceremony press conference, Gal said, “It is not a rumor” that Totilas has been bred to Brentina, an Olympic and WEG medalist and a World Cup titlist.
Nations represented in the Grand Prix Freestyle were the Netherlands, Great Britain, the United States, Germany, Spain, Denmark, Australia, Canada, Austria, Poland and Switzerland. Judges were Zang (United States), Mary Seefried (Australia), Ghislain Fouarge (the Netherlands), Evi Eisenhardt (Germany), and Maribel Alonso (Mexico).
Lexington, KY —Germany’s Michael Jung and La Biosthetique-Sam FBW took the lead today in the Eventing World Championships, presented by Reem Acra, at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. Jung’s score of 33.00 put him in the top spot, while countryman Simone Deitermann, riding Free Easy (36.00), held on to the third spot after leading following day 1. Italy’s Stefano Brecciaroli, riding Apollo van de Wendi Kurt Hoeve, stands second with a 35.50.
Germany took the lead in the team race, with 114.30 penalty points. Great Britain is next (128.50) and Sweden is third (131.20), followed by Australia (131.80), Italy (135.90), New Zealand (138.30) and the United States (140.00).
Marilyn Payne, president of the ground jury, commented that today’s top rides were especially enjoyable to watch. “It’s so exciting to give 8s and 9s,” she said. “What else can I do? This is the most exciting thing as a judge: to be able to judge horses and riders like this.”
Jung was the third-last rider to start today and performed a beautiful dressage test, despite the fact that his horse is “an absolute bundle of energy.”
“The last few years, he has just performed beautifully,” said Jung. He also added that the duo competes in dressage competitions at home in Germany, which might have helped his score today.
“When Michael came in it was just solid 8, 8, 8, and my scribe said, ‘I’m getting bored giving 8s,’ and I said, ‘OK, we’ll, how about a 9?’” said Payne. “It was just so consistent.”
Brecciaroli, a member of the Italian police, ode earlier in the today, but he wowed the crowds with a stellar performance, including a 10 given to him for his rein back. “It was flawless,” said Payne. “It was like he just did it on his own, and then he walked forward in this lovely walk. It was just marvelous.”
Although he’s only had the horse for two years, Brecciaroli said his mount listens very well. “He did a wonderful job for me, and for a horse with no experience at this level, he did a very good job,” he said.
Karin Donckers of Belgium rounded out the top four with Gazelle de la Brasserie CH (38.80). What was most impressive about her ride today was the fact that she broke her arm just three weeks ago. She had surgery to insert two pins and will wear a special brace, but doctors have given her the green light to compete.
“I was leading 4-year-olds,” she said. “We brought them back from the fields, and they were quite attached. One had to go to one barn, and one had to go into the other barn, and the horse did not agree with me. He was not really listening to me. I tried to stop him, and he stepped on my left foot, running into me, so I lost my balance and fell backwards.”
France’s Karim Florent Laghouagh, riding Havenir d’Azac, was eliminated when the judges noticed blood in the horse’s saliva. “It was a hard thing to do, but we must go by the rules,” said Payne.
The top riders all commented that tomorrow’s cross-country course is a true championship course.
“I think it’s difficult right to the end of course,” said Jung. “They are very big jumps. It’s long—the longest cross-country course for me. It’s up and down, and you have to plan your whole trip.”
Lexington, Ky., Sept. 29, 2010 — U.S. rider Steffen Peters made history today when he rode Ravel to the Grand Prix Special individual bronze medal in the Dressage World Championships, presented by Alltech, at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. He is the first American ever to win an individual medal in the World Championships.
Peters, 46, from San Diego, Calif., scored 78.54 percent percent, to finish behind gold medalist Edward Gal of the Netherlands on Moorlands Totilas (85.70%) and Laura Bechtolsheimer, 25, of Great Britain, on Mistral Hojris (81.70%). The three riders finished yesterday’s team Grand Prix in the same order.
Peters was born in Germany and immigrated to United States in 1992. He rode on his first U.S. team at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, winning the team bronze medal. At the 2006 World Equestrian Games, Peters and Ravel, a 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, led the US. team to the bronze medal. They finished a painfully close fourth in the 2008 Olympics, and in 2009 they won the FEI World Cup Final.
Peters shed a few tears at this evening’s medal ceremony in the Main Stadium. “I can tell you pretty well how many years, months and days have passed since I just missed the medal in Hong Kong [in 2008]. That it finally happened today was huge, tremendous,” he said.
Peters added, “Certainly yesterday was a huge pressure for the team, but there’s never been a bronze medal for the U.S. before, so I was beside myself on the podium.”
Gal, 40, said he was just as thrilled to be wearing both the team and individual Grand Prix Special gold medals. “Totilas felt a bit more relaxed today than yesterday, so I could ride him a bit more, and it worked out great. I am very happy,” he said.
Gal tried to describe the felling of riding Totilas, a 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood stallion. “It’s so difficult to explain. You have to ride it to fell it, and I will not allow that,” he said with a smile. “He has so much energy and so much power, but you always have the feeling that you can control it. And he doesn’t want to make a mistake, ever. I don’t think I will ever get to ride another horse like him.”
Mary Seefried of Australia, the judge at C, had high praise for the medalists. “What impressed the judges most about the top three was the harmony of the riders and the precision of their riding,” she said.
The Dressage World Championships climax with the musical freestyle on Friday night, starting at 7:00 p.m. The 15 highest-scoring riders from today’s Grand Prix Special have qualified for their final ride of the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.
“Normally the freestyle is my best test, but I hope I can show it under the lights on Friday night,” said Gal.
Lexington, Ky., Sept. 28 — The teams from the Netherlands and Great Britain each did something they’ve never done before in the Dressage World Championships, presented by Alltech, at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.
The Netherlands won the team gold medal (229.74) for the first time ever, and Great Britain won the team silver medal (224.67), the first team medal they’ve ever won in the World Games.
Germany earned the team bronze medal (220.59), marking the first time they have not won the team gold medal since 1970.
The United States finished close behind in fourth (218.12).
As expected, superstar Moorlands Totilas, with Edward Gal, led the Dutch team to victory by topping the individual standings with a score of 84.04 percent. Teammates Imke Schellekens-Bartels, on Hunter Douglas Sunrise, and Hans Peter Minderhoud, on Exquis Nadine, provided scores of 73.44 percent and 72.25 percent to secure the gold medal.
Both of their scores became absolutely necessary this morning when their fourth teammate, Adelinde Cornelissen, on Jerich Parzival, was eliminated by the ground jury because the horse had blood visible in his saliva. Immediate examination found only a small cut on the tip of his tongue. Cornelissen rode Jerich Parzival in the awards ceremony and received her gold medal.
“It has been a difficult but exciting day for all of us,” said Gal. “We have mixed feelings and have had a great many tears. On one side, we are very happy to finally win the gold medal, but on one side we are certainly very sad for Adelinde.”
Laura Bechtolsheimer and Mistal Hojris propelled the British team to their silver medal by scoring 82.51 percent, a performance that put her second individually. “It was definitely the best test and the best score of my life,” she said. “I’ve never been able to ride him so full of energy and really relaxed before.”
Teammates Carl Hester, on Liebling II, Maria Eilberg, on Two Sox, and Fiona Bigwood, on Wie-Atlantico Ymas, backed up Bechtolsheimer’s outstanding score.
“British dressage has been waiting for a superstar like Laura,” said Hester, a British team member for more than 20 years. “I think the other three of us feel our horses couldn’t have gone any better, and we’re very proud.”
Isabell Werth, the former World Champion and Olympic gold medalist, led the German team, scoring 75.40 percent on Warum Nicht. She has been a German team member for more than 20 years, and this is the first time Germany has not won the team gold medal at the World Championships since 1970. She noted that this was the first World Championship start for her three teammates.
“We needed a lot more points. We did a good job, but Laura did a super job. The Dutch and the British were just better this time, and we have to work harder,” said Werth.
Stephen Clarke, of Great Britain, the president of the ground jury who judged at C, had high praise for the riders in the Dressage World Championships. “I think the level of riding was fantastic. They all really took risks and made it exciting to watch and for us to judge. It was a real nail-biter, especially from where I was,” he said.
The Dressage World Championships, presented by Alltech, continue tomorrow (Sept. 29) with the Grand Prix Special, after which individual medals will be presented. The top 30 riders in the Grand Prix will go forward to the Grand Prix Special. Dressage concludes with the musical freestyle on Friday night.
Lexington, Ky., Day 4 — Jerich Parzival, ridden by Adelinde Cornelissen of the Netherlands, was eliminated during Tuesday morning’s team Grand Prix at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. The elimination occurred following movement number 5 of 33, the halt and rein-back, when the ground jury observed blood in the horse’s saliva.
Dr. Wojtek Markowski (POL), the competition’s technical delegate, said, “The rule is clear, and it is written to protect the welfare of the horse: blood coming from the mouth is contrary to the welfare of the horse and the horse must be eliminated for veterinary reasons.”
Dr. Markowski added that the FEI rule does not specify what amount of blood must be present; elimination is automatic if blood is visible in the horse’s mouth. There was no suggestion that any abuse of the horse had occurred.
Cornelissen said that Dr. Jan Greve, the Dutch team’s veterinarian, examined the horse immediately after he returned to the stable. “There was a tiny spot on the tip of his tongue. It had stopped bleeding on the way back to the stable,” she said.
Jerich Parzival was receiving scores of 80 percent when he was eliminated. Cornelissen added, “I am very disappointed. The horse was doing amazing at that moment. I am very happy that there is nothing seriously wrong with him”
Sjef Janssen, the Dutch team chef d’equipe, said, “We are very disappointed, but we understand the rule and accept the decision.”
If the Dutch team is in the top three at the end of today’s competition, Cornelissen will join them in the medal ceremony and will receive a medal.
Lexington, Ky., Sept. 27, 2010 — Dutch riders Imke Schellekens-Bartels and Hans Peter Minderhoud gave the Netherlands a strong lead today over Germany in the Dressage World Championships, presented by Alltech.
Riding Hunter Douglas Sunrise, Schellekens-Bartels, 33, took the individual lead by scoring 73.44 percent. Aboard Exquis Nadine, Minderhoud, 36, moved into third place individually by scoring 72.25 percent. Their team total of 145.70 has put their team more than 5 points ahead of Germany (140.34) at the halfway point of the team competition.
German rider Christoph Koschel, riding Donnperignon, sits between the two Dutch riders, scoring 72.63 percent. Two of the five judges preferred Koschel’s test to Schellekens-Bartels’ test. Teammate Anabel Balkenhol scored 67.70 percent to place 12th.
Great Britain (138.34) is third in the team standings, the United States is fourth (136.17), and Canada is fifth (135.70).
The Dutch riders are not ready to celebrate yet. “We still have two riders to go tomorrow, and anything can develop. We will see what happens,” said Minderhoud.
Each was satisfied with their performances today, though. Minderhoud was especially pleased because only two days ago, Exquis Nadine slipped while walking back to the stables with Minderhoud after training. “She did the splits, with her hind legs out behind her, and she scraped her hind legs and her knee. But she was not lame and had no swelling, and she really did her job today. She has such a good attitude in the ring,” said Minderhoud.
Schellekens-Bartels explained that an error in the canter zigzag was her fault, not her horse’s fault. “It was a really, really good test, but I forgot to prepare for the change [of lead], and she just went sideways. She did what I told her to do. I just made a mistake,” said Schellekens-Bartels.
Germany has won the team gold medal at every World Equestrian Games. The Netherlands won the team silver medal in 1994, 1998 and 2006.
U.S. riders Katherine Bateson-Chandler, on Nartan, and Todd Flettrich, on Otto, scored 69.61 percent and 66.25 percent to currently stand fifth and 16th of today’s 20 starters. The U.S. team claimed the silver medal at the 2002 World Games.
The Grand Prix team competition will climax tomorrow (Sept. 28), with sessions starting at 8:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. The awards ceremony will immediately follow the competition.
LEXINGTON, KY—The Kentucky Cup Dressage Test Event in preparation for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games is gearing up to be a spectacular showcase of top level dressage.
The test event, to be held April 19-22 in conjunction with the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, is in preparation for the Games which will be held at the Kentucky Horse Park, September 25-October 10.
Riders and horses from eight countries will be competing at the Kentucky Cup including Michelle Gibson, who with her mount Peron scored 75.20% at the Atlanta Olympic Games, the highest score ever awarded an American at an Olympics; Ashley Holzer, Olympic veteran and 2009 Canadian Equestrian Athlete of the Year; Oded Shimoni, the first Israeli to qualify for and compete in the World Equestrian Games and the Olympics.
The three-star test event will feature all three classes of international competition, the Grand Prix, Grand Prix Special and the Grand Prix Freestyle, a stylized competition set to music and choreographed for each horse and rider, allowing the rider to create their own test which must include specific compulsory movements.
Kentucky Cup Dressage will begin the week of official test events. All Kentucky Cup Dressage events will be held in the Outdoor Stadium. The schedule includes
Tuesday, April 20, 9:00 a.m. Dressage Grand Prix
Wednesday, April 21 10:00 a.m. Grand Prix Special
Thursday, April 22 at 7:00 p.m. Dressage Freestyle
The Freestyle competition on April 22 is a ticketed event, priced at $15. Tickets to all test events can be purchased online through April 7 and at the gates of the event. 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.
LEXINGTON, KY—The 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games will host its final series of Kentucky Cup Test Events, held in conjunction with the annual Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event. Dressage, Eventing and Jumping competitions will be held at the Kentucky Horse Park April 20-25.
“This final series of test events will be an important test of the planning for many of the competition aspects of the Games,” said Kate Jackson, Vice President of Competition for the World Games 2010 Foundation. “By hosting sessions of different disciplines on several days, we will really be able to test many of our procedures for the actual Games.”
Kentucky Cup Dressage will begin the week of official test events. The schedule includes:
Tuesday, April 20 9:00 a.m. Dressage Grand Prix
Wednesday, April 21 10:00 a.m. Grand Prix Special
Thursday, April 22 7:00 p.m. Dressage Freestyle
The Freestyle competition on April 22 is a ticketed event priced at $15. All Kentucky Cup Dressage events will be held in the Outdoor Stadium. The Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event includes:
Thursday, April 22 9:00 a.m. Dressage
Friday, April 23 9:00 a.m. Dressage
Saturday, April 24 9:00 a.m. Cross Country
Sunday, April 25 Noon Jumping
For more information about the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, go to www.rk3de.org.
Kentucky Cup Jumping will complete the official test events for the 2010 Games. The schedule includes:
Friday, April 23 7:00 p.m. Warm –Up class
Saturday, April 24 7:00 p.m. Jumping Grand Prix
Sunday, April 25 6:00 p.m. Speed Class
Saturday’s Jumping Grand Prix is a ticketed event priced at $20. Tickets to the Speed Class on Sunday will be $15. All Kentucky Cup Jumping sessions will be held in the Outdoor Stadium.
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