Devon Grand Prix
Saturday, June 02 2012
It is surely coming as no surprise to you that McLain Ward won the Grand Prix on Thursday night, but I thought you’d like to see how he did it. This is a photo essay about Ward and his mount, since 2010, Antares F, an 11 year old Wurtemburger grey gelding ( http://www.theequinest.com/breeds/wurttemberger ) and Margie Engle and her horse, Indigo, a 12 year old gelding who was second. Chill R Z, ridden by Charlie Jayne was third; Cedric, ridden by Laura Kraut was fourth; and Vornado Van Den Hoendrik, ridden by Jessica Springsteen was fifth. Less than one second separated first and second place in the jump off, Ward having ridden it in 34.32 seconds and Engle in 35.28. McLain Ward and Antares F The First Round Leaving the ring after the first round, Ward communes with his horse. The Jump Off begins….. …..and ends. Leaving the ring after the awards ceremony and victory gallop. Margie Engle and Indigo in their first round. The Jump Off Charlie Jayne and Chill R Z Laura Kraut and Cedric Jessica Springsteen and Vornado Van Den Hoendrik
New England Farm Dominates Divisions During the First Week of HITS-on-the-Hudson
Saturday, June 02 2012
Photo Credit: Reilly Cookingham and Red Drum took top ribbons in the Adult Amateur 18-35 Hunter division during the first week of HITS-on-the-Hudson. Photo By: ESI Photography. Bedford, NY – June 1, 2012 - The first week of HITS-on-the-Hudson saw fierce competition as some of the nation’s best gathered to compete for the top honors. Cynthia Williams and New England Farm had great success during their stay, rising to the top of the leader board and taking home the championship tricolors in several divisions. The Low Hunter division reserve championship was awarded to May-Ann Weinberg’s Paradigm with Cynthia Williams in the irons. The pair garnered two second place ribbons and a third place ribbon in the over fences.
- Published in General, Show World, Z-Blogs
AHP Conference: Counting Down to Awards Dinner
Saturday, June 02 2012
Okay, we’ll admit it. We don’t know how to relax. We think that we have been racing from deadline to deadline for so many years that we have totally forgotten how to relax and enjoy “leisure” – and that’s what this conference is, compared to our real life. This is leisure.
- Published in Lauren Gallops, Z-Blogs
Ladies’ Day!
Friday, June 01 2012
Tuesday Night: Open Jumping Begins, Walton and Ward Prevail By Halie Greening As the first $7,500 Open Jumper class commenced, the sun shone down brightly on the challenging course of towering jumps Tuesday evening set up in the Dixon Oval.
- Published in General, Show World, Z-Blogs
Abigail McArdle Earns Top Honors at Devon Horse Show
Friday, June 01 2012
Devon PA – May 30, 2012 – During Junior Weekend at the prestigious Devon Horse Show, young rider Abigail McArdle showcased her skills and earned top ribbons in both the equitation and the jumper rings. She placed in the top three during three of the equitation events with Apartico, and qualified for the jump-off during the $15,000 Show Jumping Hall of Fame Junior Classic aboard Cosma 20. Abigail McArdle and Cosma 20 placed sixth in the $15,000 Show Jumping Hall of Fame Junior Classic at the Devon Horse Show. (Photo by Rebecca Walton) The equitation classes were held at the beginning of the week, and McArdle kicked off the competition with a score of 89 in the WIHS Equitation Classic – Jumper Phase, which garnered the second place honors. She then went on to place third in the ASPCA Maclay Horsemanship Classic, as well as the Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search with Apartico.
- Published in General, Show World, Z-Blogs
Todd Flettrich and Otto Are Ready and Set To Go to the USEF Olympic Dressage Selection Trials
Friday, June 01 2012
Wellington, FL-May 31, 2012 - Olympic hopeful Todd Flettrich and his equine partner, Otto, are hard at work getting ready for the USEF Olympic Dressage Selection Trials in Gladstone, NJ. The selection trials will decide which horse and rider teams will represent the United States in dressage at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. The trials will be held at the United States Equestrian Team (USET) Foundation headquarters June 8-10 and 13-14. Todd Flettrich (Photo by Susan Stickle) In order to get closer to New Jersey, Flettrich and Otto recently returned to their summer home in Pennsylvania. The two had a successful winter show season in South Florida and were training in Wellington, FL, with Oded Shimoni , the U.S.-based Israeli coach who has proclaimed them both fit and strong.
- Published in General, Olympic Sidelines, Z-Blogs
GO THE DISTANCE IN KERRITS’ SLENDER RIDER PADDED CAPRI !
Friday, June 01 2012
Kerrits Slender Rider Bingen, WA – Maybe it’s your first ride of the season. Maybe it’s a longer distance than you’ve ever ridden before. Whatever the circumstances, Kerrits’ Slender Rider Padded Capri ensures you return to the barn in the same shape as when you left. That’s because the stretchy, breathable capri is built with a soft moisture-wicking padded seat that cushions and absorbs every leap and trot. We worked with our design team in Italy to construct a seat pad specifically for horseback riding, extending over the sit bones to target cushioning right where riders need it most; seamlessly molded with all-way stretch, and segmented to expedite airflow and increase breathability. The soft, stretchy undergarment slims and supports thanks to compression riding technology. Zonal knit construction contours through the hip and thigh, while a wide waistband helps support abdominal and lower back muscles
- Published in What's Happenin', Z-Blogs
ON THE ROAD AGAIN & MORE ROLEX
Friday, June 01 2012
It’s been too long since our last post, but we have an excuse – endless deadlines. Now, we’re not complaining per se, we love to write. However, the pressure of making each story unique and special and fresh can be uber-challenging as well as extremely brain-draining, especially when you are writing about 3-day riders who hope to make the US eventing team for the 2012 London Olympics Games. There is only so often you can contact an Olympic-hopeful to acquire more quotes: she/he has spent years and years to get to the top of the game and therefore tend to be hounded by other members of the working press
- Published in Lauren Gallops, Z-Blogs
Lustre of the Gemstone
Friday, June 01 2012
Thursday night prior to winning the Grand Prix, McLain Ward formally retired his two-time Olympic gold medal partner, Sapphire. He rode the 16 year old chestnut mare into the ring through to the awards section where she stood while the announcer read her list of accomplishments, and then Ward dismounted, removed the saddle, replacing it with a white sheet embroidered with her name. He took her past the grandstand where her fans could get up close to admire her, then walked back out the “in gate”, into the warm up ring, and down to the far end nearest the stabling area. As he handed her off to a waiting groom, in the distance I could see his hand move to his bowed head and it was clear that he was wiping away a tear.