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.
National Show Hunter Hall of Fame Names Jennifer Alfano Rider of the Year and Jersey Boy Horse of the Year
Friday, June 01 2012
The team for Horse of the Year Jersey Boy, includes Susie Schoellkopf; Jennifer Alfano, Rider of the Year, and Jess Litfin, who takes care of the equine star. Photo By: Nancy Jaffer Buffalo, NY – May 31, 2012 - The National Show Hunter Hall of Fame awarded numerous honors last night at their annual dinner held at the Merion Cricket Club in Haverford, PA, but it was SBS Farms, Inc. who truly shined. Jennifer Alfano was named Hunter Rider of the Year, and her top mount Jersey Boy was named High Performance Horse of the Year and Hunter Horse of the Year. The NSHHF continues to foster the appreciation of the sport through the establishment and maintenance of esteemed awards. The winners of the yearly and overall awards are carefully selected by the vote of trainers who have had champions in the divisions at the shows that have been nominated for the Hall of Fame Horse Show of the Year award
- Published in What's Happenin', Z-Blogs
The Best Nest
Friday, June 01 2012
When I was little, The Best Nest was my favorite bedtime story (ironic, given that I’ve grown up with an irrational, debilitating fear of birds). If you’re not familiar with the story, here’s a run-down. Mrs. Bird wakes up one morning and decides she’s sick of the tiny little birdhouse she and Mr. Bird have shared for, the reader must assume, the early years of their marriage, and she’s ready to move on up. So she sends Mr. Bird out on the task of finding more suitable accommodations. Mr. Bird, eager to please his young wife (who seems a little needy, in hindsight, if you ask me), tries out all kinds of alternatives in an effort to please her: a church tower, which is lovely until the bells ring, a pleasant tree, which becomes very unpleasant when Mr. Raccoon returns home. . .
- Published in Tucker The Wunderkind, Z-Blogs
More Cross Training: HP’s Gone Wild!
Thursday, May 31 2012
Brace yourselves, Tucker fans. . . Tucker and I are really taking this cross-training thing seriously. First, a dressage clinic, and now, cross-country schooling with our friends Dom and CP : Tucker falls in love with yet another pony... Haha, okay, so I didn’t really go wild , but when I strapped on a safety vest and went marching into the water complex, my inner Hunter Princess just stood there with her mouth gaped open in shock. But Tucker and I had huge smiles on our faces! See? Tucker LOVED the water and did lots and lots of splashing
- Published in Tucker The Wunderkind, Z-Blogs
Cornerstone Unveils Exciting New Competition Venue
Wednesday, May 30 2012
Thorton, Ontario — Equestrian sport will benefit from a new facility as the Cornerstone hunter/jumper competitions make the highly-anticipated move to the Essa District Agriplex in Thorton, ON, this summer.
- Published in General, Show World, Z-Blogs
High Performance and Conformation Hunters Hit the Ring!
Wednesday, May 30 2012
High Performance and Conformation Hunters Turn Up the Heat The hunter horses were out in force on Monday. Despite the heat, many rose to the occasion with numerous scores over fences in the 90s. The stars of the hunter division, the high performance hunters, showed over fences and under saddle. Judged on movement, style, and soundness, these horses jumped four foot fences and then returned for an under saddle class where their movement was judged on the flat. Laura Chapot on Zealous First, each horse tackled a course of eight natural-colored fences designed to simulate the obstacles found while foxhunting. The winner of the first over fences class was Miss Lucy, a chestnut mare owned by Helen Lenahan and piloted by Jennifer Alfano. Miss Lucy impressed the judges with her slow, methodical rhythm and impressive athleticism over fences. Her performance garnered a score of 90. Rounding out the primary colored ribbons were Casallo in second place, ridden by Liza Boyd and Declaration in third place, ridden by Scott Stewart. Leigh Cofer on Camera Ready Next, the horses returned for the hack, which was won by Summer Place, owned by Pony Lane Farm and ridden by Maggie Jayne. As Ms.
- Published in General, Show World, Z-Blogs