College Preparatory Invitational Hosts Second Event with Great Success

[Wellington, FL]  The second annual College Preparatory Invitational Horse Show was held this weekend at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington, FL, with great success.
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Steffen Peters Named 2011 USEF Equestrian of the Year

Cincinnati, OH  - To cap off a record-setting year, dressage superstar Steffen Peters added one more record to his résumé on Saturday night at the United States Equestrian Federation’s Pegasus Awards dinner. He became the first person to score the USEF’s Equestrian of the Year title three times. Steffen Peters (right)won the William C.Steinkraus Trophy as one of the 2011 Equestrians of Honor and then the Robert P. Strub Trophy (shown here being presented by USEF President David O'Connor on left) as the overall USEF Equestrian of the Year. Photo by Kim MacMillan/MacMillan Photography Peters (San Diego, CA) won the top honor in 2008 and 2009 based largely on his accomplishments with Akiko Yamazaki’s phenom Ravel – but in 2011, Ravel had some help. Peters capitalized on his first trip to the Pan American Games and scored Team and Individual Gold in a tremendous effort with Jen and Bruce Hlavacek’s Weltino’s Magic
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Neville Bardos and Sjoerd Named 2011 Horses of the Year by the United States Equestrian Federation

Cincinnati, OH – For the first time ever, USEF crowned two horses with its highest honor, one from an International Discipline and one from a National Discipline. Neville Bardos and Sjoerd were named 2011 Horses of the Year at tonight’s USEF annual Horse of the Year celebration. Honored for their accomplishments in 2011 their roads through the last 12 months, while both exceptional, have been very different. Videos of all of the Horses of Honor are available here: http://www.usefnetwork.com/featured/USEFAnnualMeeting2012 Neville Bardos – Eventing He shouldn’t have lived.
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Trotting into 2012

By Sarah Dodge for Sean O’Keefe Events Happy New Year to all our SOE friends out there! 2011 was surely a fabulous year for Sean O’Keefe Events, and we’re looking forward to making 2012 even more eventful and beautiful. We’re already off to a trotting start with the upcoming second annual Sidelines Tetrathlon benefiting the Equestrian Aid Foundation happening February 5th, 2012 in West Palm Beach, Florida. The event is chalk full of dressage, show jumping, reining, and a lively polo match to round out the event’s horse activities. The evening will feature enticing culinary fare from local chefs Dustin Parfitt of Oli’s, Clay Carnes of The Grille, and Darryl Moiles of the Four Seasons Resort of the Palm Beaches. Along with food from these talented and passionate chefs, the event will also include tastings from other local restaurants including the International Polo Club Catering, Field of Greens, Top Notch Catering, White Horse Tavern, Pangea Bistro, Taylor Made Café, and Christy’s New York Cheesecake. Needless to say, this event will fill your belly and engage your senses in every way possible
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2nd annual Jump for HomeSafe set for January 28th at PBIEC

Paige Johnson named event chairperson [Wellington, Fl]  With philanthropist and equestrian, Paige Johnson, as event chairperson, the 2 nd  annual Jump for HomeSafe  will be entertaining hundreds of people Saturday, January 28, at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) during the Winter Equestrian Festival’s Nepresso $55,000 Battle of the Sexes.  Proceeds of the event will support HomeSafe, a non-profit organization helping victims of domestic violence and child abuse. Each year HomeSafe serves more than fifteen-thousand infants, children and families in Palm Beach County and South Florida. Jump for HomeSafe  is a fun, energetic cocktail party taking place inside the newly expanded Wellington Tent at the PBIEC.  Attendees will enjoy a three-hour cocktail party, including hors d’oeuvres, open bar, silent auction, entertainment, special guests, reserved outdoor seating to watch Battle of the Sexes, and horseless jump competitions (with awards) for children. “I am honored to host this charity event for HomeSafe, and hope to bring awareness to as many people as possible about the overwhelming presence of child abuse and domestic violence in this country,” said Paige Johnson, chairperson for  Jump for HomeSafe .  “We’re truly ecstatic to have Paige Johnson as the chairperson of HomeSafe’s charity equestrian event,” said Matthew Ladika, CEO of HomeSafe
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Helmets Required for all Levels of Equine Canada Dressage Competition in 2012

[December 27, 2011] Equine Canada and Dressage Canada are taking an industry-wide leadership role by requiring all dressage riders to wear helmets in competition. Commencing in 2012, a national rule change will require all riders to wear helmets for all levels of Equine Canada sanctioned dressage competition.  The rule for January 1, 2012 is SAFETY HEADGEAR All riders, regardless of age or level or competition, must wear ASTM/SEI or BSI/BS EN approved protective headgear at all times when mounted at any EC-sanctioned Dressage competition at the event location. “I am very proud of our Dressage Committee for taking this step,” said Equine Canada president Michael Gallagher. “I believe we are the first national federation in the world to introduce this rule across all levels, and I can guarantee we will not be the last.” This change for 2012 is a modification to the rule that was put in place in May 2011 where all riders competing in Fourth Level and below, FEI Young Horse Tests, Material and equitation classes at Bronze, Silver and Gold shows had to wear helmets. This rule also included non-competing riders as well. “Helmet use is an important step and component in the safety for all our members,” said John Harris, chair of Equine Canada Board’s Task Force on Safety.
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Leibler and Watson 108 Second in Freestyle at the FEI Young Rider World Cup Dressage Final in German

Lexington, KY  - Isabelle Leibler and Watson 108 came in second in Sunday’s B Final in the Freestyle, representing the U.S. at the FEI Young Rider World Cup Dressage Final in Frankfurt, Germany. Leibler (Greenwich, CT) scored 68.700 on the 14-year-old Westphalian gelding, just behind Simona Aeberhard, representing Switzerland. Leibler and Watson 108 were invited to represent the U.S. at the 2011 Finals after posting the highest average in the FEI Young Rider Freestyle Test at CDI-Y’s during the qualifying period. This pair landed in Germany after a strong 2011 campaign that included winning a team Bronze medal and two Gold medals, individual and freestyle, at the Adequan/FEI North American Junior and Young Riders Championships presented by Gotham North. Additionally, they were crowned National Young Rider Dressage Champions at the 2011 Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Festival of Championships
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Leibler and Watson 108 Continue on to Freestyle at the FEI Young Rider World Cup Dressage Final in Germany

Lexington, KY  - Isabelle Leibler and Watson 108 performed flawlessly Friday while representing the U.S. at the FEI Young Rider World Cup Dressage Final Grand Prix, and are moving forward to the B Final on Sunday in the Freestyle. “We were mistake free and I finished the first day very proud of myself and of Watson for staying focused throughout the exciting distractions,” Leibler said. “The competition has been absolutely amazing so far. It is like nothing I have ever seen before: big, bright, and electric.” Isabelle Leibler and Watson 108 National Young Rider Dressage Championships. Photo ©SusanJStickle.com Leibler (Greenwich, CT) and the 14-year-old Westphalian gelding were invited to represent the U.S. at the 2011 Finals after posting the highest average in the FEI Young Rider Freestyle Test at CDI-Y’s during the qualifying period.
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Laura B makes British Dressage History

Britain’s European Dressage gold medal trio of Laura Bechtolsheimer (Mistral Hojris), Charlotte Dujardin (Valegro) and Carl Hester (Uthopia) took the top three places in the Reem Acra FEI Grand Prix freestyle at Olympia, The London International Horse Show. It was however a close outcome: just 0.5% divided the three and all three scored over 83% making it the highest scoring World Cup qualifier of the 2011-2012 series so far. “The result was a dream come true for British dressage,” said Stephen Clarke, President of the Ground Jury. “The riders did a fantastic job and made us, the judges, work. It was difficult to separate them and with such huge scores.” It was also an historic win for Laura and Mistral Hojris who became the first British winners of the Olympia World Cup qualifier since its inception in 2004 and the first Briton to win a World Cup qualifier freestyle since Jennie Loriston-Clarke and Dutch Gold. Laura Bechtolsheimer and Mistral Hojris.
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USEF Report from First Pre-Olympic Games Dressage Clinic

Lexington, KY – The first of six pre-Olympic Games Dressage Clinics kicked off at beautiful Epona Farm in Thousand Oaks, CA. These clinics, a joint effort by the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) and the USET Foundation will help prepare horses and riders for the 2012 London Olympic Games
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