While Hector Florentino kick-started the winning streak for the Step by Step Foundation by riding the bay gelding Ultimo to victory in the $35,000 Open Welcome at the Kentucky Spring Horse Shows, it was the teens who stole the spotlight for the international non-profit.  Emanuel Andrade, who trains with Angel Karolyi of Hollow Creek, was a stand-out star putting in fault-free rounds on all five of his Junior Jumpers in both the Highs and the Lows while his competitor Daniela Stransky admitted that (on Sunday) the downpour was so bad that she could barely see the fences in the Junior Jumper classic.  Another rider for “team” SBS from Stransky’s Mission Farm was Jose Fernando Bonetti, who got luckier when it came to weather and piloted Light to the Children’s Jumper Championship the first week. Team Step by Step's Hector Florentino, Daniela Stransky and Jose Fernando Bonettie celebrate at Kentucky Spring Horse Shows   Emanuel Andrade, who also rides for Steb by Step, put in fault free fast rounds on all five horses, including Mikos who won the Junior Jumper Championship   Daniela Stransky finding the fences aboard her chestnut mare Starlight during Junior Jumper downpour... All photos by Ingrid Sabater

Lexington , KY – May 20, 2012- Today marked the conclusion of the Kentucky Spring Classic, and there were nothing but blue skies to greet the Junior Hunter divisions as the morning got underway. Horse and rider combinations gathered to compete for the championship honors, as they went neck and neck for the remaining ribbons. Victoria Colvin and Ovation garnered the Small Junior 15 & Under Hunter Championship, the first division of the day. Victoria Colvin and Ovation earned the Small Junior 15 & Under Hunter Championship on the conclusion of the Kentucky Spring Classic. (Photo by Kendall Bierer/PMG) The Small Junior 15 & Under Hunters saw intense competition first thing in the morning, with junior riders returning for the second day of competition

Equestrian Athlete Takes One More Step on the Road to the 2012 London Olympics Burlington, Ontario – David Marcus, 31, of Campbellville, ON, took another step on the road to the 2012 London Olympics, winning both the Grand Prix and Grand Prix Special at the CDI3* Canada Classic, an international dressage competition held May 18-20 in Burlington, ON. David Marcus riding Chrevi’s Capital won the Grand Prix and Grand Prix Special at the CDI3* Canada Classic held May 18-20 in Burlington, Ontario. (Photo by Sue Stickle) Having only received his Canadian citizenship in December, Marcus scored his first international grand prix victory with a win in Friday’s Grand Prix at the CDI3* Canada Classic.  Riding Chrevi’s Capital, owned by Deborah Kinzinger, Marcus earned a score of 68.681%.  The final ride of the day belonged to 2008 Canadian Olympian Jacqueline Brooks aboard D-Niro, but her score of 68.234% was not enough to knock Marcus out of top spot.  2011 Pan American Games Team Gold Medalist, Cesar Parra of the United States, scored 67.213% with Van the Man to place third while Marcus also took fourth, earning a score of 66.447% with Don Kontes, also owned by Kinzinger. “Chrevi’s Capital had a personal best score of over 68%, even with a few significant mistakes,” said Marcus, referring to his Grand Prix test on Friday.  “The mistakes were not in the difficult movements, but in the extended trot, which is usually a strong movement for him, in the passage to canter transition, and then I made a rider error on the placement of my second canter pirouette, which was very costly for me.  Those are all things that are usually quite strong for him so, going into Saturday, I knew they were easy mistakes to fix.  To still earn over 68%, even with those mistakes, was pretty great!” In Saturday’s Grand Prix Special, Marcus widened the gap between himself and the competition, posting a career-best score of 72.356% to win over Brooks who earned 69.578%.  All five international judges awarded Marcus a score of over 70 percent, giving him not only the highest score of his grand prix career, but also one of the highest scores obtained by any Canadian dressage competitor in the 2012 Olympic qualifying process. “The best way to describe my ride was that it just felt easy,” said Marcus of Saturday’s Grand Prix Special performance with Chrevi’s Capital.  “He was on my aids and I was basically guiding him around; it was so simple.  He really wanted to be there for me, and it all felt very easy.  We were able to clean up our mistakes from Friday, and the judges rewarded us for it.” Even more impressive, his mount, Chrevi’s Capital, a 12-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding (Chrevi’s Lavallo x Weinberg), only began competing at the Olympic level of grand prix in January. “I am ecstatic!” said Marcus of his horse’s aptitude and growth at the top level of the sport.  “He is only five and a half months into his grand prix career, and he has already moved up 10 percentage points in his scores from his grand prix debut to this competition.  He still wasn’t at full capacity, and I know there is so much more potential in there.  I am excited to see where he can go!” Previously ranked fifth overall in the race for a spot on the 2012 Canadian Olympic Dressage Team, Marcus expects to move into third place once the scores from the CDI3* Canada Classic are calculated.  The Canadian Dressage Team will take four horse-rider combinations to the 2012 Olympic Games where three will compete while the fourth acts as the alternate

Palgrave, Ontario—Caledon Equestrian Park in Palgrave, Ontario, was the first sport venue to be named for the Toronto 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games in a special groundbreaking ceremony held May 18.  TO2015, the Toronto 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games Organizing Committee, the Government of Canada, the Province of Ontario and the Town of Caledon joined together to announce Caledon Equestrian Park as the official venue for equestrian sport, while also unveiling plans for facility improvements and community legacy. Canadian Equestrian Team members Jill Henselwood and Yann Candele (both standing), speak at the official groundbreaking ceremony naming Caledon Equestrian Park as a host venue for the Toronto 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games. (Photo by ShootPhoto.ca) Held during the Caledon National show jumping tournament, competition was halted to allow athletes and their families and friends to gather for the groundbreaking ceremony.  Canadian Equestrian Team members Yann Candele ofCaledon,ON, and 2008 Olympic Team Silver medalist Jill Henselwood participated in the on-site announcement. “After years of preparation and planning, we are honoured not only to have Caledon Equestrian Park named as the official host of equestrian sport for the 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games, but to also be selected as the very first sport venue announced by the TO2015 Organizing Committee,” said Craig Collins of Equestrian Management Group (EMG), a funding partner and the operating group of Caledon Equestrian Park.  “To make the announcement in front of hundreds of our competitors, whether they are children on ponies or junior riders with international aspirations, really underlines the legacy that hosting the Pan Am events will create for the future of our sport.  I am sure many of these young riders will remember gathering together on the hill for this momentous announcement, and possibly start dreaming of one day standing on the podium to claim a medal for our country.” Mike Gallagher, President of Equine Canada, echoed those sentiments, recognizing the impact hosting the Pan/Parapan American Games will have on equestrian sport both locally and nationwide

May 19 th , 2012~ Conyers, GA- It was a bustling evening at the acclaimed Georgia International Horse Park as the crowd watched 25 of the country’s top hunter riders compete under the lights in the $10,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby presented by Dietrich and Company Equine Insurance.  No stranger to the winner’s circle, Liza Boyd took home the blue ribbon last evening aboard Mrs. Janet Peterson and Finally Farm’s Quatrain while capturing the second place on her and Mrs. Janet Peterson’s Brunello.   The team from Finally Farm in Camden, SC just came off a one, two win at the Aiken Spring Classic Derby and the Camden Spring Classic Derby back in April with Brunello taking the top spot over Quatrain in both of those classes

Wellington , FL- May 18, 2012- The Lionshare Farm team put in solid performances with great prizes throughout the first week at Old Salem.  Matti Fisher, who has been riding with Peter Leone and the LIonshare Farm team since 2005, won first place honors in the USEF Adult Equitation 3’3″ riding her own Peter Pan.  “I’ve had Peter Pan for so long that he’s just kind of like my old pair of sneakers. He’s so comfortable and awesome,” shared Fisher.  Fisher and Peter Pan also earned respectable ribbons in the 18-35 Amateur Owners and in the Handy Class of the Performance Hunters. Matti Fisher on her jumper Sans Souci getting last minute coaching from Peter Leone. (Photo by Carrie Wirth) Fisher recently added the jumpers to her riding repertoire.