Laura B makes British Dressage History
Thursday, December 15 2011
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.
- Published in What's Happenin', Z-Blogs
USEF Report from First Pre-Olympic Games Dressage Clinic
Wednesday, December 14 2011
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
- Published in What's Happenin', Z-Blogs
Autumn in Cheshire Country
Wednesday, December 07 2011
A Visual Recap of Foxhunting in Cheshire Country, Autumn, 2011 –::– Opening Meet, Formal Hunting, Runnymede Tuesday, November 1, 2011 Formal Hunting moves to 11:00 A.M. in November from 9:00 the previous month. Riders met at St. Malachi Church to park their vehicles and hacked to the Meet at Runnymede, about a mile away, down the hill and a long driveway, along a creek ruled by a venerable Blue Heron. The Joint Masters, Huntsman and Whip, wearing Pinque for the first time this season, are joined by the Field (the riders following the hounds) on the lawn of Runnymede. Runnymede is known for its broad, open fields and sloping terrain, punctuated by fences with gates and coops, with creeks emptying to the Doe Run, and eventually to the Brandywine River. –::– Byrd Road, Webbs Woods Saturday, November 5, 2011 The Meet at Byrd Road encompasses a large woods, Webbs Woods, and is flatter than Runnymede, with many foxes. The Meet is close by the Veterinary School at the University of Pennsylvania, New Bolton. Cheshire encourages family participation and many children join their parents on the hunt
USDF Approves National Dressage Championships
Monday, December 05 2011
[Lexington, KY] The United States Dressage Federation (USDF) is pleased to announce approval by its Board of Governors of a US national dressage championship beginning in 2013. This championship will be a head to head competition showcasing Adult Amateur and Open riders at Training Level through Grand Prix. With invitations to be extended to competitors who have qualified through the Great American Insurance Group/USDF Regional Dressage Championships, the inaugural championship (exact name TBD) will take place in the fall of 2013 at the Kentucky Horse Park (KHP) in Lexington, KY. The KHP was the site of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. It also hosts the annual Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event and the FEI North American Junior and Young Rider Championships. According to USDF President George Williams, the first formal discussions within the USDF, regarding a US national championship, started almost 20 years ago.
- Published in What's Happenin', Z-Blogs
Fun Bustin’ Muttons at WIHS
Friday, November 18 2011
Sure, the 53rd annual Washington International Horse Show (October 23-28, 2011 at the Verizon Center in downtown Washington, D.C.) may have been home to such prestigious competitions as the $100,000 President’s Cup Grand Prix CSI3*-W, the WIHS Equitation Classic Finals and the $25,000 Puissance, but what folks really came out to see was the tough as nails riders who braved the fiercely competitive mutton-busting class. That’s right, Mutton Busting! Show us a rider who will don a full-face helmet, wind their fingers through the rough wool of a writhing sheep and hang on for dear life as said sheep runs for its own, and we’ll show you a true champion. Hats off to all the 2011 WIHS Mutton Busters, and especially to this year’s Mutton Busting Champion, 8-year-old Marissa Jones of River Chase Farm. Out of the gate they came, in a fast-moving blaze of thick wool and hooved fury. . . . . . Some riders kept their eyes bravely forward, determined to tame their mutton by ring's end
- Published in What's Happenin', Z-Blogs
Totilas to Make Exclusive Appearance at World Dressage Masters Palm Beach
Friday, November 11 2011
Totilas, the reigning Dressage World Champion and current world record holder in the Grand Prix Freestyle, is coming to the 2012 World Dressage Masters Palm Beach presented by International Polo Club Palm Beach. His appearance at the prestigious WDM CDI5*’s only event in North America, at the Jim Brandon Equestrian Center on January 26 to 29, 2012. This will be the ONLY public appearance of this legendary stallion during his visit to North America
- Published in What's Happenin', Z-Blogs
Rest In Peace.
Sunday, November 06 2011
Courtesy of Spruce Meadows Media Services Hickstead Dutch-bred stallion by Hamlet 2008 Olympic Champion Best Horse, 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games Winner, CN Spruce Meadows Masters, Grand Prix of Aachen, CN $1 Million International Grand Prix, countless others. 1996 – 2011.
- Published in On the Line, Z-Blogs
2012 George H. Morris Horsemastership Training Session Presented by USHJA and Adequan: Promoting the Importance of Excellent Horsemastership
Friday, November 04 2011
Lexington, KY - Mark your calendars and plan to attend the 2012 George H. Morris Horsemastership Training Session presented by the United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) and Adequan. The sixth annual George H. Morris Horsemastership Training Session will be held on January 3-7, 2012, at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington, FL. The following 12 riders will be invited to participate: The North American Young Riders Individual Champion from the 2011 Adequan/FEI North American Junior & Young Rider Championships presented by Gotham North The North American Junior Rider Individual Champion from the 2011 Adequan/FEI North American Junior & Young Rider Championships presented by Gotham North The 2011 Randolph College/USEF National Jr.
- Published in What's Happenin', Z-Blogs
Ten Medals for Equestrian Team USA at the 2011 Pan American Games
Friday, November 04 2011
It was an epic adventure in Mexico for the United States Equestrian Federation’s Dressage, Eventing and Jumping Teams. They won a record 10 medals across the three disciplines and cemented a solid foundation for the 2012 Olympic Games. Bookended by double Gold medalists Steffen Peters, who rode the Hlavacek’s Weltino’s Magic to It was an epic adventure in Mexico for the United States Equestrian Federation’s Dressage, Eventing and Jumping Teams
- Published in What's Happenin', Z-Blogs
Market For Lemons
Wednesday, October 26 2011
WITH ONE SIMPLE RULE CHANGE, THE USEF COULD DRAMATICALLY IMPROVE THE HEALTH OF THE HORSE INDUSTRY. Here’s How: “The Market for Lemons: Quality Uncertainty and The Market Mechanism” is a paper written in 1970 by economist George Akerlof about the used car market. It sounds like another boring paper that no one but the heavy breathers could stay awake for. But it won the Nobel Prize for the author, because of its widespread application for the real world
- Published in Injecting Perspective, Z-Blogs