Lausanne (SUI), 18 May 2012 – Soraya Ourrais, the Franco-Moroccan winner of the FEI Development Award 2011, has set the bar very high for this category of the FEI Awards, for which nominations opened last week.
The FEI Development Award rewards an individual, organisation or project that has in some way made equestrian sport accessible to a wider public.
“Development is often an adventure that takes place far from everyone and everything,” Ourrais said recently. “This award enabled me to make our project known on a bigger scale and take part in a superb gala evening where I was surrounded by equestrian professionals.”
Ourrais won the Development Award for her huge contribution to the revival of equestrian sport in Cambodia, where it had disappeared completely in the 1970s under the Khmer Rouge regime.
Ashlee Bond and Cadett 7 won the $32,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic at the Kentucky Spring Classic. Photo By: Rebecca Walton/PMG
Lexington, KY – May 17, 2012 – It was another speedy night at the Kentucky Horse Park, as six double-clear finishers raced for the top prize in the $32,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic during the Kentucky Spring Classic. Proving that they are quickly reaching top form once again, veteran duo Ashlee Bond and Cadett 7 galloped over the short track in 38.54 seconds with all the fences in place to earn the lion’s share of the prize. Reed Kessler, often nicknamed Speedy Reedy, lived up to her name with Cylana to place second, while Ireland’s Richie Moloney took home third aboard Slieveanorra.
Germany’s Olaf Petersen Jr. built a technical track for tonight’s 38 horse and rider combinations, featuring a vertical-vertical double combination, a wide liverpool oxer, an oxer-vertical double combination, a triple bar, and vertical-double combination. Ten pairs were able to complete the first round without fault and advance to the jump-off, where they had to show over two wide oxers to the vertical-oxer double combination, a skinny vertical, the wide liverpool, and finish over a vertical away from the gate. The course twisted and turned through the arena, and offered many opportunities to gallop across the ground and increase the speed.
Hunt Tosh navigated Lone Star to his comeback, earning the Performance 3'6" Hunters Championship at the Kentucky Spring Classic. Photo By: Kendall Bierer/PMG
Lexington, KY – May 17, 2012 – The day was filled with intense competition as top riders vied for the championship awards in their divisions today at the Kentucky Spring Classic. Louise Serio led the way with Casino, dominating the First Year Greens, while Scott Stewart earned the championships in his respective divisions aboard Beholden and Dedication. Hunt Tosh guided Cold Harbor to the Regular Conformation Hunter Championship and Rosalynn to the High Performance Hunters highest honors. The distinguished Lone Star returned to the ring for the second day of competition, earning a second day of straight 88s with Tosh in the irons, eventually taking the Performance 3’6″ Hunters Championship.
Hunt Tosh and Lone Star, owned by Dr. Betsee Parker of Middleburg, VA, were victors at the end of the day in the Performance 3’6″ Hunters, as the veteran pair began their return to the show rung. The duo earned both blue ribbons in yesterday, and picked up the second place ribbon during their first round over fences today and the third place in the under saddle. Hayley Barnhill and Lennon, owned by Reid Patton of Nashville, TN, took the reserve award.
U.S. Young Riders are prepared for the 2012 Show Jumping European Young and Junior Rider Tour (USEF Archive)
Lexington, KY – The 2012 Show Jumping European Young and Junior Rider Tour gets underway this week in Belgium. Five up-and-coming Young Riders and one Junior Rider from the U.S. will compete alongside some of the best rising talent in Europe at three prestigious competitions over the next month. The first stop on the 2012 tour is this weekend’s CSIOYJ Bonheiden, which runs May 17-20.
To learn more about the 2012 Show Jumping European Young and Junior Rider Tour, and for competition dates, click here.
The five U.S. riders contesting the CSIOY this weekend have already made an impact on the American jumping scene and look to add to their resumes in Europe. Annie Cook (Woodside, CA) was the winner of the 2005 Adequan/USEF Pony Jumper Individual Championship and in 2008 she was a member of the Gold medal winning Zone 10 team at the 2008 CN FEI North American Junior and Young Rider Championships. Cook will ride Signe Ostby’s Banba and Landkorn 5 in Europe. Jennifer Goddard also brings two horses on the 2012 Show Jumping European Young Rider Tour: Stateside Farm’s Unique and Ungaro de la Hot Couture. Goddard (Fort Solanga, NY) enjoyed a successful 2011 season collecting victories at the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival and the Lake Placid Horse Show.
Many riders have a hard time getting their horses to pick up the correct lead in one direction. There can be many reasons for your horse picking up the wrong lead.
Here are two exercises that can help you with this problem. The first exercise increases bend. The second exercise engages the strike-off leg.
Exercise #1 – Increase the Bend
You want to increase the bend because horses pick up whatever lead they’re bent and flexed toward.
Gradually decrease the size of the circle by spiraling in. The pattern looks like the swirl on an all day sucker lollipop. As the circle gets smaller, the bend increases.
Keep your inside leg on the girth, switch your weight to your outside seatbone, and leg yield back out to the larger circle with bend. Make sure your horse bends as much BEHIND your leg as he does in his neck.
Do the spiral in/leg yield out exercise several times.
When you feel him bending well, ask for the canter WHILE you’re still going sideways in the leg yield.
SAUGERTIES, NY (May 17, 2012) — HITS and The Bardavon have teamed up again, bringing music legend Michael McDonald to the summer stage at HITS-on-the-Hudson as the conclusion to the richest weekend in show jumping. McDonald, a five time GRAMMY award winner will perform a live concert directly following the Pfizer $1 Million Grand Prix on Sunday, September 9, 2012 to conclude HITS Championship Weekend.
HITS President and CEO Tom Struzzieri proudly welcomes rock royalty Michael McDonald to center stage with excitement, noting no better way to thank exhibitors for their continued support.
“The three classes that will take place on that Sunday have always been about giving back to the customers who support the HITS product throughout the year. Pairing those with a concert of this caliber is another demonstration of our appreciation and a great tool for drawing spectators beyond the equine set to the show grounds for the competitions,” he said. “It adds a great family-friendly flavor to the weekend and helps to put folks in the bleachers, so it’s a true win-win.”
Hunt Tosh and Lone Star swept the Performance 3'6" Hunters on the first day of the Kentucky Spring Classic. Photo By: Kendall Bierer/PMG’
Lexington, KY – May 16, 2012 – Today marked the first day of the Kentucky Spring Classic as horse and rider combinations gathered at the Stonelea Arena at the Kentucky Horse Park. The professional divisions started out the morning, seeing some of the nation’s most talented riders vie for the top honors in their respective divisions. Riders who rode to the blue today included Victoria Colvin, Scott Stewart, Havens Schatt and Hunt Tosh. The competition was fierce, but it was Tosh who came out on top in three of his divisions, including with the infamous Lone Star, who made a clean sweep during his comeback in the Performance 3’6″ Hunter division.
Although it was the Performance 3’6″ Hunters who rounded out the day, the hunter excitement was nowhere near at an end. Tosh navigated Lone Star, owned by Dr. Betsee Parker of Middleburg, VA, to a clean sweep of the division. It has been well over a year since Lone Star last showed; however, it appeared as though the horse did not miss a beat as he posted the division’s top scores of 88 in both rounds over fences. Havens Schatt guided Just Fred, owned by R. Bruce Duchossois of Aiken, SC, to scores of 87 and 85, taking the second place honors.
Reed Kessler and Ligist won the 1.45m Open Jumper class at the Kentucky Spring Classic. Photo By: Rebecca Walton/PMG
Lexington, KY – May 16, 2012 – Sunny skies greeted the exhibitors as they kicked off the Kentucky Spring Classic in the Rolex Stadium of the Kentucky Horse Park. Once again it was Reed Kessler at the top of the leader board as she piloted Ligist to the only double clear effort in today’s 1.45m Open Jumper class to earn the blue ribbon prize. Earlier in the day, Andre Rodriguez and Remonta Eden sped to victory in the 1.40m Open Jumpers, just topping Kessler and Onisha, who placed second during the speed class.
Germany’s Olaf Petersen Jr. built a technical track for the 1.45m Open Jumper class that snaked through the Rolex Stadium and included a triple bar, two double combinations, and an open water option. Only two horse and rider combinations were able to master the first round and advance to the jump-off, which featured three new fences and a double combination.
Reed Kessler, of Lexington, KY, and Ligist were third on the posted order, and made the first round look easy as they made their way over each obstacle. Advancing to the short course, Kessler picked up a quick gallop, and despite a hard rub at the first part of the double combination, they left each rail intact and dashed across the finish line in 32.588 seconds.
Toyota Donating 100 Cars to 100 Nonprofits in 100 Days – Public to Choose the Winners on Facebook. Kentucky Horse Park Foundation Needs Toyota Tundra Truck to Help Care for Park’s Horses and Maintain the Park
Lexington, Kentucky – May 14, 2012 – The Kentucky Horse Park Foundation announced today that it has been selected as one of 500 nonprofit finalists in Toyota’s 100 Cars for Good program, a major philanthropic initiative in which the automaker is giving 100 cars to 100 nonprofits over the course of 100 days. The Kentucky Horse Park Foundation was selected as a finalist from more than 4,000 applications nationwide.
Each day, beginning May 14, 2012, 100 Cars for Good will profile five finalists at www.100carsforgood.com. Individual members of the public will be able to vote for whichever nonprofit they think can do the most good with a new vehicle. The nonprofit with the most votes at the end of each day will win one of six Toyota models. Runners-up will each receive a $1,000 cash grant from Toyota.
Louise Serio and Corvine win the lead off $5,000 Hallway Feeds USHJA National Hunter Derby on Saturday, May 12, 2012, at the Kentucky Spring Horse Show. Photo By: Kendall Bierer/PMG
Lexington, KY – May 16, 2012 – The Kentucky Spring Horse Shows began on Wednesday, May 9, 2012, and one of the highlight events was the kick-off of the 2012 $45,000 Hallway Feeds USHJA National Hunter Derby Series, sponsored by Hallway Feeds. The Hallway Feeds Series consists of six national hunter derby events to be held during the 2012 show series at the Kentucky Horse Park. Following the final event, cash prizes totaling $15,000 will be awarded to the series’ leading riders.
The Kentucky Spring Horse Show, held May 9-13, 2012, featured the lead-off event on Saturday evening with the $5,000 Hallway Feeds USHJA National Hunter Derby. The top riders from across the nation gathered to compete over a challenging course and vie for the winning title and valuable points towards the $15,000 Leading Rider Awards. At the end of the night it was Louise Serio and Corvine who took led the victory gallop, giving Serio the lead in the standings. The Kentucky Spring Classic, May 16-20, 2012, will host the second of the six derby events in the series, the $5,000 Hallway Feeds USHJA National Hunter Derby, on Saturday, May 19, in the Stonelea Arena.
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Lausanne (SUI), 18 May 2012 – Soraya Ourrais, the Franco-Moroccan winner of the FEI Development Award 2011, has set the bar very high for this category of the FEI Awards, for which nominations opened last week.
Lexington, Kentucky – May 14, 2012 – The Kentucky Horse Park Foundation announced today that it has been selected as one of 500 nonprofit finalists in Toyota’s 100 Cars for Good program, a major philanthropic initiative in which the automaker is giving 100 cars to 100 nonprofits over the course of 100 days. The Kentucky Horse Park Foundation was selected as a finalist from more than 4,000 applications nationwide.
