BORDEAUX (FRA), 5 February 2012 – Boyd Exell (AUS) has entered the history books by winning the FEI World Cup Driving Final for the fourth consecutive time.
Dutch drivers IJsbrand Chardon (NED) and Koos de Ronde (NED) fought like lions but were unable to beat Exell, who was simply unbeatable.
Class of his own Last starter Boyd Exell felt the pressure on his shoulders despite his 8-second head start on Chardon after the first competition on Friday evening. Boyd however proved to be in a class of his own again, cheered on by the many enthusiastic spectators. The triple FEI World Cup Driving Champion put down an amazingly fast and clear round with his solid team of horses and widened the gap further on Chardon and De Ronde, who were in second and third place.
Kevin Staut is presented with a Rolex watch by Arnaud Reverdin, Commercial Director, Rolex France. Photo: FEI/Kit Houghton.
Bordeaux (FRA), 4 February 2012 – French hero, Kevin Staut, won the eleventh qualifying round of the Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping 2011/2012 series on his home turf at Bordeaux tonight. Riding the 13 year old grey mare, Silvana HDC, he devastated the opposition in the ten-horse jump-off with a display of class and courage that snatched the honours from Australian runners-up Edwina Top-Alexander and Cevo Itot du Chateau. Belgium’s Rik Hemeryck slotted into third with Quarco de Kerambars, while Ireland’s Denis Lynch finished fourth with his exciting new stallion, Contifex.
But tonight’s competition was as much about the battle for positions on the Western European League leaderboard as anything else. Following the next, and last, qualifying leg at Gothenburg, Sweden, the top-18 riders will make the cut for the Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping final which will take place in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands at the end of April. So the placings all the way down the line are critical at this stage, and the pressure is at boiling point.
Wellington, FL – February 4, 2012 – James Koford, of Wellington, FL, was all smiles as he won the FEI Grand Prix Freestyle in the Wellington Dressage CDI-W, presented by Magnolia Farm, on Saturday. Riding Pharaoh, owned by Hannah Hollandshook, Koford won the featured event of the 2012 Global Dressage Festival (GDF) with a score of 73.300%. Shawna Harding, of Aiken, SC, was second with Come On III scoring 70.575%. Koford’s winning attitude did not go unnoticed by Janet Foy, who served as the FEI Judge at the letter “C”.
“What I really so enjoyed was Jim’s smile during the pirouettes and the piaffe/passage parts of the test,” said Foy. “You can tell he enjoys this horse and was really nice to see.”
The test was also nice for Hollandshook to see. The 20-year-old was Koford’s groom on Saturday, but shortly before coming to Florida she had a successful outing on Pharaoh at the Intermediaire I level.
Wellington, FL – February 4, 2012 – Great Britain’s Nick Skelton and Big Star triumphed in Saturday night’s $80,000 Adequan CSI 2* Grand Prix during the fourth week of competition at the 2012 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF). Nineteen countries were represented in the world-class event with a record 81 starters, the largest recorded weekend grand prix field. Riders from Canada, Venezuela, Great Britain, the United States, Ireland, Germany, and Sweden made it to the jump-off with Skelton leading the way.
Week four of the FTI WEF runs February 1-5, and is sponsored by Adequan. The 2012 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival has 12 weeks of competition that conclude on April 1, 2012, and they will be awarding more than $6 million in prize money through the circuit. This week will conclude with the $25,000 Suncast 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic.
Wellington, FL – February 3, 2012 – The international riders were showcased on the second day of competition in the Wellington Dressage CDI-W, presented by Magnolia Farm, at the inaugural 2012 Global Dressage Festival on Friday. Seven countries were represented in the FEI Grand Prix and the FEI Prix St. Georges classes at the newly constructed venue of the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC).
Mica Mabragana of Argentina was the first winner of the day in the Prix St Georges on her horse Cuatrero IV with a score of 64.526%. The panel of judges was Leif Torblad (DEN), Gustaf Svalling (SWE), Stephen Clarke (GBR), Gary Rockwell (USA) and Janet Foy (USA).
Ashley Holzer of Canada and Pop Art won the FEI Grand Prix with a personal best score of 73.596%. Holzer was pleased with their test.
February 3, 2012 – Green Cove Springs, FL – The Jacksonville Winter Series wrapped up its three week run on January 29th with the naming of Circuit Champions and a lot of fond memories for those attending.
Alexis Newman of the North Florida Hunter Jumper Association summed up the series: “We enjoyed a fantastic three weeks of shows that were marked with great exhibitor parties, superb competition, wonderful camaraderie, near perfect weather, plus a touching and successful benefit dinner.” The support of attendees raised in excess of $14,000 for the Wounded Warrior Project and local 4-H clubs. Show manager Bob Bell echoed Newman’s sentiment: “The number of exhibitors may not have been what we hoped for, but the competition was nothing less than fierce! I really feel this was one the best Jacksonville series yet – like Alexis said, we just had the best of everything come together and make for a great three weeks.”
Alison Finger and Tuvalu schooling. Photo by Carrie Wirth
Wellington, FL – February 3, 2012 – Talented amateur rider Alison Finger became a client of Olympic Silver Medalist, Peter Leone, and the Lionshare Farm team in 1994. They met in Dublin where Finger was horse shopping and Leone was competing at the Dublin Horse Show. A busy senior strategy professional at Bristol Myers, Finger carefully balances family, riding, showing and business.
“Peter’s coaching style is, in a word, insightful. He has such great expertise in how to develop a horse and develop a rider, but then brings so much insight into the partnership and how they need to work together. Each horse that I’ve had with Peter I know is developed to his or her full potential. Additionally, Peter is fantastic at working with the limitations I bring into the mix – when my work schedule doesn’t allow me time to ride, etc. He always makes any time I do have productive and fun. I’ve ridden with him for quite a while now, and each year I learn more and more,” shared Finger.
BORDEAUX (FRA), 4 February 2012 – Triple World Cup winner Boyd Exell (AUS) has taken the lead in the FEI World Cup Driving Final in Bordeaux (FRA) after the first competition on Friday 3 February.
Many spectators attended the first competition of the FEI World Cup Driving Final despite it ending close to midnight. Boyd drove an excellent round in a thrilling competition which kept the spectators on the edge of their seats. The defending World Cup champion managed to put a 15-second lead between himself and Jozsef Dobrobitz (HUN), who was leading the competition. Exell drove a clear round, using the same four-in-hand team with which he amazingly won at Mechelen (BEL) at the end of December 2011, using his best horse Bill.
Flat out Second into the arena Jozsef Dobrovitz took a risk by using a completely new horse to lead his team. The seven-year-old bay gelding Horus Alom only arrived at Dobrovitz’ stables last October. Dobrovitz drove the horse in his team at an indoor competition last weekend and got so excited that he decided to bring it to Bordeaux. Dobrovitz went flat out through the rather technical course, designed by German course designer Falk Böhnisch, setting the time to beat.
Wellington, FL – February 3, 2012 – Venezuela’s Andres Rodriguez had a great morning at the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) on Friday, earning the top two prizes in the $1,500 Adequan Seven-Year-Old Young Jumper Qualifier.
Week four of the FTI WEF runs February 1-5, and is sponsored by Adequan. The Budweiser Clydesdales will be making two appearances at the FTI WEF this week. The first will be before the $80,000 Adequan Grand Prix, CSI 2* on Saturday, February 4, and again on Sunday, February 5 before the Suncast 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic. The 2012 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival has 12 weeks of competition that conclude on April 1, 2012, and they will be awarding more than $6 million in prize money through the circuit.
Friday, February 3, 2102 – Washington, D.C. — The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) is pleased to report that the American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act, H.R. 7, approved earlier today by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, includes a prohibition on the hauling of horses via double-deck trailers. The move to incorporate this prohibition within the larger transportation bill was strongly supported by AWI and championed by Representative Andy Harris (R-MD) and Committee Ranking Member, Nick Rahall (D-WV). The entire bill now goes before the full House of Representatives for a vote.
While the overall transportation bill is by no means an unqualified success and contains many unsavory elements from an animal welfare perspective, final passage of this ban on double-deck transport in interstate commerce would represent a clear and important victory for horse protection. AWI has long fought to have this inhumane practice outlawed, and in the present instance AWI worked to fend off a last-minute attempt by committee member Representative Rick Crawford (R-AR) to amend the bill so as to strip out the double-deck transport ban.
This is your premium equine online magazine portal, news aggregator and THE place
to list your horse-related equestrian events and advertise your equine
supplies, services, products, horses, ponies, equipment and target the Southern
USA. We are constantly enhancing HorsesintheSouth.com to be better and better
for you!
