Tuesday, April 5, 2011

USEF News: This Week in International Disciplines From the USEF Communications Department


April 5, 2011 

Dressage

This week, at the final CDI-W in the United States, Jan Ebeling secured his trip to the 2011 Reem Acra World Cup Final with Rafalca. The pair won the Grand Prix at the Festival of the Horse CDI-W in Burbank, CA on a score of 69.298%. Guenter Seidel and U II were second with 65.830% and Shannon Peters rounded out the top three with Odyssey on a score of 65.766%. Ebeling kept the winning going, scoring again in the Grand Prix Freestyle. He was the only rider to receive marks above 70 from all five judges, making his final score 73.025% with Rafalca. Kathleen Raine was second on Breanna and Alisa Wilson and Weltclassiker was third. In the Grand Prix Special, Shannon Peters found her way to the top of the leaderboard. She rode Odyssey to a score of 64.208%, beating Seidel and U II and Barbi Breen-Gurley on Octango.

On the small tour - Steffen Peters continued to produce an exciting new star in Weltino's Magic. The pair swept the division winning the Prix St Georges, the Intermediaire I and the Freestyle. The Prix St Georges marked their narrowest margin of victory, as Guenter Seidel kept Peters working for his prizes. Weltino's Magic scored 75.395% to win, and Seidel and Sundayboy scored 73.596%. Ebeling was third, this time with Sandrina.  In the Intermediaire I, Peters and Weltino's Magic scored even better, this time a 77.237% over Seidel and Sundayboy who finished on 75.000%, Peters was also third on Pallas. Weltino's Magic then dominated the Freestyle, scoring 79.417%. Ebeling and Sandrina were second. Jessica Wisdom was third with North Forks Cardi.

All the results are available here: http://www.cornerstonedressage.com/results/2011_5.pdf

Driving

In Portugal, at the CAIP-B 4 Lezirias-Samora Correia, American Four-in-Hand Pony Driver Laurie Astegiano drove to second place in her division. Astegiano, who lives in Roussac, France, was second following the dressage phase and won the Marathon. She finished twelve points behind Belgian Mia Allo but Astegiano and her team were well clear of third place finisher Gilles Moussu of France. Astegiano is vying for a spot on the U.S. Team at the Pony World Driving Championships. 

Results are available here: http://www.hoefnet.nl/uitslagen/2011/POR/COMPANHIA%20DAS%20LEZIRIAS/overall.pdf


Eventing

The second American CIC3* of 2011 kicked off on the West Coast last weekend, and Allie Slusher rode Last Call to top honors at the Galway Downs Event. Slusher won the dressage on a 43 and added just one rail in the show jumping to win on a 47, narrowly beating out her coach, Canadian Olympic Hawley Bennett-Awad, on Gin & Juice.  James Alliston (GBR) and his Rolex Kentucky-bound Jumbo's Jake were third on a score of 53.6.


Allie Slusher and Last Call
Josh Walker/USEA Photo
In the CIC2* Bennett-Awad took top honors on
5 O'Clock Somewhere, adding just one rail to her winning dressage score of 43.4. Anna Collier and Upper Crust D were second on 48.8, Lauren Billys and Ballingowan Ginger rounded out the top three.

The CIC1* was close throughout the weekend, and when the dust settled, Karen O'Neal was on top of the leaderboard with Rafflasia Z. Two jumping time faults were the only penalties they added to their dressage score of 47. Jolie Wentworth was second on Bratton Little John with 52.3 and Gina Miles and Sunsprite Patronus were third - they won the dressage but had two show jumps down. 

Results are available here: http://eventingscores.com/eventsr/galway/ht0411/
 

FEI: FEI PRESIDENT PRINCESS HAYA OFFERS PRAISE FOR DEPARTING FEI CEO

FEI PRESS RELEASE
Lausanne (SUI), 5 April 2011


FEI President HRH Princess Haya today announced with regret the resignation of FEI Secretary General and CEO Alex McLin, praising him for bringing new professionalism to the organisation.

“I am truly indebted to Alex for his hard work and dedication over the last three years. He brought the FEI into the modern era and made it much more professional,” she said. “I will miss his sound counsel, and I wish him all the best in his future endeavours.”

Eventing: Rolex Kentucky: NBC Sports to Feature Live Telecast of Rolex Equestrian Championships Presented by Land Rover


Lexington, KY- Mark your calendar, plan the party and get the big screen ready! For the first time in its history, the Rolex Equestrian Championships presented by Land Rover will air LIVE on NBC Sports, Sunday, May 1, from 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. EDT.

With the support of the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) and Equestrian Events, Inc., organizer of the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, presented by Bridgestone, NBC Sports will broadcast the final show jumping rounds LIVE, alongside taped highlights of the dressage and cross-country phases. One of the world's most prestigious equestrian competitions and America's only CCI4*, Rolex Kentucky returns to the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, April 28-May 1. The event attracts tens of thousands of spectators and millions of viewers on telecasts worldwide.


"Those final rounds during show jumping are full of suspense and excitement - you just never know when rails will fall," said Lisa Ball, President of Equestrian Events, Inc. "We are thrilled that fans across the nation will be able to share in that excitement along with the thousands of fans here at the Kentucky Horse Park."

The 2011 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event will crown the 14th USEF National CCI4* Champion, and is the only North American leg of the HSBC FEI ClassicsTM  Series. The world's best horses and riders will compete for their share of $250,000 in prize money as well as a shot at the $350,000 Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing which is awarded to any rider who wins Rolex Kentucky, Mitsubishi Motors Badminton and Land Rover Burghley, consecutively. (The term "consecutively" shall not be limited to wins which occur within the same competition year or same calendar year.)

Past winners of the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event include United States Olympic Medalists David and Karen O'Connor, Kim Severson and Phillip Dutton, New Zealand's Blyth Tait and Nick Larkin, Pippa Funnell and William Fox-Pitt of Great Britain and Andrew Hoy, Clayton Fredericks and Lucinda Fredericks of Australia.

To find out more about tailgating and ticketing packages available for the 2011 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, presented by Bridgestone, visit www.rk3de.org. Tickets may be ordered online, or by printing the ticket order form from the website and returning it via mail or fax 859-254-5116 to Equestrian Events, Inc. Tickets may also be ordered by calling 859-254-8123. Advance ticket sales close on April 10!