Driving: Mechelen: FOURTH-IN-A-ROW WIN FOR BOYD EXELL by Cindy Timmer

FEI WORLD CUP™ DRIVING 2011/2012

Mechelen (BEL), 31 December 2011

FOURTH-IN-A-ROW WIN FOR BOYD EXELL by Cindy Timmer

Boyd Exell proved to be of a different class again in the sixth leg of the FEI World Cup™ Driving in Mechelen, Belgium. Exell remained untouched throughout the competition and stayed far ahead of his rivals Tomas Eriksson (SWE) and IJsbrand Chardon (NED). Mechelen is Boyd’s fourth consecutive win of the season after his victories at Stockholm, Budapest and Geneva. With only the Final in Bordeaux left for the triple FEI World Cup winner, Boyd can relax and enjoy his well-deserved holiday in his home country Australia for the next few weeks.

Exciting until the last moment

It was one of the best FEI World Cup™ Driving competitions ever in the Nekkerhal, which remained exciting until the very last moment. No less than eight drivers battled for a place on the podium. Second starter Georg von Stein drove a fast clear round, which more experienced indoor drivers like Koos de Ronde and Jozsef Dobrovitz were unable to beat. Tomas Eriksson was the first to beat Von Stein’s time and secured his place for the winning round. IJsbrand Chardon caused even more excitement by knocking a ball off the first obstacle, but finished only 0.48 seconds behind Eriksson and also qualified for the winning round. Boyd Exell finished the job without any hesitation and took the lead.

Winning Round

In the winning round, Chardon gave Eriksson some more air by knocking three balls down. The Swedish top driver however knocked two balls down himself but was a little quicker and took over the lead. Last starter Exell drove his team of horses without any faults through the much-praised course, designed by Dutch O-course designer Johan Jacobs and secured his fourth consecutive win of this season.

Bill is back

Boyd used ‘good old’ Bill in the Nekkerhal for the first time this season in the right lead position again. The 19-year-old gelding was part of Boyd’s winning team at the FEI World Cup Finals in 2009, 2010 and 2011. Exell spared his best horse in order to be able to use him for the Final in Bordeaux and he used Mechelen as a ‘warm up’ competition to get Bill back into his rhythm. “I had to concentrate to keep up with Bill,” said Boyd. “Bill is very instinctive and he feels where I want to go. He allows me to gather speed easily without a lot of risk.

Fighting for a place in the Final

The goal of Tomas Eriksson, who won the FEI World Cup™ Driving event in Mechelen in 2007, was to gain as many points as possible to secure his starting ticket for the Final. Tomas is currently in fifth position in the standings after Mechelen. The double World Champion has to put down another top performance in Leipzig in three weeks to be able to compete at the Final in Bordeaux, which is open to the top six drivers in the standings after Leipzig.

Unusual knockdowns

IJsbrand Chardon had an unlucky knock down in the first round. The four-time World Champion then gave everything he had in the second round, but went too fast and knocked three balls down, which is unusual for IJsbrand.

Tips and tricks
Georg von Stein had received some tips and tricks from Exell and Eriksson the night before the World Cup competition, which paid off when he drove an excellent clear round and secured fourth place. Jozsef Dobrovitz and wild card driver Koos de Ronde did not get into their usual speedy rhythm and finished fifth and sixth.

In the footsteps of his grandfather
Twenty-two year old wild card competitor Glenn Geerts followed in the footsteps of his grandfather, former international Belgian four-in-hand driver Achille Snoeys and competed in the Nekkerhal for the first time with his team of Dutch warm blood geldings. Snoeys received the wild card in 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005. Ten times Belgian Champion Gert Schrijvers competed in the FEI World Cup Driving™ competition in Mechelen for the tenth time this year but a lack of indoor routine made the third wild card driver end the competition in eighth place.

Quotes
Boyd Exell (AUS): “Boyd Exell (AUS): “In the winning round we said we would go clean and clear and when the rhythm was good, we would let them fly. We took the first obstacle very tight and fast, my navigator Michelle told me in the second obstacle that we did not need to go that fast, so I steadied up a little bit.” “The course was good for the public, they were sitting very close to the arena which allowed them to feel the horses. And when the spectators started to make noise with their feet, I could feel the horses go from V8 to V12.”

Tomas Eriksson (SWE): “This was the best course in Mechelen that I have seen for years. Johan Jacobs has done a very good job. My goal was to make it to the winning round so I am happy that I made it. I still have to go for it in Leipzig as I am not certain of a place for the Final.”

IJsbrand Chardon (NED): “I went all or nothing in the winning round but I made too many mistakes. I am happy though that I have tried it. The horses went fast and turned well and I am pleased that I finished in the top three.”

Results CAI-W Mechelen 2011:

1. Boyd Exell (AUS) 194,51
2. Tomas Eriksson (SWE) 211,13
3. IJsbrand Chardon (NED) 215,03
4. Georg von Stein (GER) 106,02
5. Jozsef Dobrovitz (HUN) 108,97
6. Koos de Ronde (NED) 116,47 wild card
7. Glenn Geerts (BEL) 127,33 wild card
8. Gert Schrijvers (BEL) 136,93 wild card

Official results: warm-up competition/ world cup competition 

Standings after 6 of 7 events:

1      Boyd EXELL                       AUS         30

2      IJsbrand CHARDON           NED         24

        Koos DE RONDE                NED         24

4      Jozsef DOBROVITZ            HUN        15

5      Tomas ERIKSSON              SWE        12

6      Zoltan LÁZÁR                     HUN        11

7      Theo TIMMERMAN             NED         7

8      Werner ULRICH                SUI         6

        Georg VON STEIN              GER         6

10    Rainer DUEN                     GER         5

The 2011/2012 FEI World Cup™ Driving series now moves on to Leipzig, Germany on Sunday, 22 January. For information on the next leg go to www.partner-pferd.de or contact Press Officer Andreas Kerstan, andreas.kerstan@comtainment.de, +49 4307 827970.

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Driving: FEI: FEI OPEN EUROPEAN DRIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS FOR FOUR-IN-HAND RETURN AFTER 30 YEAR

Györgyi Bardos of Hungary, pictured right, is the individual FEI European Driving Four-in-Hand Championship title holder. He won the last edition of the event held in 1981.

FEI PRESS RELEASE
Lausanne (SUI), 1 September 2011

The FEI Open European Driving Championships for Four-in-Hand are back on the FEI calendar for the first time since 1981. Outdoor Brabant, formally known as Breda Hippique, is proud to host the seventh edition of these Championships, which will be held on the traditional show grounds of the Prinsenhoeve Estate in Breda, The Netherlands, from 1 to 4 September 2011.

Breda has hosted the only national team competition (CAIO) for Four-in-Hand in The Netherlands for many years. In 1995, Breda hosted the first ever European Driving Championships for Four-in-Hand ponies as well as the FEI World Para Equestrian Driving Championships in 2010.

The FEI European Driving Championships for Four-in-Hand were first organised in 1971 in Budapest (HUN) and were held every two years until 1981 at which stage they were discontinued.

The titleholder is Gyorgy Bardos from Hungary, the individual winner of the last 1981 Championships which took place in Zug, Switzerland.

This year’s edition is open to European and non-European drivers. The competition counts as a qualifier for the indoor FEI World Cup™ Driving, which is held during the winter season. Only competitors from Europe can claim the individual and team medals.

Thirty-seven four-in-hand drivers from 12 nations have convened for the event. Nine teams will be measuring their merit in the nations competition.

No less than five World Champions will compete against each other in Breda. Current FEI World Champion and FEI World Cup™ Driving Champion Boyd Exell from Australia is one of the three competitors who will not be able to claim a European medal, but knowing Boyd he will do everything to challenge his European colleagues and to become the winner of this wonderful event. Boyd can expect strong competition from four-time World Champion IJsbrand Chardon (NED), four-in-hand and pair World Champions Zoltan Lazar (HUN) and Werner Ulrich (SUI) as well as double World Champion Tomas Eriksson (SWE).

The FEI Open European Driving Championships for Four-in-Hand will be decided in the usual three phases of the Driving competition; the driven dressage, the spectacular marathon with eight beautiful obstacles and the exciting decisive obstacle driving competition.

For more information on the FEI Open European Driving Championships for Four-in-Hand 2011, please visit the event’s official website www.outdoorbrabant.nl

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Driving FEI: Pairs Driving Championship: Dancer, Wrigley-Miller and Yoder in Fifth Place at Their First FEI World Pair Driving Championship; Yoder Drives to Sixth in Dressage

Joe Yoder (USA) currently in 5th place (Marie DeRonde photo)

From the USEF Communications Department

Joe Yoder at the 2011 FEI World Driving Pair Championship.
Photo: Marie de Ronde.
Lexington, KY - At the 2011 FEI World Pair Driving Championship in Conty, France, American Joe Yoder drove to sixth place Friday in the dressage and the American team - all three drivers making their International Championship debut - sits in fifth place heading into Saturday's marathon.

Led by Chef d'Equipe Chester Weber and Coach Michael Freund, the U.S. is being represented by Yoder, the 2011 USEF National Pair Driving Champion, and Katherin Dancer and Misdee Wrigley-Miller. The trio drove at Reisenbeck CAI in July and earned valuable international experience as they represent their country this week.

Thursday morning marked the beginning of the dressage competition phase and it was Wrigley-Miller drawn as the first and only U.S. competitor on opening day. Wrigley-Miller is in the top half of the pack of 69 drivers, in 20th place on a score of 52.86.

The pressure then passed to Dancer and Yoder on Friday. Dancer is in 34th individually with a score of 58.88. Yoder's impressive sixth-place mark of 44.03 means the team sits in fifth with 96.9 penalties. Germany leads with 84.1 over Switzerland, The Netherlands, and France. The top two scores from each phase count for the Team Classification.

Individually, German Driver Carola Deiner leads with a score of 35.58.

Joe Yoder and Misdee Wrigley-Miller at the 2011 FEI World Driving Championship.
Photo: Marie de Ronde.

"It was extremely muddy and we had to work through it," Yoder said of his dressage test. "It was a good test and the horses were good, but it was quite muddy throughout the test. It is a lot more work when it is like that, a lot more rein handling to keep the horses more supple and more forward. You do lose some impulsion in the mud, it is more difficult for the horses. I am quite pleased with how the horses went, and I'm pleased with the score I received."

Yoder, 30, who began to make a name for himself in 2010 driving a four-in-hand, recently relocated from his Montana home to Aiken, SC, where he drives for Jack Wetzel.

The U.S. Drivers will now turn their focus to Saturday's marathon.

"The marathon is tight and open in the hazards, there are multiple routes to take," Yoder said, adding that the course shouldn't get any muddier as Friday the sun is expected to come out. "If you want tight you can take tight lines, but overall the marathon looks fairly decent. It is a tough, tight course but it looks doable."

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Driving: FEI: Pairs Driving Championship: Twenty-four nations represented at 15th FEI World Pairs Driving Championships in Conty

Reigning World Champion Harrie Verstappen (NED) will defend his gold medal in Conty. Image: Rinaldo de Craen/FEI

The Driving world will gather in the Picardie region in France this week (24-28 August), when the Ateliers du Val de Selle will host the 15th FEI World Pairs Driving Championship in Conty. Sixty-nine competitors from 24 nations, will battle against each other for the individual and team medals, with 18 nations fielding teams and six countries sending individuals.

Amongst the competitors is reigning World Champion Harrie Verstappen (NED), who will not only defend his individual gold medal, but also help defend the Dutch team title, won at the 2009 FEI World Pair Driving Championship in Kecskemét (HUN). The 2009 silver medallist Beat Schenk (SUI) is one of the many medal favourites, as well as Vilmos Lazar (HUN), who has just recovered from several broken ribs.

The youngest competitor in Conty is the 15-year-old Anna Sandmann (GER), daughter of successful international four-in-hand driver Christoph Sandmann, who will act as her navigator in the marathon. Anna is competing as an individual.

The course design in Conty is in the capable hands of Barry Hunter (GBR), who is making his World Championship debut. Barry has been an international course designer since 2004 and has worked in the UK and the USA, including Lowther, Sandringham, Royal Windsor, Erddig, British National Championships, Live Oak, Sunshine State and Katydid events.

The Ground Jury is chaired by Dr Klaus Christ (GER) and the members are Anne-Marie Turbe (FRA), Bert Jambon (BEL), Hanspeter Rüschlin (SUI) and Diana Brownlie (GBR).

Conty has a long history in equestrian events, including the FEI World Single Driving Championship in 2002 and the international combined driving event (CAI) that takes place in Conty every year.

The high-level sporting centre in Conty is managed by the Ateliers du Val de Selle, an establishment that helps and supports handicapped adults and is cherished by its founder Allain Houard, who is an international course designer himself. The World Championship also holds a festivity programme including circus acts and equestrian shows, other competitions such as national farriery contests, a draft horse competition and an international friendly driving event for disabled people.

Programme:

Thursday 25 August: dressage (first part)

Friday 26 August: dressage (second part)

Saturday 27 August: marathon

Sunday 28 August: obstacle driving competition and medal ceremony

Website: http://www.avscompetition.com/

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Driving: USEF: Dancer, Wrigley-Miller and Yoder Set to Drive in their First FEI World Pair Driving Championship in France - By Joanie Morris

Joe Yoder Winning the 2011 National Championship (Photo by Picsofyou.com)

Lexington, KY - The 2011 FEI World  Pair Driving Championship get underway this week in Conty, France, and three American drivers are set to make their International Championships debut.
Led by Chef d'Equipe Chester Weber and Coach Michael Freund, the U.S. will be represented by Katherin Dancer, Misdee Wrigley-Miller and Joe Yoder. These three drivers drove as a team at Reisenbeck CAI in July and earned valuable international experience which Weber believes will serve them well going into the World Championship.

Dancer, a German expatriate now lives in California where she runs a riding program - she drives a team of Warmblood horses and comes off a strong spring which featured a third place finish at the USEF National Pair Driving Championships at the Live Oak CDE in March. She is guided by her husband Scott, who serves as her navigator.

Wrigley-Miller is also driving on her first international team, but she is also hugely successful in the Saddlebred world. She drives a promising group of young warmbloods and with her pair, Wrigley-Miller had top finishes at the Live Oak CDE, Sunshine State CDE and at the German National Championships. She also competed at Great Britain's Royal Windsor Horse Show in 2010. 

She has one of the best navigators in the world, Dutch superstar Koos de Ronde, on her carriage for the marathon.

"We made that decision earlier in the year," said Weber. "It seems to be going quite well. There was a small injury to one of her best marathon horses - but that horse is back for the World Championships and we are excited about that."

Joe Yoder Winning the 2011 National Championship (Photo by Picsofyou.com)

Joe Yoder began to make a name for himself in 2010 driving a four-in-hand, and he recently relocated from his Montana home to Aiken, South Carolina, where he drives for Jack Wetzel. Yoder turned 30 this year, and Weber feels that he has a long career in the sport ahead of him. He is the 2011 USEF National Pair Driving Champion.

"I think Joe is an up-and-coming driver," said Weber. "He's part of America's driving future, our hope is this that he will drive teams next."

But first, there is Conty to conquer and Weber is optimistic about what the week has in store for his team:

"All of them are quite inexperienced in terms of international competition and their first Nations Cup show was in Reisenbeck, but they all have some very nice horses," said Weber. "I try to treat them all like professionals because they have all obviously merited their position at a World Championships, I try to encourage them all to have three steady days in a row. They all got a lot of perspective while at Reisenbeck. I am optimistic about them. I am smart enough to never underestimate Michael Freund's ability to coach them. And they've been based there for the last week at training camp - he will have made some progress working on their weakness from the last big event. Michael and I are about the most competitive people, so we will do our best for a good result with this good team."

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

Dressage

American dressage star Guenter Seidel returned to top form at CDI Hamburg, winning the Grand Prix Freestyle on UII. Seidel, who has represented the United States on numerous occasions, broke his pelvis a year ago and has made an amazing recovery to the top of the sport. After a third place finish in the Grand Prix in Hamburg, Seidel topped the field in the Freestyle with a score of 73.400%. Lillann Jebsen of Norway was second on Pro-Set and Alexandra Bimschas was third for Germany on Dick Tracy.
Results from Hamburg are available here: http://www.engarde.de/start/index.php

Not far away at the Munich CDI5*, Shawna Harding rode Come On III to sixth place with a score of 66.542% in the CDI5* Moorlands Grand Prix Special. Harding has been training and competing in Europe since the Reem Acra World Cup Dressage Final.

Results from Munich are available here: http://www.pferdinternational-muenchen.de/hp/index.php/ergebnisse-2011

Back in the U.S. at the CDI in Raleigh, NC Susie Dutta dominated the Grand Prix division on Currency DC. They scored a victory in the Grand Prix Freestyle with a score of 71.025% over James Koford on Rhett and Tuny Page on Wild One. Dutta and Currency DC's score of 66.319% meant they topped the Grand Prix field as well. Susanne Dansby Bollman was second and Page and Wild One were third again. Page picked up a win of her own in the Grand Prix Special riding Alina. They scored 65.971% to take top honors over Luis Reteguiz-Denizard on Nalando and Dansby Bollman on Cooper.

In the small tour, Tami Batts topped big fields to win both the Intermediaire I and the
 Freestyle on Ranko. She won the Freestyle with a score of 71.417% over Endel Ots and Toscano and Venezualan rider Alejandro Gomez on Revenge. Batts took the top prize in the Intermediaire with a score of 69.430% over Lars Petersen on Willano (from Denmark) and Chris Hickey on Witness Hi
lltop. Petersen won the Prix St Georges, Ots and Toscano were second again and Hickey and Witness Hilltop were third again.

Information about the Raleigh CDI is available here: http://www.cdi-raleigh.com/

Driving

Chester Weber (USA) won the dressage and stayed in the lead throughout the competition in Vecsés to claim the first CAIO victory of his career.                © Marie de Ronde-Oudemans.

Chester Weber scored a major victory in Hungary - he stormed to the win at the CAIO Veces (an FEI World Cup Driving qualifier) over Dutch Driver Koos de Ronde. Weber celebrated his 36th birthday as well as celebrating his first CAIO victory - which began with a winning dressage performance. Weber's sixth place marathon effort was enough to maintain the overall lead going into the cones. His faultless cones performance meant his final score of 145.51 gave him a four point lead over de Ronde. Jozsef Dobrovitz from Hungary was third. Weber nows sits fifth in the FEI World Cup Driving Final standings with 25 points.

Please visit the event website for more information: http://www.dobrohorses.hu/bemutatkozas

Jumping

Rich Fellers and Flexible Before the Rain
Photo by Beatrice Scudo

The U.S. Nations Cup team jumped to fourth place at CSIO St. Gallen in Switzerland on Friday. The Nations Cup was a good effort by the U.S. squad over a very difficult track. Margie Engle and Indigo, Charlie Jayne and Athena, Rich Fellers and Flexible and Christine McCrea and Romantovich Take One fought hard until the end with McCrea jumping clear in both rounds. This result moved the U.S. into fifth in the FEI Nations Cup Series standings after the first three legs.

The efforts kicked off on Thursday where Ashlee Bond and Cadett 7 were fifth in the Radisson Blu Hotel, St. Gallen, which was a speed class. On Saturday, Fellers and McGuinness were runners-up in the Wegelin & Co. Privatbankiers Table C class, and on Sunday Fellers returned to the irons on Flexible and put in a heroic effort in the Longines Grand Prix of Switzerland in a deluge of rain and wind to place second behind Great Britain's Nick Skelton. McCrea was third in the Grand Prix on Romantovich Take One.

Please visit www.csio.ch for complete information or visit: http://www.usefnetwork.com/featured/2011FEINationsCup/ for highlights, photos and coverage of the American effort in the FEI Nations Cup Series. 

At CSI Hamburg, Alexandra Thorton kicked off the horse show by winning the Prize of Eurogate Container Terminals Opening Competition for the CSI3*/CSI5*. She rode Silvana in the 1.40m class, beating  96 starters. This pair was then third in the CSI3* First Qualifier for the German Jumping Derby. Laura Kraut and Cedric were eighth in the Mercedes-Benz Championat of Hamburg CSI5*, which was won by Denis Lynch from Ireland on Latinus. Kraut was then second on Dona Evita in the illbruck-Poresta Youngster Cup CSIYH1* (for young horses) just a fraction behind Roger Yves Bost from France. Kraut and Dona Evita were then fifth in Saturday's Youngster Cup. Thorton and Silvana finished the weekend with a ninth place finish in the LGT Speed Derby CSI3*.

Please visit www.engarde.de for complete information.

At CSI Munich in Germany, American Peter Wylde picked up ribbons all week. He was second and sixth in the CSI1* 1.40m classes with Wetter and fourth in the CSIYH 1* class with Zidane. In the CSI3*, Wylde was sixth on Lipton De L'Othain.

Complete results are available here: http://www.pferdinternational-muenchen.de/hp/

At the CSI Eindhoven in The Netherlands, Cara Raether and Andrew Ramsay represented the U.S.  Ramsay began the week with an eighth place finish in the CSI3* Plospan Prijs on Julia des Brumes. Raether and Saskia 269 were then tenth in the International Jumping Competition CSI3* on Saturday and Ramsay rounded out the weekend with a sixth place finish on Woitchek in the VDL Groep Derby Eindhoven.  Sunday's class proved difficult class and there were no clear rounds.

Jumping results from Eidhoven are available here: http://results.scgvisual.com/2011/eindh/results/results.htm

In British Columbia, the U.S. riders made their trip to Canada a productive one. Karl Cook led the U.S. charge in the CSI, he was sixth with Uno de Laubry and ninth with ASB Conquistador in the $55,000 CSI2*W Mibroc World Cup Grand Prix. Tammy Chipko and Zico 13 finished just ahead of ASB Conquistador in the World Cup class in eighth. The pair was also eighth in the $30,000 CSI2* Thunderbird Show Park Spring Classic in which Kirsten Coe rode Vernon G to a fifth place finish and Shelly Fellers was ninth on Revenge 421 while her husband Rich was jumping in St. Gallen.

There were a number of riders representing the U.S. in National level classes, please see: http://www.thunderbirdshowpark.com/default.asp for complete information and results   

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Driving: Vecses: WEBER WINS IN VECSES - by Cindy Timmer

Photo caption: Chester Weber (USA) won the dressage and stayed in the lead throughout the competition in Vecsés to claim the first CAIO victory of his career.
Please note that this picture is strictly for editorial use. (c) Marie de Ronde-Oudemans.

Vecsés (HUN), 5 June 2011

Chester Weber, the USA’s top four-in-hand driver, has won the international combined driving competition in Vecsés, Hungary this weekend. Weber took the lead in the dressage and held onto the top spot throughout the weekend. Dutch driver Koos de Ronde was runner-up, ahead of Vecsés-organizer József Dobrovitz, but it was the home side Hungary that won the nations competition, ahead of The Netherlands and Germany.

Birthday present
Chester Weber celebrated his 36th birthday on 3 June with the victory in the dressage competition at Vecsés. The five O-judges, chaired by Dr Franz-Josef Vetter from Germany, were impressed and unanimously awarded Weber’s test first place. Chester used Jane F. Clark’ s two KWPN-geldings Uniek and Splash, which previously formed the pair of US pair driver Keady Cadwell. Before the dressage, Chester had some discussions with his trainer Michael Freund about whether or not to use the new horses at Vecsés, but Chester decided he had to try them somewhere. Chester got his way, the team went beautifully and put down a fantastic performance. József Dobrovitz came second in the dressage, ahead of Zoltán Lázár.

Marathon heat
The marathon was won by Werner Ulrich of Switzerland. Ulrich drove his team of three Lusitanian horses and a Swiss-bred gelding very fast through the eight difficult obstacles, designed by Gabor Fintha from Hungary. The thermometer at the start of the marathon indicated no less than 39 degrees Celsius, but the Portuguese Lusitanian horses proved that they are used to the heat and took Ulrich into first place. Koos de Ronde had to take an extra loop in the last obstacle which cost him precious seconds and the victory in this exciting phase. Zoltán Lázár finished third in the marathon. Weber was further down the order in sixth, but still held onto the overall lead going into the cones.

Exciting cones competition
József Dobrovitz, in third place after dressage and marathon, was the first to drive a double clear round in the arena today. Dobrovitz put the pressure on De Ronde, but the team gold medallist from the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ in Kentucky kept his head cool despite the heat and crossed the finish line with a double clear round as well. Chester Weber was four penalty points ahead of De Ronde but showed his confidence in his very good cones team and equalled ‘Dobro’s’ and De Ronde’s clear rounds. Weber has been the USEF four-in-hand champion eight times, but this was his first CAIO win in his very successful career so far. Weber will compete at several shows in Europe this summer and hopes to qualify for the FEI World Cup Driving™ season 2011-2012.

Family business
The Hungarian team in Vecsés was made up of Hungary’s top four-in-hand drivers - Zoltán Lázár, József Dobrovitz and Dobrovitz’ 18-year-old son József Dobrovitz junior., who celebrates his 19th birthday tomorrow, 6 June. Dobrovitz junior has been competing with a pony four-in-hand for several years and recently made his debut in the horse teams class. Father and son hope to be on the Hungarian team for Aachen 2011. Dobrovitz junior has another goal this year and is bidding to qualify his pony team for the FEI World Driving Championships 2011 - Combined Ponies in September in Lipica, Slovenia.

Quotes
Chester Weber (USA): “I am happy that I used Uniek and Splash. I have some cleaning up to do, but they will be ready by Aachen. The marathon was very heavy and I was surrounded by the best marathon drivers of the world, so I was happy to come sixth in the marathon! It was a true marathon driver show and I am proud that I set the fastest time in the sixth obstacle. The obstacle driving competition went very well for me. It is probably the easiest cones team I have ever driven.”

Koos de Ronde (NED): “I had a slight disadvantage in the dressage being the first starter, but my team went much better than in Windsor three weeks ago. I used a new horse for the first time, the seven-year-old Palero. It was his first competition in my team and he did very well. I used him in the wheel in dressage and cones and he was in the lead of my team in the marathon.”

Individual results CAIO Vecsés (HUN) 2-5 June 2011:

Chester Weber (USA) 145.51
Koos de Ronde (NED) 149.63
József Dobrovitz (HUN) 150.22
Zoltán Lázár (HUN) 151.70
Werner Ulrich (SUI) 152.08


Team results CAIO Vecsés (HUN) 2-5 June 2011:

Hungary 301.92
The Netherlands 320.46
Germany 369.63

Standings FEI World Cup qualification after 4 of 14 competitions:

1       Koos de Ronde                 NED    35

2       Zoltán Lázár                     HUN    33

3       József Dobrovitz               HUN    28

3       Werner Ulrich                    SUI     28

5       Chester Weber                 USA    25

6       Boyd Exell                        AUS    20

7       Herman ter Harmsel          NED    19

8       Jozsef Scheik                   HUN    17

8       IJsbrand Chardon             NED    17

10     Tomas Eriksson                SWE    16

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Driving: World Cup: Leipzig: Extraordinary Exell dominates World Cup Driving again!

Australian Carriage Driver Boyd Exell yesterday secured his third consecutive FEI World Cup victory in the Leipzig Messe, Leipzig, Germany, to become only the second driver to score a hat-trick of World Cup competitions.

This incredible performance reinforced Exell’s current dominance of the sport. Exell is currently the most decorated athlete in the sport holding every major Driving title. In 2010 he won the individual gold medal at the 2010 World Equestrian Games in the USA, the International Driving Grand Prix at Royal Windsor Horse Show and the CAIO at Aachen as well as the FEI World Cup title.  Exell is also a six-time British National Champion.

Exell led from start to finish and whilst he made one mistake in the first round he remained ahead of the rest of the field.

“I know with my team that I have enough speed that I can make one mistake, so I thought ‘don’t panic yet’, explained Exell following his victory.

“My horses are brilliant,” commented Exell, “there is no other team that is faster than them at the moment.”  Exell uses a very experienced team of horses for the indoor competitions, their ages range from 18 to 22 years.  The horses know the job and are not distracted by the intense noise and excitement of the crowd.  To his credit Exell’s outdoor success are achieved with an entirely different team of horses.

Hungary’s Jozsef Dobrovitz performed very well to drive two clear rounds with his team of Lipizzaner horses to finish second, ahead of IJsbrand Chardon from the Netherlands.

Born in Bega, NSW, 38 year-old Exell left Australia in 1993 to pursue his driving and riding career in the United Kingdom.  He now lives in Leicester, England, with his wife and two children.

Listen to an audio link of Boyd Exell following yesterday’s competition;

http://www.lloydbell.co.uk/access/client_zone/FEI_Exell_end.mp3

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Driving: Leipzig: World Cup: BOYD EXELL CLAIMS HAT-TRICK IN FEI WORLD CUP™ DRIVING FINAL - by Cindy Timmer

FEI WORLD CUP FINAL DRIVING 2010/2011

Leipzig (GER), 1 May 2011

Watch our news round-up from today’s thrilling FEI World Cup™ Driving Final on FEI YouTube Channel
Boyd Exell from Australia has successfully defended his FEI World Cup™ Driving title in a thrilling finish in Leipzig (GER) to become only the second driver to score a hat-trick of World Cup victories. The popular Australian sped to victory in front of an enthusiastic and ecstatic crowd that packed the Leipzig Messe to capacity. Hungary’s Jozsef Dobrovitz drove two brilliant rounds with his team of Lipizzaner horses to finish second, ahead of IJsbrand Chardon from the Netherlands.

Happy to be first
Jozsef Dobrovitz was happy to go first in the Final round. In Budapest he had won the warm-up competition but made mistakes in the Final round, so he felt the starting grid Leipzig would favour him. His only goal in the first round was to equal Boyd’s time on the first night and to stay clear as well. Dobrovitz put in an amazing performance to meet both his goals and pile the pressure on his opponents.

No expectations
Second starter IJsbrand Chardon was determined to make up for his mistake on the first night, but his leader horses started pushing against each other in the warm-up arena and there was not enough time left for IJsbrand to fix it. The result was three knockdowns on course, but Chardon kept on driving at such high speed that he finished in a record time of 113.89 seconds, to slot into second behind Dobrovitz. Chardon had no expectations of making it to the Winning Round but Georg von Stein (GER), Werner Ulrich (SUI), Koos de Ronde (NED) and Tomas Eriksson (SWE) all made mistakes, which kept Chardon in second place. After Exell had conquered the course in a fast time despite one knockdown, it was clear that the colourful trio was going to battle it out in the Winning Round.

Kisses
Chardon’s horses went much better in the Winning Round and the four-time World Champion drove his team of Lipizzaner horses, which are formerly owned by Jozsef Dobrovitz, at full speed. But he was unable to make up for his mistakes in the first round and finished third in the overall standings.

Dobrovitz had the full support of the enthusiastic spectators in the sold out Leipziger Halle and felt he could fly. He beat his own time by three seconds and finished with another clear round. Dobrovitz and his team were extremely happy with their performance and he thanked his horses by giving them all four a big kiss after leaving the ring. This was much appreciated by the spectators who were able to follow this wonderful scene on the big screens inside the arena.

Extraordinary Exell
After the first night, Boyd Exell decided to change the bit of his leader horse Spitfire in order to speed his team up a bit. Boyd did not feel any pressure from Dobrovitz, as he knew the times were beatable. He was a little worried though that he wouldn’t be able to hold the horse in a lighter bit. The new set-up worked however and Boyd felt the team was very light in his hands, which resulted in very fast and easy looking rounds.

Boyd’s leaders went a bit too fast in the Winning Round, causing a ball to fall, but it didn’t endanger his lead as Boyd’s speed was just right. Boyd had received some good advice from Tomas Eriksson on his way in for the Winning Round, which made him decide not to drive at full speed.

Mistakes
Tomas Eriksson went for a top-three placing but made a mistake himself coming out of obstacle nine on the course, designed by World Championship course designer Dr Wolfgang Asendorf. Eriksson’s leader horses were not in the good form they were in on the first night, dropping the Stockholm World Cup winner to fourth. Budapest winner Werner Ulrich was also determined to make it a top three finish, but took a risk at the wrong moment and ended up fifth. Koos de Ronde had an uncharacterstic round with three knockdowns. Koos’ leader horses, which are normally very fast, didn’t seem to want to go forward, leaving Koos down in seventh in the Leipzig Final.

Change of plans
Wild card driver Georg von Stein had only heard last Thursday that he could compete after the initial wild card driver Christian Plücker had to withdraw because of two unfit horses. Von Stein started training his outdoor team of horses several weeks ago and had some second thoughts after the first night. Despite some mistakes that he blamed himself for, he was very pleased with his horses and will now change his outdoor schedule in order to be able to qualify for next season’s FEI World Cup™ Driving! Von Stein came sixth in the overall standings in Leipzig.

Quotes:
Boyd Exell: “The only pressure I had was not to hit obstacle two and 10. I knew the times of Dobrovitz and Chardon were beatable and I thought to myself ‘let’s go!’ in the Winning Round.

Jozsef Dobrovitz: “I have lent my second black horse to my son, who is competing in his first international driving competition with a horse team this weekend. He would normally also have driven with my wheelers, so we had a lot of discussion to decide who was going to drive which horses! I am very happy with my horses and my own performance, everything came together at the right time.”

IJsbrand Chardon: “I had a good feeling and was very motivated but once by leader horses started pushing I could not do anything. I decided to keep on driving and I could only pray that I would make it to the Winning Round, because normally you know you have no chance with this many mistakes. The Winning Round went much better. Initially I went for the first place, but after the first round I was very pleases with my third position!”

Listen to the stars from today’s FEI World Cup™ Final Driving with audio links following today's competition:
Boyd Exell
http://www.lloydbell.co.uk/access/client_zone/FEI_Exell_end.mp3

Jozsef Dobrovitz - Hungarian with English Translation
http://www.lloydbell.co.uk/access/client_zone/FEI_Dobrovitz.mp3

Ian Williams, FEI World Cup Driving Director
http://www.lloydbell.co.uk/access/client_zone/FEI_Williams_end.mp3


FEI World Cup™ Driving Final Leipzig:

1.    Boyd Exell (AUS) 242,12

2.    Jozsef Dobrovitz (HUN) 247,52

3.    IJsbrand Chardon (NED) 254,88

4.    Tomas Eriksson (SWE) 133,10

5.    Werner Ulrich (SUI) 139,07

6.    Georg von Stein (GER) 140,76

7.    Koos de Ronde (NED) 151,32


For information on the Final go to www.partner-pferd.de or contactPress Officer Andreas Kerstan, phone +49 4307 827970, e-mail: andreas.kerstan@comtainment.de

More information: www.feiworldcup.org

FEI World Cup™ DRIVING 2010/2011
CALENDAR OF EVENTS:

1.    Hannover (Ger) 28-31 October 2010

2.    Stuttgart (Ger) 17-21 November 2010

3.    Stockholm (Swe) 26-28 November 2010

4.    Budapest (Hun) 3-5 December 2010

5.    Geneva (Sui) 9-12 December 2010

6.    Mechelen (Bel) 26-30 December 2010

7.    Bordeaux (Fra) 4-6 February 2011

8.    FINAL Leipzig (Ger) 27 April – 1 May 2011

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Driving: Leipzig: EXELL SETS THE TONE IN LEIPZIG by Cindy Timmer

Photo Caption: Boyd Exell on his way to victory in the warm up round of the FEI World Cup™ Driving Final in Leipzig. Photo: FEI/Rinaldo de Craen

Leipzig (GER) 29 April 2011

FEI WORLD CUP™ DRIVING 2010/2011


FEI TV: enjoy LIVE programming, highlights, interviews and archive footage at www.feitv.org

FEI YouTube Channel: view all our latest reportages here.


Title defender Boyd Exell from Australia has won the warm up round of the FEI World Cup™ Driving Final in Leipzig this evening. The current four-in-hand World Champion was the only driver who finished the course in a clear round. Sweden’s Tomas Eriksson came second driving his brand new marathon carriage. Dutch driver Koos de Ronde finished third.


Ring rusty

The competitors were all a bit ring rusty after a break of several months. Some drivers competed in the last World Cup competition in Bordeaux at the start of February; others had an even longer break after the show in Mechelen at the end of December.

Wild card replacement

Home driver Georg von Stein replaced wild card driver Christian Plücker who unfortunately had to withdraw only two days ago because of two injured horses. Plücker had won the special indoor competition at the German Equestrian Centre in Warendorf in February and had herewith claimed the wild card. Von Stein finished second and was therefore the first candidate to replace Plücker. Von Stein had kept on training his horses so it was not difficult for him to prepare his team for his first ever World Cup start. Von Stein finished fifth in tonight’s competition, behind Switzerland’s Werner Ulrich.


Mistakes

Both Hungary’s Jozsef Dobrovitz and Dutchman IJsbrand Chardon made unusual mistakes. Chardon took the C-gate in one of the marathon type obstacles from the wrong side, which made him drop to the sixth place. Dobrovitz knocked four balls down in the course, designed by German World Championship course designer Dr. Wolfgang Asendorf.

Top three

Koos de Ronde also made a mistake by knocking over one of the gates before he was supposed to take it. But the team gold medallist of the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ in Kentucky kept the speed up and set the fastest time, which made him finish third. Tomas Eriksson only received his new marathon carriage this morning but despite the little testing time, Eriksson flew through the course only knocking one ball down.
Boyd Exell drove a safe round, using his old marathon carriage instead of his new indoor carriage, which is now been adjusted for outdoor use as well. While Boyd’s team got fitter every time until his last start in Mechelen, he now concentrated on keeping his team calm which resulted in a clear victorious round.


Quotes:

Boyd Exell: “My team in Mechelen was so fit, it felt like water skiing! I am very pleased with my team in Leipzig, I kept them on the ground. This was just a warm up round so I am not getting too excited about it.”

Tomas Eriksson:“I am happy with my horses. I used my horse Speedy in the lead again. I normally only use him at outdoor shows but this is the third time this season that he has been in the lead of my team and he does a great job. My new carriage went well, I sometimes even forgot to use the breaks!”

Koos de Ronde: “I was not paying attention myself which was rather stupid, but I am convinced I will do better on Sunday in the World Cup Final. At the Final in Geneva last year, we had the same situation. All drivers are a bit ring rusty but the horses are in good shape even after a long break and they will be back in shape quickly.

Audio links:
Boyd Exell

http://www.lloydbell.co.uk/access/client_zone/DRI_Excell.MP3



Tomas Eriksson

http://www.lloydbell.co.uk/access/client_zone/DRI_Eriksson.MP3


Tomas Eriksson  -Swedish

http://www.lloydbell.co.uk/access/client_zone/DRI_Eriksson_swe.MP3

Rupert Bell



Results warm up round CAI-W Leipzig 2011:

1.     Boyd Exell (Aus) 125,63 (0)

2.     Tomas Eriksson (Swe) 129,53 (5)

3.     Koos de Ronde (Ned) 140,08 (20)

4.     Werner Ulrich (Sui) 143,41 (10)

5.     Georg von Stein (Ger) 148,31 (15)

6.     Ijsbrand Chardon (Ned) 155,51 (25)

7.     Jozsef Dobrovitz (Hun) 167,66

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Driving: FEI World Cup Driving Trailer from FEI TV

Beautifully produced FEI TV World Cup Driving Trailer.  The finals are live this weekend on FEI TV.  Watch and enjoy!

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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/
 

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USEF News: This Week in International Disciplines

From the USEF Communications Department

Dressage

American dressage rider Catherine Haddad capitalized on an eighth place finish in the Freestyle at the final Reem Acra/FEI Western European League World Cup Qualifier in s' Hertogenbosch, to earn a trip to the Final on Winyamaro. Haddad, who is based in Germany, has had consistent results throughout Europe at these important Qualifiers and will be representing the United States in Leipzig, Germany at the 2011 Reem Acra/FEI World Cup Final April 27 - May 1. 

Please visit the USEF World Cup Final page for more information:  http://usef.org/_IFrames/breedsdisciplines/discipline/alldressage/WorldCupTM.aspx 

Details about the Final are available here: www.engarde.de 

In Florida, the last CDI of the spring season took place in Loxahatchee at the International Horse Sport Champions Cup CDI*/3*. Arlene (Tuny) Page and her rising star Alina won the CDI3* Grand Prix for Freestyle with a score of 67.532% and went on to secure a win in their first Grand Prix Freestyle outing, scoring 72.650%. In the Grand Prix for Special James Koford rode Rhett to the win on a score of 67.489%. Susan Dutta and Currency DC improved on their fourth place finish in the Grand Prix to win the Special on a score of 67.021%, just ahead of Koford and Shannon Dueck (CAN). 

The small tour saw a large field of competitors in the CDI*. Cesar Parra and Grandioso dominated all weekend, winning the Prix St. Georges with a 71.579%, the Intermediaire I with a 73.114% and the Intermediaire I Freestyle with a 73.950%. 

For complete results please visit http://www.ihspb.com/schedule.htm.

Driving

Joe Yoder Receives his First National Championship Trophy
Pics of You Photo

 USEF National Champions were crowned at the Live Oak International CAI
in Ocala, FL. Joe Yoder built acommanding lead over the three phases and won the USEF National Pairs Championship - his first National title. With a second place dressage effort, a narrow margin of victory in the marathon and three balls down in the cones - Yoder bested Alan Aulson, who was second and Kathrin Dancer, third for top honors.

In the USEF National Single Pony Championship, Shelly Temple drove LR Ami B-Line to a narrow victory over Suzy Stafford to score her second consecutive (and third overall) win in the division. Temple finished on 124.6 and Stafford on 127.05 making it the closest championship of the weekend. Randy Cadwell was third.

Jennifer Matheson won her second consecutive USEF National Pair Pony Championship, winning the dressage and maintaining her advantage over Katie Whaley. Elizabeth Keathley was third.

Jennifer Matheson on Course at Live Oak
Pics of You Photo

Lisa Stroud was a one woman/four pony machine in the USEF National Pony Team Championship winning for the sixth consecutive year as the only entry in the Championship.

In the non-Championship FEI divisions, Marcie Quist drove to victory in the Single Horse division, over 2009 winner Robin Groves. Nifty Hamilton was third.

Chester Weber swept the Four-in-Hand division, winning at every turn. Josh Rector was second and Darryl Billing was third.

Competition coverage is available here: http://usefnetwork.com/2011DrivingNatlChamps/ 

Weber also formally retired 2008 Farnam/Platform USEF Horse of the Year, Jamaica before his hometown fans. Read more about Jamaica: http://usef.org/_IFrames/newsdisplay/viewPR.aspx?id=6851

Jumping

Laura Kraut and Cedric scored the biggest win of the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival flying to victory in the $5000,000 FTI Consulting Finale Grand Prix CSI5* in Wellington, FL. The diminutive gray gelding out-ran 15 other horses in the jump-off and stopped the clock at 35.861 to beat his teammate from the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, Quick Study - ridden by Lauren Hough. Kraut and Hough have both scored in some of the biggest classes of the Florida circuit, so it was fitting that they went one-two in the final class. Both veterans head to Europe for the summer months. 

See photos, results and watch the entire jump-off here: http://www.usefnetwork.com/FTIGrandPrix2011/.

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Driving: World Cup: CHARDON IN TOP FORM IN BORDEAUX by Cindy Timmer

Dutch driver IJsbrand Chardon won last night's FEI World Cup qualifier in Bordeaux in breath taking style. Wild card driver Chardon stayed ahead of Tomas Eriksson in second guaranteeing the Swede the sixth and last starting place for the Final in Leipzig. Werner Ulrich knocked two balls down in the winning round to finish third.

Chardon went for it all the way in Bordeaux. Photo: FEI/Rinaldo de Craen

Driving: USEF: Chester Weber's Four-In-Hand Team Wins Horse of Year Team For Combined Driving

Lexington, KY (February 3, 2011) – Combined Driver Chester Weber may be in the running for the most decorated Combined Driver in United States history, but he doesn’t just settle for winning awards. Weber is also an extremely active member of the United States Equestrian Federation and in January was elected to serve on the USEF Executive Committee at the USEF National Convention in Lexington, Kentucky.

Driving: Chester Weber (USA) Donates Two Days of Training for Fundraiser

Chester Weber (USA) 2010 World Equestrian Games Marathon (©Equimage)

Combined driver Chester Weber, the eight-time USEF National Four-In-Hand Combined Driving champion, will donate a package for two days of training during the silent auction at the upcoming "Salute to Driving" USET Fundraiser for driving. Weber will give the winner of the silent auction two days of instruction with either his or her own horses or Weber's.

Weber is a Kentucky Equine Research (KER) sponsored equestrian.

Chester Weber (USA) during the 2009 Kentucky Cup National Championship (©Equimage)

The "Salute to Driving" fundraiser is a weekend for all levels to learn and have fun. The event includes two days of Advanced/FEI-level and ADS lower-level clinics, a benefit party, combined test, and other activities to help educate equine enthusiasts from other disciplines.. 

"Salute to Driving" will be held on Chateau Log Farm and Courage to Lead Farm in Windsor, South Carolina, and the Country Dinner Benefit will be held at Trout Walk Farm in Aiken, South Carolina. The event will take place February 19 - 21, 2011. Read more
.

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Driving: USEF Announces Updated 2011 USEF Driver Training Long List

USEF
January 10, 2011

From the USEF Driving Department
Lexington, KY - The United States Equestrian Federation, Inc. (USEF) is pleased to release the 2011 USEF Driver Training Long List.  The Driver Training Long List is established by the USEF on the

Driving: Tucker S. Johnson Will Be Honored With The 2011 Whitney Stone Cup from USET Foundation

S Tucker Johnson (USA), WEG 2010  Individual Bronze Medalist   (Nan Rawlins Photo)

 Press Release 10 January 2010

Gladstone, NJ - January 10, 2011 - The United States Equestrian Team Foundation is pleased to announce that Combined Drivers Tucker S. Johnson of Hobe Sound, Florida, is the recipient of the 2011 Whitney Stone Cup. The award is presented annually to an active competitor who displays consistent excellence in international competition and high standards of sportsmanlike conduct while serving as an ambassador for the United States and equestrian sport. Johnson is a tremendously accomplished driver who helped lead the United States to a Team Silver Medal as well as receiving an Individual Bronze Medal during the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.

 This is the second year that Johnson has received the Whitney Stone Cup, after being awarded the prestigious honor in 2001. Johnson now plans to retire from the competitive sport as he spent 2010 achieving many milestones. Along with other achievements, Johnson guided his Four-In-Hand team to a second place finish at the Land Rover International Driving Grand Prix at the Royal Windsor Horse Show in May.

Driving: USEF Announces 2011 USEF Driver Training Long List

From the USEF Driving Department

Lexington, KY - The United States Equestrian Federation, Inc. (USEF) is pleased to release the 2011 USEF Driver Training Long List.  The Driver Training Long List is established by the USEF on the basis of a driver/horse/pony combination achieving a total of 175 penalties or less for singles and pairs,

Driving: Mechelen: HAT TRICK FOR KOOS DE RONDE IN MECHELEN by Cindy Timmer

Photo Caption: Koos de Ronde on his way to his hat trick victory in Mechelen. Photo: FEI/Rinaldo de Craen

Koos de Ronde did it again. The Dutch golden team member of Kentucky has won the FEI World Cup™ Driving competition in Mechelen for the third time in a row. De Ronde beat Hungary’s Jozsef Dobrovitz with an exciting fast and clear round to put the pressure on last-to-go and wild card driver Boyd Exell. But the World Champion from Australia was unable to stay clear and left the arena with 15 penalty points. When the scores were finally tallied, De Ronde was declared the deserved winner.