Wyoming and Megan O’Brien: All Smiles Winning a Championship (Photo Credit: Carol Robertson)

San Juan Capistrano, CA - Some of the nation’s best dressage horses and riders, including Guenter Seidel and Jan Ebeling, enjoyed great competition and the Easter holiday among the spectacular setting of the Rancho Mission Viejo Riding Park in San Juan Capistrano, CA during Cornerstone Event Management’s Festival of the Horse & CDI 3*/Y/J, March 27-30, 2013. The CDI Intermediaire I victory went to Megan O’Brien riding Wyoming, a 12 year old Hanoverian gelding by Weltmeyer out of an Akzent I mare, with a score of 64.693%. He also won the PSG Open class with a score of 73.158%.

Wyoming is owned by Carol Robertson, a Grand Prix dressage trainer & rider at Huntington Central Park Equestrian Center in Huntington Beach, California. Wyoming has an extensive record of wins, including a 70.25% victory in FEI Freestyle of Choice Class at the 2011 Del Mar International Horse Show “Evening of Musical Freestyles” with Robertson riding. (Video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vk_-KXXtr5E )

Other winning Hanoverians at the Festival of the Horse show included Cassidy Gallman, who won both the Team and Individual tests in the Young Rider classes with Woden, another Hanoverian gelding by Weltmeyer. CDI Junior competitor Rison Naness rode Kristina Harrison’s Hanoverian mare Venezia (White Star x Espri) to sweep her division with 64.459% in the Team Test and 61.474% for the Individual Test.

(Source: http://californiadressageriders.com/?p=183)

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Cosma 20 & Abby McCardle
(Photo Credit: Phelps)

Lexington, KY - The heat was on as the Kentucky Spring Classic got underway Wednesday, May 15, 2013 in Lexington, KY. Five riders produced double clear rounds during the 1.45m Open Jumpers, but it was the last do so that proved to be the fastest. Abigail McArdle and Cosma 20, a 10 year old Hanoverian mare by Couleur Rubin broke the beam at 30.378 seconds for the win by 3/10ths of a second over Reed Kessler and Soraya De L’Obstination.

Abigail was exuberant about the win. “I was really happy with the way she went; she was super.” Cosma 20 has been partnered with McArdle for a little over a year. “I feel like I really know her well,” she commented. “I know we having been moving up slowly, but she’s green at this level and it’s still new for me, so it’s important to build up slowly. I’m lucky to have such a wonderful horse. After Kentucky, we will go to Spruce Meadows, and then Europe to show in Chantilly, Dinard and Valkenswaard.”

The 1.45m Open Jumper course was created by Conrad Homfeld and featured a long bending line to begin, as well as a vertical-oxer-vertical triple combination and an oxer-vertical double combination. Nine competitors advanced to the jump-off, where they began with a bending line to the double combination, before rolling back to two oxers and finishing over a vertical near the gate. The first to show without fault over the short course was Abigail McArdle’s trainer, Katie Prudent. The next to complete the jump-off with all the rails intact was Ramiro Quintana and Ollywood Des Horts. They increased the speed by almost two seconds, stopping the clock at 31.263 seconds and claiming the eventual third place honors. Margie Engle chose to be more conservative with Cabras, leaving all the fences in place, but crossing the finish line in 34.614 seconds for fifth place.

Olympian Reed Kessler of Lexington, KY, was one of the last riders to show, and she had her eye on the prize with Soraya De L’Onstination. She was able to top her trainer Katie Prudent as well as Quintana, speeding through the timers in 30.655 seconds. Unfortunately, her time would only hold up for second place, as Abigail McArdle was next to go with Cosma 20. The reigning North American Junior Jumper individual gold medalist is well known for speed, and Wednesday was no exception. McArdle stepped on the gas, leaving out a stride through the first bending line and speeding to the final obstacles without even a rub. The duo clocked in at 30.378 seconds to take home the winning prize.

“During the first round, I wanted to see how the first bending line in the jump-off rode, and I was able to shape it and leave a stride out there,” explained McArdle. “Then we still added to the double combination but made up time after the combination and then over to the last line.” Cosma 20 & Abby are accustomed to victory laps, as they were also the 2012 gold medal winners of the Adequan/FEI North American Junior & Young Rider Championships in the Individual Jumper division. (Results at https://www.usef.org/_AUAIFrames/CompUp/Data/Result320.pdf). Video segments of their rides in this prestigious championship are available for viewing on the web at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ns2zukjvVoA The future is bright for this talented duo!

(Source: http://www.usefnetwork.com/news/9959/2013/5/16/abigail_mcardle_and_cosma_20_captur.aspx)

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Brunello and Elizabeth Boyd (Photo Credit: S. McMillan)

Conyers, GA - Brunello, a 16 year old Hanoverian gelding by Accord II, and Elizabeth Boyd added to their impressive list of wins with a victory in the $10,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby on Friday, May 17, 2013 at the 2013 Atlanta Spring Challenge Horse Show at the Georgia International Horse Park in Conyers, GA. Course designer JP Godard produced a long and flowing course with many 4’ options that was a challenge to the field of competitors. Exhibitors and spectators enjoyed a beautiful evening complete with a cool breeze while watching some of the country’s top hunter riders compete under the lights. While the action was taking place in the ring, everyone ringside enjoyed the catered Derby Party.

Brunello and Boyd are no strangers to the derby winner’s circle, taking home an impressive 15 wins to date. Other 2013 wins include the $15,000 USHJA International Hunter Challenge Derby Classic at the Camden Spring Classic show in South Carolina in April and the March $50,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby (Round #1) at the Equestrian Sports Production show in Florida. Brunello also finished 2nd at the February 2013 WCHR Palm Beach Hunter Spectacular in Florida. (Video link-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ah2CmBy5_2o)

Brunello has earned over $28,000 to date in 2013 in hunter competition. Exhibitors and spectators enjoyed a beautiful evening complete with a cool breeze while watching some of the country’s top hunter riders compete under the lights. While the action was taking place in the ring everyone ringside enjoyed the Derby Party catered by Proof of the Pudding and sponsored by 2013 hospitality sponsors.

(Source: http://sidelinesnews.com/blogs/showworld/tag/2013-atlanta-spring-challenge-horse-show)

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Codex One and Christian Ahlmann (Photo Credit: GTC)

Hamburg, Germany - World Number 1 Christian Ahlmann celebrated a “fantastic” victory on home turf in Hamburg today on Codex One winning a nail-biting jump off winning the second Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of the 2013 series.

Ahlmann and Codex One, an 11 year old bay Hanoverian son of Contendro I, outpaced a stunning field of the world’s best riders and horses taking the honors for the second Grand Prix of the championship series and was full of praise for his “special” Hanoverian stallion. With 40 points under his belt, Ahlmann looks a formidable force this season and shaved seconds off the times of runners up Daniel Deusser and Roger-Yves Bost.

Ahlmann said of his victory, “It felt fantastic. I had a really great day today. Codex One did an amazing job in the three rounds. He really showed everybody how special he is. In the jump off I took a lot of risks. I was in a position to see Daniel (Deusser) and it was clear I had to take the last risk. Today was my lucky day. I will try to compete the whole season (of the Longines Global Champions Tour) as much as possible.” The pair took home the first place prize money of over 94,000 Euros (over $120,000.)

Victory lap video online at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sdw0q7c7KF0

Source: http://www.globalchampionstour.com/events/2013/hamburg/news/853/christian-ahlmann-wins-grand-prix-as-longines-global-champions-tour-and-hamburg-sign-new-deal/

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Anabel Balkenhol and Diamonds Forever (Photo credit: Eurodressage.com)

Hagen, Germany – Anabel Balkenhol achieved the ultimate feat – first and second place in the German Dressage Derby Grand Prix & Special, as well as the Helenenhof Prize – with her Olympic horse Dablino FRH and eleven-year-old Diamonds Forever. Balkenhol and her Olympic mount Dablino FRH, a 13 year old Hanoverian DeNiro-Wanderbursch II gelding, won the German Dressage Derby Grand Prix in Hamburg Thursday with a score of 74.894% and the Grand Prix Special on Sunday with an amazing score of 76.917%. Balkenhol also placed second in the Grand Prix with a 72.149% on Diamonds Forever (Depardieu x Warkant), an 11 year old Hanoverian gelding that she started at CDI Grand Prix just three weeks ago.

Anabel Balkenhol answered the burning question, whether Dablino FRH will go forward to the “horse exchange” on Sunday where the top four trainers switch horses and ride each other’s horses in Grand Prix tests. She answered with a cool, “We’ll see…In fact the chestnut horse still has a pretty full program ahead of him this season, so it will probably be Diamonds Forever who takes on the ‘horse swap’.” It was Diamonds Forever that went to the “horse exchange” between trainers instead of Dablino FRH, where Diamonds Forever was the highest ranking horse.

Hannah Biggs on Weltzin
(Photo Credit: ll-foto.de)

Hannah Biggs of Great Britian was also a star on her 14 year old Hanoverian stallion, Weltzin (Weltbogen-Werther.) Hannah and Weltzin stormed into second place for the final in a hotly contested Grand Prix Special class on a score of 70.938%. Not content with just bettering their own scores, they were nearly two percent ahead of the third placed combination of Germany’s Bianca Kasselmann and her Oldenburg Weltclassiker.

Hannah, who is a member of the UK Sport funded British Equestrian Federation’s World Class Development Program said: ‘‘It was amazing, Weltzin felt even better in the main arena than in the warm up. We’ve figured out a routine that keeps him really relaxed and happy when he’s away competing – and it’s really working. We’ve been working hard over the winter with Emile and World Class and Weltzin is now so much fitter which helps to produce an elegant, effortless picture.”

“Hamburg was particularly special because it’s actually where Weltzin was bred, continued Biggs. In fact his breeders (the Lewinski family and Anne von Laffert) were so excited when they heard he was returning to his home town that they came out especially to watch him and they even brought Union Jacks to wave in his honor! They’re so proud of his achievements and are even considering breeding from him.”

It was Hannah and Weltzin’s trainer, Emile Faurie who spotted the stallion’s international potential and invited the combination to come and train with him from his yard in Oxfordshire.

Weltzin is now based with Emile and Hannah travels the two hour journey in order to ride him four times a week. Emile said: “To see the accumulation of work over the last four to five years suddenly coming to fruition was truly wonderful. Hannah rode like a true professional and had two super, clean tests. I am convinced that with more international outings and tests like these the marks will just continue to go up and up.”

(Source: http://www.dressage-international.com/?p=12083 & http://www.eurodressage.com/equestrian/2013/05/16/hannah-bigs-it-2013-cdi-hamburg)

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Devon, PA -

The idea caught on. In recent years Sport Horse breed shows on the East Coast have joined in and in 2010 Born in the USA Breeders Awards have been presented at shows from New York to Kentucky.
A BITUSA award is a good omen for the winners. Many previous winners have gone on to be true champions.

Beatrice VDL, (Prestige VDL) a Dutch Warmblood and a 2012 BITUSA winner, was named the 2012 Devon Grand Champion at the Devon Breed Show. Beatrice is owned by Pieter Ruig from Shelter Islande NY. Osborne decided to put Beatrice in the mare class, and that’s when the magic started. “Well, she won and she won and she won. She kept winning! Beatrice redeemed both of them. She is an amazing mare, and is just adorable.” It was not an easy task, Osborne says. “She had to go in to compete the mare championship, and then she had to go compete against the champion stallion, then compete against the champion young horses.”

In addition to winning the breed championship, Beatrice was named Mature Champion at only six. The mare is now carrying a UB-40 (one of the stallions at Iron Spring Farm) baby.

Dazzle, a two-time BITUSA winner, is a KWPN ster-predicate mare by Broere Jazz x Special D, bred by Victoria Lamas Wanner of Greifenstein Farm. This mare has been very successful in the breed show division at Dressage at Devon, with expert handler Bruce Griffin of Griffin Performance Horses. Dazzle was the Grand Reserve Champion of the Dressage at Devon breed show in 2010, 2011, and 2012. She has twice received the Born in the USA award for being the highest scoring USA-bred horse in her class at Devon. Dazzle also became the 2011 Grand Champion Filly of the GAIG USDF Breeder’s Championship Series East Coast Final, and received the Reserve Grand Champion Mare award for this series in 2012. In 2011, Dazzle was the Young Horse Champion at Dressage at Devon, and the Reserve Mare Champion in 2012. Dazzle also was the 3rd place KWPN-NA Dressage Mare of the North American Keuring Tour in 2011.

Pikko del Cerro HU, by Pik L out of Rohweena and bred by Horses Unlimited was a 2005 BITUSA winner and has gone on to live up to the honor.  In 2007, he won both USEF 4-Year-Old classes at Dressage at Devon with scores above 80%. Pikko del Cerro HU was named the 2007 USDF All Breeds Award (AHS) 1st place 4-Year-Old Materiale Stallion. Pikko del Cerro HU was the top placed American bred at the 2008 Markel/USEF National Championships in the 5-Year-Old division. In 2009, he was named the 2009 Markel/USEF 6 Year Old National Dressage Champion as well as being awarded the prestigious Stallion Championship at Dressage at Devon. Under saddle he continued his Devon dominance winning all 6-Year-Old classes and scoring above 85%.

Born in the USA Breeders Awards are open to horses and ponies of any breed conceived and foaled in the USA. Cash prizes are awarded and divided among the highest scoring horse in each of the following categories provided the score falls within the top 50% of the class:

Fillies of the current year:
Yearling Fillies
Two Year Old Fillies
Three Year Old Fillies
Mares
3/4 Year Old Filly/Mare Material
5 Year Old Mare Material
Colts of the current year
Yearling Colts/Geldings
Two Year Old Colts/Geldings
Three Year Old Colts/Geldings
Stallions
3/4 Year Old Colt/Stallion Materiale
5 Year Old Stallion/Gelding Material

The highest scoring horse overall is declared champion.

Through the overwhelming generosity of the sponsors, more than $60,000 in prize money has been awarded since the program began. Several sponsorship levels are available for this prestigious class. For more information, contact Melanie Sloyer at msloyer@aol.com or Lori Kaminski at lori_kaminski@verizon.net.

To enter, to view the prize list, or for more information, please visit www.dressageatdevon.org.

About Dressage at Devon
Dressage at Devon, taking place this year from September 24 through September 29 at the Devon the largest CDI show in the US and the largest open breed show in the world, combines world-class international dressage competition and one of the world’s few complete sport horse breed shows with the family fun of an International Fall Festival, featuring food and shopping for all tastes.

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Lombardo LHF and Brian Hafner
(Photo Credit: www.dressagefoundation.org)

Rancho Murieta, CA (April 7, 2013): Brian Hafner and Lombardo LHF lit up the show ring at Rancho Murieta, bringing home the top prize in the Grand Prix Special on his elegant bay Hanoverian gelding. This was a special win for this pair that has been a team since both were very young. Hafner, 24, purchased Lombardo LHF (Londonderry-Waluga/Werther) from Legacy Hill Farms in Castle Rock, CO as a 4-year-old. Hafner has earned his bronze, silver, and now gold USDF medals on Lombardo during the seven years they’ve been together. “It’s fun to progress with Lombardo and make it all the way with the same horse,” said Hafner.

Hafner had a transitional year in 2010, competing at Intermediaire I and Intermediaire II and preparing for Grand Prix. In 2009 he competed at the Adequan FEI North American Young Rider Championships for Region 7, bringing home team gold and individual bronze medals. This talented pair will continue competing in Grand Prix with high hopes for the future.

(Source: http://www.chronofhorse.com/article/hafner-scores-golden-state-premiere & http://www.eurodressage.com/equestrian/2013/04/10/scores-2013-cdi-rancho-murieta)

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Mr. Whoopy & Duncan McFarlane
(Photo Credit: Paula Parisi)

Thermal, CA (March 17, 2013) – With a first-place prize of $350,000 on the line, 40 competitors representing the best in show jumping gathered from around the globe to compete at Thermal over this course of 1.5-1.65 meter fences. This included Duncan McFarlane, Outwoods Farm, based in San Ramon, California (but riding for New Zealand), with his Hanoverian Stallion, Mr. Whoopy. McFarlane found Mr. Whoopy as a five year old and brought him up through the ranks of international competition. Owned by Simone Coxe, Mr. Whoopy is sired by Contendro I and is out of the Watzmann daughter, SPS Whoopy.

After 32 horses & riders had completed the first-round course without a single clear, it appeared that no one would crack the course code. Five trips later, Duncan McFarlane and Mr. Whoopy were clear. Unfortunately, a single time fault barred him and Mr. Whoopy from the jump-off, putting them in third place overall. “What an amazing venue this has been,” McFarlane said. “To jump for a million dollars, I just have to thank Tom and thank AIG.”

McFarlane and Mr. Whoopy are veterans of the 2012 and 2011 Pfizer Million in Saugerties, New York, and compared the West Coast Million Grand Prix to its sister in the East: “I don’t think the course was as big and wide (as Saugerties) but in a lot of ways it was a better course,” he described. “It was a rider’s course and I thought it was done by a real horseman.”

This top placing in the AIG $1,000,000 Thermal Grand Prix was followed by a thrilling win in the $100,000 Grand Prix of Del Mar on May 4, 2013, highlighting him as one of the top jumping stallions in North America. Mr. Whoopy’s other top show successes include 2nd place – 2013 $50k Grand Prix Thermal, 1st Place – World Cup Sacramento International, 2nd Place – 2011 Pfizer Million, 1st- 2012 World Cup Thermal and 1st place – $32,000 FEI HITS Grand Prix Thermal.

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Danilo and Shelly Francis Win at Wellington (Photo Credit: Susan Stickle)

Wellington, FL (April 6, 2013) – Shelly Francis (USA) and Danilo clinched another FEI Prix St. Georges victory on Friday afternoon in Wellington with a score of 72.579% in the class presented by Peacock Ridge. Francis and Danilo were the only pair to break 70% in the class of nearly twenty competitors. Judges for the class were: Cesar Torrente at E, Stephen Clarke at H, Anne Gribbons at C, Lilo Fore at M, and Raphael Saleh at B. Brittany Fraser (CAN) and All In secured a second place finish with a score of 69.500%. Germany’s Kevin Kohmann finished third aboard Zephyr with a final score of 68.158%.

Francis, of Loxahatchee, FL, was very pleased with her young horse’s performance in Friday’s test. “He was very lovely. He’s really green. Sometimes he’s hard to keep in a nice, steady rhythm at the trot because he offers lots of gears in the trot, but he was lovely today. He’s so sweet, he just goes around like, ‘Where do you want me to go next?’” Francis described.

Danilo is a nine-year-old Hanoverian gelding by De Niro and out of the Andiamo daughter, Annabelle. He is owned by Patricia Stempel and has already had a successful campaign in the Prix St. Georges this season. “He’s done really well,” Francis commented. “He’s won almost every class he’s been in so far. This is only his second CDI.”

Francis described the striking black gelding as a well-rounded mount with a wide arsenal of talent. “His canter work absolutely is his biggest strength. Later on [in the test], his piaffe and passage were really super, as well as his extended trots. He’s actually good all around,” Francis remarked.

(Source: http://www.usefnetwork.com/news/9819/2013/4/6/shelly_francis_and_danilo_finish_fi.aspx)

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