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GBR Riders Take Doha by Storm
By British Dressage
GBR braved the heat and topped leader boards, as four British superstars made the four thousand mile trek to Qatar to compete in Doha’s CDI5* (2 – 7 Mar 2015).
Dressage darling, Carl Hester stormed to victory in the grand prix with his own and Jane de la Mare’s 11-year-old Don Ruto gelding, Nip Tuck (pictured). With 21 combinations vying for the top spot and €10,000 prize, Carl faced stiff competition from the likes of Sweden’s Patrik Kittel, British-based Danish rider, Anders Dahl and fellow Brit, Henriette Andersen to name a few. However, his impressive score of 72.60% ensured his success and first place position on the leader board. Henriette, who was riding her own and Jennifer Charlesworth’s 12-year-old Jazz-sired gelding, Warlocks Charm scored 65.22% to place 17th.
Keeping fans updated via his Facebook, Carl exclaimed: “Really exciting to have won the GP today at the amazing Al Shaqab in Doha! Although Barney spooked at every flower he was brave enough to wear the winner’s rug in the lap of honour!”
Going through to the grand prix freestyle, Carl and Barney – as Nip Tuck is known at home – moved to the beat of their WEG music and danced their way to second place with a strong score of 76.72%, the pair missed out on first by less than one per cent (the freestyle title was taken by Patrik Kittel and his ride, Watermill Scandic on 77.25%). Henriette and Warlocks Charm – or, as his friends call him, Ted – contested in the grand prix special. Scoring a solid 66.96%, the pair grabbed second place – not too shabby for their first competition of 2015!
Two of dressage’s most successful Paralympians represented GBR in the para dressage. Lee Pearson, accompanied by his own 11-year-old KWPN gelding, Zion, won a trio of classes at the Arabian competition, echoing their performance in their last international competition at the World Equestrian Games.
Scoring an impressive 77.33% in the grade Ib team test – with one judge giving the duo a huge score of 79.40% – Lee and Zion took their first title. Natasha Baker contested in the grade II team test with her own, Lorraine Baker and Christian Landolt’s 14-year-old Polish gelding, Cabral, coming second to the Netherland’s Rixt van der Horst with a solid 74.85%.
Lee and Zion went on to take the grade Ib individual top spot with 75.40% and the grade Ib freestyle title with a whopping 78.16%, showing that the future is bright for this dynamic duo. Natasha also racked up impressive marks in the grade II individual and freestyle classes. Scoring 72.23% in the individual test and 74.00% in the freestyle, the pair placed second and third, respectively.
Speaking through her Facebook, Natasha revealed how proud she was: “So, so pleased with my main man, could not have done more. Such a harmonious, lovely test that was performed spot on time to the music and a very close finish with top 3 on 74%. The Dutch judge loved it and had me in first with 76+% but unfortunately the other two didn’t agree!! I ended up 3rd with 74.04%, my lowest freestyle mark and one of my best tests, but that’s dressage!!”
For full results, click here.
Results
Class P2: Grade Ib team
1st – Lee Pearson with Zion (GBR), 77.33%
Class P3: Grade II team
2nd – Natasha Baker with Cabral (GBR), 74.85%
Class P7: Grade Ib individual
1st – Lee Pearson with Zion (GBR), 75.40%
Class P8 Grade II individual
2nd – Natasha Baker with Cabral (GBR), 72.23%
Class P12: Grade Ib freestyle
1st – Lee Pearson with Zion (GBR), 78.16%
Class P13: Grade II freestyle
3rd – Natasha Baker with Cabral (GBR), 74.00%
Class D1: Grand prix
1st – Carl Hester with Nip Tuck (GBR), 72.60%
17th – Henriette Andersen with Warlocks Charm (GBR), 65.22%
Class D2: Grand prix special
2nd – Henriette Andersen with Warlocks Charm (GBR), 66.96%
Class D3: Grand prix freestyle
2nd – Carl Hester with Nip Tuck (GBR), 76.72%
USEF Names Combinations for Stillpoint Farm Nations Cup CDIO3*
AUTHOR/ADMINISTRATOR: USEF Communications Department
Lexington, Ky. – The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) is pleased to announce the athlete-and-horse combinations who will represent the United States at the Stillpoint Farm Nations Cup CDIO3*, which runs in conjunction with the Adequan Global Dressage Festival, March 24-28, 2015 in Wellington, Fla. The U.S. will field two teams each composed of two Big Tour and two Small Tour combinations.
USA I Team
The USA I Team will be composed of the following combinations:
Big Tour
Laura Graves (Plymouth, Fla.) with her own Verdades
Verdades is a 2002 Dutch Warmblood gelding.
Allison Brock (Loxahatchee, Fla.) with Claudine and Fritz Kundrun’s Rosevelt
Rosevelt is a 2002 Hanoverian stallion.
Small Tour
Kim Herslow (Stockton, N.J.) with Kiroli Enterprises LLC’s Rosmarin
Rosmarin is a 2005 Hanoverian gelding.
Olivia Lagoy-Weltz (Reston, Va.) with Rassing’s Lonoir
Rassing’s Lonoir is a 2004 Danish Warmblood gelding.
Robert Dover will serve as Chef d’Equipe for USA Team I.
USA II Team
The USA II Team will be composed of the following combinations;
Big Tour
Shelly Francis (Loxahatchee, Fla.) with Patricia Stempel’s Danilo
Danilo is a 2004 Hanoverian gelding.
Catherine Haddad-Staller (Wellington, Fla.) with Rowan O’Riley’s Mane Stream Hotmail
Mane Stream Hotmail is a 2002 Oldenburg gelding.
Small Tour
Tina Konyot (Palm City, Fla.) with Bruce Grivetti’s Wyoming
Wyoming is a 2001 Hanoverian gelding.
Kasey Perry (Orangevale, Calif.) with Diane Perry’s Goerklingtgaards Dublet
Goerklingtgaards Dublet is a 2003 Danish Warmblood gelding.
Debbie McDonald will serve as Chef d’Equipe for USA II Team.
Follow the U.S. Dressage Team here.
The Wisdom of a Positive Attitude: Tami Crawford Wins Draper Therapies Best Foot Forward Award
Wellington, FL (March 11, 2015)— Tami Crawford of College Grove, Tennessee, demonstrated to the judges and spectators at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival how she is able to show her love of dressage through her every movement during competition. Crawford was presented with the Draper Therapies Best Foot Forward Award for her enthusiasm for the sport. Crawford’s excitement was clear as she spoke of her ride on Wiseguy—a twelve-year-old German Hanoverian gelding (Osmium x Jafrita). “It was great! I’m so excited! He held it together through the whole test, and I was able to go from movement to movement with him staying with me.”
With this being the pair’s first show together, Crawford’s outstanding attitude helped her to stand out in the ring as they competed in the FEI Prix St. Georges. Draper Therapies, a company specializing in equine health products, recognizes competitors who demonstrate an exceptional love of dressage and impacts others to do the same at the winter show series. The company has been a strong supporter of top-level dressage competitions, presenting the Draper Therapies Best Foot Forward Award to riders throughout the twelve weeks of competition who have proven themselves as truly in love with the sport.
Crawford plans to continue showing at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival for the rest of March, and will be once again ride Wiseguy this coming week. She has trained Wiseguy since he was four years old, and looks forward to their approaching shows with a newfound level of excitement after receiving her award from Draper Therapies. In addition to Wiseguy, she will continue to competing Roncalli, a twelve-year-old Oldenburg sired by Rubin Royalle, in the Small Tour. When she is not showing in Wellington, Crawford trains at Travelers Rest Farm in Tennessee.
Crawford explained her positive attitude with the simple statement “life is just too short.” She added, “The horses are their best when you’re feeling good. There is so much going on in the world, and this is just a horse show.” She understands why there can be tense feelings between competitors— “The horses are special to each rider and it can get personal, but we need to remember that we have these wonderful animals that we’re able to ride and we’re lucky to be granted this opportunity.”
Crawford received a Draper Therapies saddle pad, a pair of polo wraps, and socks in appreciation of her great attitude in the stressful environment of intense competition. Draper Therapies specializes in healthcare products for horses, dogs, and their human companions. The company offers a wide range of products including therapeutic horse blankets, wraps, saddle pads, dog beds, clothing, and accessories. Draper Therapies products are made with Celliant, an innovatively advanced fiber material created from extruded minerals for the purpose of easing pain and reducing poor health symptoms.
Learn more about the products Draper Therapies has to offer and the company’s support of the equestrian communities at www.drapertherapies.com, or call 781-828-0029.
Photo Tami Crawford (left) receives the Draper Therapies Best Foot Forward Award at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival.
A Jewel of the Dressage Ring: Jules Anderson Wins World Equestrian Brands Tack Matters Award
Wellington, FL (March 8, 2015)– Howling winds couldn’t slow down the competition at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival during an unusually blustery day. The riders and horses went down centerline even with the less-than-stellar weather conditions, and they looked exceptional while doing so. Jules Anderson and her mount, Beatrice, managed to make an impression in the ring and were awarded the World Equestrian Brands Tack Matters award. The award is sponsored by World Equestrian Brands, the U. S. distributor of world-class, high-performance products including the popular brands Amerigo, Vespucci, E. A. Mattes, and Equilibrium. The Tack Matters award is presented in recognition of the use of quality tack and style in the show ring. “The sponsors of the Adequan Global Dressage Festival are really excellent. This award was very unexpected and very generous,” Anderson beamed about the recognition she received from World Equestrian Brands, which sponsors the Wellington, Florida show series.
“I was riding Beatrice, and it was her first-ever competition,” said Anderson, “So I’m really happy with her performance.” This may have been the Trakehner mare’s first time into the show ring, but there will be many other chances to show off the beautiful horse since Anderson is planning on staying in Florida for the rest of the season. “We’ll stay in Florida and continue training. Then I’m looking forward to producing some FEI level horses,” said Anderson of her plans once the season comes to a close. Anderson is looking forward to the near as well as the distant future as she prepares for the rest of her time at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival. “We love being here and are looking forward to the weekends when the weather is going to be better,” Anderson says, expressing obvious excitement about her upcoming rides.
Beatrice is owned by Teamwork Dressage, which is a facility based in Jupiter Florida. Teamwork Dressage is a full service training facility where both Anderson and her sister, Libby Anderson, work to train horses up to the FEI level. The company’s mission is to provide a caring learning environment for the horse and rider, while at the same time concentrating on a rigorous training program designed to promote excellence in the ring.
World Equestrian Brands strives to provide trusted, quality brands for riders’ tack uses. “A stylish dressage performance has to be a complete package. To perform at the highest levels, horses and riders need the equipment that can provide a technical advantage,” said the president of World Equestrian Brands, Robin Moore. World Equestrian Brands pays particular attention to their customer service needs. The company hires customer service representatives who are also riders; thus ensuring that the representatives have the personal experience to back their knowledge when helping customers. For more information about World Equestrian Brands’ fine products, visit www.worldequestrianbrands.com.
Photo: Jules Anderson (middle) wins the World Equestrian Brands Tack Matters Award at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival
Another Winning Weekend For Interagro FEI Horses- Zepelim Interagro Scores a 71.3% to Win the Grand Prix At the Welcome Back to White Fences Dressage Show
Loxahatchee, FL (March 9, 2015) – Zepelim Interagro and Pia Aragão were victorious in the Grand Prix at the Welcome Back to White Fences I show in Loxahatchee, Florida, earning a 71.300 percent to claim the win. They bested their score from the previous week at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival, where they placed second in the FEI Grand Prix on Feb. 22. Their partnership is blossoming and the pair is poised to continue impressing the judges.
Zepelim Interagro is an 11-year-old stallion (Quinárius Interagro-Ordenada Interagro, Yacht) whose sire is by the famous Xique-Xique, a Gold Medal Champion in Portugal, and whose dam is by Yacht, the son of the foundation stallion of the Andrade line. Interagro Lusitanos, based in Itapira, Brazil, is the largest breeder of Lusitano horses in the world.
Aragão came to the U.S. with three Interagro Lusitanos in order to prepare them for the international arena. Zepelim is proving that he will be a horse to be reckoned with when he returns to Brazil.
“This is what I came for and what is necessary for him to be competitive with others in Brazil with the Pan American Games and the Olympics coming up,” she said. “One week ago he competed in his first Grand Prix and he was not as relaxed as he was this weekend. I felt him to be much more mature after just one week and I was very pleased with him.”
She attributes this change in attitude to the character of the Lusitano horse. “They are so ambitious,” she said. “And I love the elegance of the Lusitano horses.”
She entered the horses in national shows to build their confidence without pressure and, in a few weeks, they will step out into the international arena. She was impressed to see the new arena at the Global Dressage Festival. “It’s so important that we have a place like this to compete at on the American continent,” Aragão said.
Another Interagro horse competing in South Florida is Baldor Interagro (Ofensor MV- Quinata Interagro, Xique-Xique), a 9-year-old Lusitano stallion. He and Aragão dominated the FEI Prix St Georges at the Global Dressage Festival National Show just a week earlier. At the Welcome Back to White Fences I show, Baldor Interagro and Aragão earned second place in the Prix St. Georges.
Vade-Mecum Interagro, a 13-year-old gelding from the Xique-Xique and Yacht lines (Noblissimo Interagro-Pecunia Interagro, Yacht), also made the journey from Brazil. The gelding placed first in the Grand Prix Freestyle and second in the Grand Prix at the Expo Lusitano CDI3* in São Paulo, Brazil, in October.
Interagro horses will compete at the Global Dressage Festival throughout the month of March, treating spectators to an opportunity to see the traits of these horses in action at one of the world’s richest and most competitive dressage circuits.
The Interagro horse epitomizes the modern Lusitano, a horse that excels in the traditional equestrian disciplines, from dressage and driving to jumping and working equitation. Interagro is committed to preserving the pure bloodlines of the Lusitano breed, and its own bloodlines include some of the most respected of the breed: Faraó (JHC), Nirvana Interagro, Ofensor (MV), Xique-Xique (CI) and Yacht (SA).
Interagro remains one of the most accessible and respected breeders in the world, and their unique Destination Lusitano program offers interested clients an opportunity to stay at the farm in Brazil and immerse themselves in the Lusitano breed and culture. Destination Lusitano offers the opportunity to ride across the rolling Brazilian countryside or enjoy it from a carriage pulled by a four-in-hand of Lusitano stallions. It is also an opportunity to watch the horses in their daily training sessions, take a lesson on a prospective horse and meet the living pedigree of generations of Lusitano horses. Destination Lusitano is an opportunity to purchase the horse of your dreams while enjoying the journey of a lifetime.
About Interagro Lusitanos
Founded in 1975 by Dr. Paulo Gavião Gonzaga to preserve the breed, Interagro Lusitanos is the world’s largest breeder and exporter of Lusitano horses. Dr. Gonzaga started with four mares and one stallion imported to Brazil from the breed’s native Portugal; to date more than 450 horses populate the 1200-acre ranch outside São Paulo. Today, Cecilia Gonzaga manages the farm and operations. To learn more, email interagro@interagro.com, or please visit www.interagro.com.br.
Please click here, http://lusitano-interagro.com/Zepelim2010.htm, to see Zepelim Interagro’s bloodlines and show record. To learn more about Baldor Interagro, click here: http://lusitano-interagro.com/baldor.htm. Please go to http://lusitano-interagro.com/Vade_Mecum2010.htm, to see Vade-Mecum Interagro’s impressive show record and lineage.
Photo: Zepelim Interagro and Pia Aragão win the Grand Prix at the Welcome Back to White Fences I show in Loxahatchee, Florida, with a 71.300 percent (Photo courtesy of Interagro Lusitanos)
TDF Awards Five Continuing Education Grants to Dressage Instructors
Photos: Lehua Custer (Credit Cheri Quinto), Lisa Hall, Julie Laity, Patty Mayer (Credit Terri Miller), Leah Nelson (Credit Sarah Chiodi)
The Dressage Foundation’s Continuing Education for Dressage Instructors Fund, established by Maryal and Charles Barnett, has awarded grants to five individuals to attend the United States Dressage Federation’s Instructor Certification Program.
Lehua Custer (Burbank, CA) , Lisa Hall (Export, PA), Julie Laity (Camarillo, CA), Patty Mayer (Santa Rosa Valley, CA), and Leah Nelson (Duluth, MN) each received a $1,000 grant to further their education as instructors.
“We are so thankful to the Barnett’s, whose generosity has made these instructor grants possible” said Jenny Johnson, TDF’s Executive Director. “It is important for instructors to continue their education for the betterment of our sport as a whole. The USDF Instructor Certification Program has been beneficial for so many instructors, so we encourage others to apply for these grants in the future.”
Instructors attending any portion of the Instructor Certification Program, including the workshops, pre-certification, and testing, can use individual grants through this Fund. Individual grants are awarded twice per year and the next deadline for applications is July 1, 2015.
Additionally, five $1,000 grants are available to GMOs that are organizing an instructor education event. The funds can be used to offset some of the expenses involved in conducting a USDF Instructor Certification Program, or to organize a general educational event for area instructors. These applications must be received at least 90 days prior to the event.