Laura Cardon for Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.

Wellington, FL – January 23, 2014 – Sweden’s Tinne Vilhelmson-Silfven continued her hot streak in Wellington on Thursday afternoon, winning the FEI Grand Prix with Divertimento during the third week of the Adequan Global Dressage Festival (AGDF). Vilhelmson-Silfven took home two first place prizes with Don Auriello during the first week of AGDF and started off week three with equal success.

Vilhelmson-Silfvenand Lövsta Stuteri’s 12-year-old Westphalian gelding topped the class with a score of 75.000%. The top three was rounded about by Danish riders Lars Petersen, who rode Mariett to second place with a 73.320%, and Mikala Munter Gundersen and My Lady, who were third with a 71.640%. Megan Lane of Canada was fourth with a score of 71.020% on Caravella. The top placing American rider was Adrienne Lyle, who finished fifth with Wizard on a score of 70.100%

Tinne Vilhelmson-Silfven and Divertimento

The AGDF 3 Dressage CDI-W, presented by the US P.R.E. Association and Chesapeake Dressage Institute, runs January 23 – 26 at The Stadium at PBIEC. The feature event for the week is the FEI World Cup Qualifying Grand Prix Freestyle on Friday evening from 4 p.m. – 7 p.m.

Divertimento had a break from the show ring while traveling with other grand prix mount Don Auriello, and Vilhelmson-Silfven was thrilled with the gelding’s first outing in some time. Divertimento occasionally suffers from a bit of performance anxiety, so Vilhelmson-Silfven was happy to feel him relax during their test.

“The best feeling I had was in the canter. He relaxed a little bit more once I got going. It was a bit tense starting, but he felt better and better. I was very pleased with the canter work because that’s not always the easiest on him. I was happy with the pirouettes and the zig-zags, but overall I was happy he was so good in his mind and so relaxed,” Vilhelmson-Silfven commented.

Vilhelmson-Silfven opted out of any freestyle competitions with Divertimento to concentrate on helping the horse mature, a decision that has clearly paid off.

“He feels much more mature. I took a break from freestyles just to get him more focused and trained a bit instead. I think I felt today that it was the best thing to do to give him a little bit of a competition break and get more mature and more ready for what he should do,” Vilhelmson-Silfven remarked.

When asked if Wellington was a good luck charm for Vilhelmson-Silfven, who has had three CDI victories in her first three outings, she smiled, “It must be! It’s been a great thing for me these years, traveling here and being able to compete her in the wintertime, when everything actually stops a bit [in Europe]. It’s been good for these horses.”

Tinne Vilhelmson-Silfven and Divertimento in their honor lap.

Adrienne Lyle was the highest placed American rider after a fifth place finish with Peggy Thomas’ Wizard, another horse back in the show ring after some time off.

“It’s been a year since we’ve been in the ring. We did a national show in preparation for this and I thought today he felt much better, so hopefully we’re going in the right direction,” Lyle detailed.

“I worked just on my technical parts of the test today, making sure I get back in test-riding mode. Riding the corners, riding the preparations. We had a couple losses of balance coming into the piaffe, it was not so good, and then a couple little issues that I think we can get better, but really just trying to get back from training mode,” she continued.

Lyle looks forward to competing the rest of the season of AGDF to get Wizard, and herself, back in top form. With a whopping 30 entries in the FEI Grand Prix, she shouldn’t have any trouble getting the exposure she is looking for.

“It’s amazing. It’s so above and beyond any numbers of anything I’ve been in. It’s so exciting!” Lyle expressed.

Peterson, Munder Gundersen, and Vilhelmson-Silfven all agreed that a class as large as Thursday’s was quite similar to numbers seen in Europe, which provides riders with top tier competition.

“I think it’s great. This feeling that we could look a little bit in the morning and get ready and warm up. That’s kind of the way we can sometimes do it in Europe. I really liked that today, the possibility of seeing somebody else ride (in the Grand Prix class). And great rides this morning as well,” Vilhelmson-Silfven described.

“You don’t get many chances to watch Grand Prix all day, at least I don’t,” Lyle commented. “Not in Idaho!”

Vilhelmson-Silfven was also awarded with the Champion Equine Insurance Dressage Style Award for her winning ride with Divertimento. Gabriella Stumpf was awarded the Show Chic Turnout Award during the FEI Jog on Wednesday afternoon.

Tinne Vilhelmson-Silfven and Divertimento in their winning presentation.

Competition for AGDF 3 continues Friday with the FEI Prix St. Georges presented by Chespeake Dressage Institute starting at 11:05 a.m., followed by the featured class for the week, the FEI World Cup Qualifying Grand Prix Freestyle presented by US P.R.E. Association from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Final Results: FEI Grand Prix presented by US P.R.E. Association

Rider, Country, Horse: Judge E%, Judge H%, Judge C%, Judge M%, Judge B%, Total%

1 Tinne Vilhelmson-Silfven, SWE, Divertimento: 76.400%, 73.700%, 77.300%, 75.600%, 72.000%, 75.000%

2 Lars Petersen, DEN, Mariett: 72.500%, 71.600%, 74.400%, 73.700%, 74.400%, 73.320%

3 Mikala Munter Gundersen, DEN, My Lady: 72.800%, 71.400%, 71.200%, 70.900%, 71.900%, 71.640%

4 Megan Lane, CAN, Caravella: 70.500%, 71.000%, 73.400%, 68.400%, 71.800%, 71.020%

5 Adrienne Lyle, USA, Wizard: 68.900%, 71.800%, 71.400%, 66.400%, 72.000%, 70.100%

6 David Marcus, CAN, Chrevi’s Capital: 70.700%, 67.700%, 69.700%, 70.400%, 68.200%, 69.340%

7 Belinda Trussell, CAN, Anton: 67.700%, 69.400%, 70.500%, 66.300%, 68.100%, 68.400%

8 Katherine Bateson Chandler, USA, Wellnetta: 66.900%, 70.500%, 67.100%, 67.600%, 69.800%, 68.830%

Photo Credit: Photos © SusanJStickle.com. These photos may be used only in relation to this press release and must include photo credit.

Calvin Smith is a truck driver by trade. He was introduced to the BALIMO chair in a warehouse out of which he operated his trucking company.  He became involved by happenstance. Cal started sitting on a BALIMO chair and began to feel significant improvements in his back, mobility and comfort level for driving long distances. He was so impressed with the benefits the BALIMO chair had on his physical functioning, he decided to “go for it” and bought BALIMO Chairs, Inc.

Cal stated: “I like to say this is a very simple chair for a very complicated body, and there are no gimmicks to the magic the BALIMO can do for your body.  I sit on the chair at my desk, the dinner table and take one with me when I have to drive.  I drive at least 100,000 miles a year between doing shows and driving 18-wheelers.”

Eckart Meyners, being a movement expert and having worked with the German National Equestrian team for over 30 years is always looking for a better way to help riders train. According to Cal, “as it was told to me by Jeurgen Billich, who is an engineer and Eckart’s bother-in-law, made a prototype of the BALIMO chair. When Eckart saw the chair he knew instantly that this was something he had been looking for to enhance the training of the rider. The rest we can say is history.”

BALIMO (Balance in Motion) recognizes that the horse mirrors the rider in its movements.   Communication with the horse is improved by reducing tension and points of blockage in the rider.  BALIMO training uses specifically selected exercises (mounted, unmounted & BALIMO chair) to improve the mobility of the rider’s pelvis and spine, teaching the riders’ seat to follow the 3D movements of the horse.

According to Cal, the BALIMO chair can help almost anyone who is not wheelchair bound, from babies learning to stand to the elderly.   “When my 84 year old Dad and I played golf, it took him at least three steps to get his feet under him.”

Cal recounted that after some resistance, his father finally started sitting on the BALIMO chair for a few minutes each day. It did not take long for him to start seeing improvement. What the chair did was awaken mobility nerves that had gone dormant and re-energized them.

“For myself, I have an L5 disk issue, was lacking flexibility and had pain down my leg.  From using the BALIMO chair at my desk and at the dinner table, I no longer have pain. My improved flexibility even surprised my doctor.”

What the BALIMO chair can do for you, the equestrian is amazing. You can use this chair while sitting in front of a mirror. You can mimic what you do in the saddle and work out postural issues. While doing so you are working on core strength as well as strengthening the entire spine.  When sitting on the BALIMO, even though the seat is round, you get the same feel as being in the saddle.  The seat has a slight dome and is firm. Like a well-fitted saddle, the BALIMO chair forces you to sit on your seat bones. This position allows you to engage in movements, work out issues in front of a mirror and transfer that learning to the next time you are on the horse.

The genius of the BALIMO is in the seat. The rest of the chair is a very elegant five-legged stool that is hand crafted and built to support up to 500 lbs. Because of its five-legged design, it is almost impossible to tip over. The limit plate allows the seat to tilt to a 20-degree depth. This is the point at which you get the maximum return for your effort, yet are still safe.

The reason the BALIMO chair works so well, is the seat.  The seat has a ball socket that is placed up and into the bottom of the seat. This allows the seat to be as close to being with your body as possible.  The seat forces your body to sit in the manner it is designed, which is sitting on the seat bones not across the entire bottom. When you first sit down you will feel your core engage instead of your legs. This allows the pivot point of the seat to be as close to the pivot point of your spine as you can get.

When you first sit down you will feel your core muscles engage instead of your leg muscles. This is good because it’s your core not your legs that will improve your riding. Like in the saddle, you do not balance on the BALIMO with your legs but by using your core muscles.

According to Cal, “the design of the seat allows for continuous passive motion when sitting. What this means is that when you are sitting at your desk working, your body is still engaged and moving even though you may not think so, and is still helping keep you loose.”

According to Cal: “People ask me why the BALIMO does not have a back.  My response is that the BALIMO positions the body to sit the way it was designed and when this happens a back is not necessary. As soon as you lean up against the back of a conventional chair, your body shuts down and the nerve centers start to go dormant. Stiffness and other problems begin.  When you put all this together, the BALIMO chair is the only chair out there that keeps the body three-dimensional at all times.”

Practitioners in Chiropractic medicine have endorsed the BALIMO. Dr. Ray Slogar shared: “then I tried what we in my office like to call “THE CORE CHAIR”. You were “riding” one in front of me to show me how to use it. I quickly felt the muscle tissue around my lower back, sides and abdomen fire in order to balance my upper frame.

The core muscle tissue activation was only the beginning. As you demonstrated and I imitated the clock positions motions and the rotations, I began to realized that this chair could be a source of pain relief and core stabilization muscle tissue development for my patient/clients; many of whom see themselves as sports enthusiasts, yet suffer spinal-related pain from the neck all the way down to where they sit.”

Whether you are using the BALIMO for office/computer, exercise, rehab, athletic training, or just to feel better the chair will help. Of course, we are extremely excited about the BALIMO chair as a fitness aid for riding!

Please plan to come meet Cal and test ride the BALIMO chair February 15-16^th at the Global Dressage Forum North America 2014, at the Jim Brandon Equestrian Center in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Sharon Packer

Calvin Smith is a truck driver by trade and was introduced to BALIMO at a time when the chairs were being stored by another business in the warehouse out of which he operated his trucking company.  He became involved by happenstance. Mr. Smith started sitting on a BALIMO chair and began to feel significant improvements in his back, mobility and comfort level for driving long distances. He was so impressed with the benefits the BALIMO chair had on his physical functioning, he decided to “go for it” and bought BALIMO Chairs.

Mr. Smith stated: “I like to say this is a very simple chair for a very complicated body, and there are no gimmicks to the magic the BALIMO can do for one’s body.  I sit on the chair at my desk, the dinner table and take one with me when I have to drive.  I drive at least 100,000 miles a year between doing shows and driving 18-wheelers.”

The BALIMO’s original intent was for the equestrian world because Eckart Meyners, cofounder of the BALIMO Program, spent so many years working with that group of athletes. This chair has so many applications for and beyond the equestrian world.   BALIMO (Balance in Motion) recognizes that the horse mirrors the rider in its movements.   Communication with the horse is by improved by reducing tension and points of blockage in the rider.  BALIMO training uses specifically selected exercises (mounted, unmounted & BALIMO chair) to improve the mobility of the rider’s pelvis and spine, teaching the riders’ seat to follow the 3D movements of the horse. 

According to Mr. Smith, the BALIMO chair can help almost anyone who is not wheelchair bound, including the elderly.   “When my 84 year old Dad and I played golf, it took him at least three steps to get his feet under him.

Mr.  Smith recounted that after some resistance, his father finally started sitting on the BALIMO chair for a few minutes each day. It did not take long for him to start seeing improvement. What the chair did was awaken mobility nerves that had gone dormant and re-energized them.

“For myself, I have an L5 disk issue, was lacking flexibility and had pain down my leg.  From using the BALIMO  chair at my desk and at the dinner table,  I no longer have pain. My improved flexibility even surprised my doctor.

What the BALIMO chair can do for the equestrian is amazing.  A rider can use this chair while sitting in front of a mirror. The rider can mimic what he does in the saddle and work out postural issues. While doing so the rider is working on core strength as well as strengthening the entire spine.  When sitting on the BALIMO, even though the seat is round, one gets the same feel as being in the saddle.  The seat has a slight dome and is firm. Like a well-fitted saddle, the BALIMO chair forces the rider to sit on his seat bones. This position allows the rider to engage in movements, work out issues in front of a mirror and transfer that learning to the next time he is on the horse.

The genius of the BALIMO  is in the seat. The rest of the chair is a very elegant five-legged stool that is hand crafted and built to support up to 500 lbs. Because of its five-legged design, it is almost impossible to tip over. The limit plate allows the seat to tilt to a 20-degree depth. This is the point at which one gets the maximum return for his effort yet is still safe.

The reason the BALIMO chair works so well, is the seat.  The seat has a ball socket that is placed up and into the bottom of the seat. This design puts the pivot point of the seat as close to the pivot point of the spine as can be obtained. This allows the seat to be as close to being one with the body as possible. The seat has a slight domed shape to it and is firm.  This is what forces the body to sit in the manner it is designed which is sitting on the seat bones not across the entire bottom. When a person first sits down he will feel his core engage instead of his legs.  All the feet do is keep one from falling off the chair.

When one sits down his leg muscles do not engage.  Like in saddle, one does not balance on the  BALIMO  with his legs but with his core muscles.

According to Mr. Smith:

People ask me why the BALIMO does not have a back.  My response is that the BALIMO positions the body to sit the way it was designed and when this happens a back is not necessary. As soon as one leans up against the back of a conventional chair, the body shuts down and the nerve centers start to go dormant. Stiffness and other problems begin.  When you put all this together, the BALIMO  chair is the only chair out there that keeps the body three dimensional at all times.

Whether you are using the BALIMO for office/computer, exercise, rehab, athletic training, or just to feel better this chair will help.

Come visit Calvin Smith and test drive a BALIMO chair at the Global Dressage Forum North America 2014!

MEDIA CONTACT:

David Hasbury-Snogles, President, Ride Alert, USA

david@ridealert.us

Ride Alert is proud to announce that Theresa R. McManus is joining them as their new Director of Marketing with immediate effect.

“Ride Alert has progressed significantly over the past 12 months and we are very pleased with both the achievements made during that time and the way in which we have been able to promote what is essentially a new, but very important service to the US equestrian market. We are aware however that in order to move us to the’ next level’ and bring Ride Alert to a much wider audience, we needed to engage the assistance of a dynamic, experienced, and well-respected equestrian who could propel us forward in 2014.  Having worked with us on other projects for some time now and in an unofficial capacity with Ride Alert for the last few months, we quickly came to realize that the person we were looking for was already at our side, so we moved to secure her valuable and remarkable talents before she was snapped up by another company!” – Anita Hasbury-Snogles, Co-Founder, Ride-Alert, USA.

“I am very excited to be working with Ride Alert,” says Theresa McManus, new Director of Marketing. “As a Rider myself, I can see the immense value in the service that Ride Alert provides and I want to be able to provide all riders, their families, and the equestrian organizations that they are members of with the opportunity to learn about the products and services that Ride Alert provides. Not only to help them improve their safety around horses, but in offering their parents, spouses, and even their children the peace of mind to know that should the worst happen, someone is there to take the call and assist them when they need it most. I firmly believe that every Rider needs Ride Alert – young or old, experienced or novice – and it is now my job to make that happen.” – Theresa R. MacManus, Director of Marketing, Ride Alert, USA.

About Theresa

Earlier in her career, Theresa spent several years in Europe honing her riding skills and training under some well-known and highly respected equestrians in Spain such as Alvaro Domecq, Alejandro Muldando, Nuno Oliviro and The Spanish Riding School itself.  In England she trained under Carol Broad, BHSF, Molly Sivewright, Walter Biddlecombe and Donald Smith, and with Silvia Loch while living in Scotland.

While taking advantage of learning from some of the best training available at the time, she also gave back a little of her time and expertise through managing and organizing various equine events – competing (eventing and carriage driving), creating riding clubs, organizing, managing and judging many riding competitions herself, including designing a number of show jumping courses.

Perhaps her greatest achievement back then was in training the British Modern Pentathlon team (show jumping), leading to the Team winning the Bronze medal at the World Championships in 1987 and the Olympic Bronze medal in Seoul, Korea the following year.  One of the team members (Richard Phelps) went on to win the Men’s Individual World Championship single day Pentathlon in 1993 (the first Briton ever to do so!).

Upon returning to the U.S., Theresa became a Partner in a large Consulting business and was very instrumental in the success of many companies including well-known names such as Priceline.com, and The Hartford Insurance Company. Today, she runs her own equine business in Dillwyn, VA where she instructs riders, trains horses and coaches competitors. She hosts Equine Information Sessions to expose riders to training and practices that promote lightness in their riding, nutrition and equine care, as well as organizing a number of Clinics and a Summer Camp for local children.

About Ride-Alert

Ride Alert is a US based partner of the worldwide AlertID Group who have been providing identification support services in the UK for over 15 years. Ride Alert provides a simple online means to identify you and your horse and to record your medical and emergency contact details for later use by anyone who may need them in the event of an accident or illness. Ride-Alert has been developed to provide peace of mind for riders and their families. As well as providing visible identification products for riders, horses and property, there is also the added comfort of having a 24/7 Emergency Support Team on call and ready to assist in any emergency situation.

Since being introduced in the USA at the beginning of this year, Ride Alert has formed working partnerships with a number of well-known Local and National organizations such as the State Horse Councils of Virginia, Kansas, and Colorado, the ACTHA, USRider, CHA, and renowned Clinician, TV Host and Road-to-the-Horse ‘Wildcard’ – Kerry Kuhn – who is Ride Alert’s official Ambassador. We also have a new phone app now available for iPhone users, with an Android version coming soon!

“Ride Alert is something that we all are going to not want to be without. Being able to have access to valuable lifesaving information can be critical in the case of an accident. We all know how dangerous being around horses can be, so having the peace of mind for your kids and family that they (as well as yourself) are signed up with Ride Alert can be an incredible asset.  I know I can’t protect my children from everything, but I can at least equip them with Ride Alert! – Kerry Kuhn, Clinician, TV show Host, and Ambassador for Ride Alert, USA.

For more information take a look at our website ridealert.us and follow us on Facebook at ridealert247 or ridealert for the phone app page.

January 20-21, 2014

Steffen Peters and Scott Hassler presented concise, straightforward insights for enhancing the performance of each horse at its level of development and training.  Peters alternated between training from the ground and actually riding the horses.  It is intriguing how our habits may be counter-productive or serve no purpose.  At one point, Peters asked a rider the purpose for her whip.  Since she did not know, he told her to get rid of it.  Another observation by Peters, “when we use a spur, there must be a reaction.  Make a difference.”  

Hassler offered his insights from the ground.  Of particular interest was his reflecting on the training a horse with home he had worked over the years, Faberge, ridden and trained by Jessica Jo Tate.  

In addition, Jochen Schleese presented a most informative overview of horse anatomy in relation to proper saddle fit.  He emphasized the necessity of avoiding pressure on nerves that in turn negatively affect horse movement through their attempts at pain avoidance.    

The conference was sold out to an extremely receptive and captivated audience of dressage riders and supporters.

Many thanks to Mary Anne McPhail for welcoming all to her High Meadow Farm in Loxahatchee, Florida.

Please enjoy our photo documentation of the event.