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 Simon Delestre and Quiness de Mezel (Elan de la Cour) take the Accumulator Round in Hamburg. Sportfot/GCT. The Global Champions Tour of Hamburg started of very early mornings with the first 5* competition of the day.
A total of 40 combinations decided to set their alarm clocks in order to compete in this accumulator jumping competition. In this kind of competition every fence that is jumped without faults counts for points. The last fence was the “Joker” which could count for 20 additional points incase the rider decided to jump the fence.
Nine combinations completed the course designed by Frank Rothenberger, without faults among which the winner of the GCT Grand Prix of Hamburg 2011 Rolf Goran Bengtson, Swiss power house Pius Schwizer and his fellow countrymen Steve Guerdat and Michael Whitaker, who recently was second in the GCT Grand Prix of Valencia.
Simon Delestre and Quiness du Mezel were the fastest combination to jump all fences clear in a time of 55.04 seconds. Second place was for Michael Whitacker and Ingliston Twister in 55.32 seconds. Third place went to Pius Schwizer on Powerplay finishing in 56.85 seconds.
Continue reading Successful Wake up Call for Simon Delestre
 Beezie Madden and Simon (Mr Blue x Polydox) won the $50,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic at the Kentucky Spring Horse Show. Photo By: Rebecca Walton/PMG. Lexington, KY – May 11, 2012 -Tonight marked the first of two Observation Events during the Kentucky Spring Horse Show, where the victory went to long listed rider Beezie Madden aboard Simon during the $50,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic. Only two horse and rider combinations were able to complete the course without jumping or time faults, but after a long winter, second place finisher Margie Engle withdrew from the jump-off with Indigo to save him for another day. Six entries left all the fences intact during today’s class, but were just over the time allowed to add a time fault to their score. The fastest of the group was Charlie Jayne with YJC Graduate Chill R Z, who took home the third place honors.
Tonight’s course was designed by Richard Jeffery of Bournemouth, England, and featured a triple bar-oxer double combination, an oxer-vertical double combination, and a vertical-oxer liverpool double combination. A number of faults came at the second jump, a tall vertical near the gate, and the first and last double combinations. The biggest factor was time though, with only five riders completing the course without additional infractions due to time, and only two were able to do so while leaving all the rails in place.
Continue reading Beezie Madden and Simon Win $50,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic
 (10 May 2012) CORK’s Shane Sweetnam will lead out the Irish team at the French Superleague Nations’ Cup in La Baule today (Friday), where Ireland has this evening been drawn second to jump of the world’s top eight teams.
Robert Splaine, Team Ireland Equestrian’s show jumping manager, has selected his team to compete in the following order:
Shane Sweetnam/Amaretto d’Arco (Darco x Tenor Manciais)
Jessica Kurten/Vincente (Oklund x Ufarno)
Cian O’Connor/Blue Loyd (Landor S x Hadja x)
Denis Lynch/Lantinus (Landkoenig x Argentinus)
Ireland won at La Baule in 2011 after being drawn sixth to jump, with Sweetnam and Amaretto d’Aarco also opening the scoring for Ireland.
Continue reading IJF Nominated Amaretto d’Arco and Shane Sweetnam to Lead Irish Team in La Baule Nations Cup
 Hector Florentino and Ultimo (Marlon x Laroche) won the $35,000 Welcome Cup at the 2012 Kentucky Spring Horse Show. Photo By: Rebecca Walton/PMG. Lexington, KY – May 9, 2011- Speed was the name of the game during the first day of the Kentucky Spring Horse Show, and the Dominican Republic’s Hector Florentino had it with Ultimo. The pair dominated the $35,000 Welcome Cup, clocking in at a speedy 67.530 seconds, which earned the blue ribbon prize during the speed event. Ashlee Bond stepped up to place second with her veteran mount Cadett 7, while the lead-off rider Kent Farrington, placed third with Voyeur.
Today’s class was the first major event during the Kentucky Spring Horse Show, which will be hosting two Observation Events for the U.S. Show Jumping Team later in the week. To welcome the riders, course designer Richard Jeffery of Bournemouth, England, built a speed track in the Rolex Stadium that included a double combination, a triple combination, and open water with a pole, and multiple inside options. Seven of today’s 24 entries completed their rounds without fault, but it was Hector Florentino and Stransky’s Mission Farm’s Ultimo that took home the lion’s share of the prize money.
Continue reading Hector Florentino and YJC Graduate Ultimo Speed to Victory in $35,000 Welcome Cup
 Rich Fellers and Flexible (Cruising x Safari xx) Go Two-For-Two (Rick Osteen Photography) Del Mar, CA - For a second night Marina Azevedo built a demanding course at the Del Mar National Horse Show for the 20 entries to jump in the $100,000 Hermes Grand Prix of Del Mar presented by Intuit. Six of the entries contesting the 13 obstacle course were members of the USEF Long List for the U.S. Show Jumping Team for the 2012 Olympic Games. These combinations were contesting the first of four 2012 US Show Jumping Team
Observation Events. And in the second and final class of the Del Mar Observation Event long listed riders once again jumped into top placings.
In the first round, only two combinations were able to produce fault-free efforts. Two members of the USEF Long List for the U.S. Show Jumping Team for the 2012 Olympic Games, Rich Fellers and Flexible and Lauren Hough with Blue Angel, would need to return and jump-off to decide the winner of Saturday’s class. Neither Fellers nor Hough were able to reproduce their clear efforts from round one with both collecting four faults. However, Fellers (Sherwood, OR) produced the quickest jump-off time for the second night in a row, to claim his second Grand Prix victory of the Observation Event.
Continue reading Two-For-Two! Fellers and Flexible Win the $100,000 Hermes Grand Prix of Del Mar
 Rich Fellers & Flexible (Cruising x Safari xx) (Rick Osteen Photography) Del Mar, CA – by Helen Murray – An international field contested the $50,000 Surfside Grand Prix presented by ShowBiz Magazine Friday evening at the Del Mar National Horse Show. Of the 26 entries in the class, six combinations were members of the USEF Long List for the U.S. Show Jumping Team for the 2012 Olympic Games. The prestigious California horse show, held at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, serves as the first of four 2012 US Show Jumping Team Observation Events. Leading the victory lap tonight were Rich Fellers and Flexible, having bested the five horse jump-off, which included three long listed combinations.
Lauren Hough was the first member of the USEF Long List for the U.S. Show Jumping Team for the 2012 Olympic Games to produce a fault-free effort over the first round. Riding Robyn Parsky’s Blue Angel, the Wellington, FL resident jumped a tidy, efficient round over the initial course. In the jump-off the 10-year-old Anglo-European mare looked on her way to producing a second clear round but slicing the turn to the penultimate jump resulted in four faults. They finished in fourth place.
Continue reading Fellers and Flexible do it Again, Flying to Victory in the $50,000 Surfside Grand Prix
Ukranian rider Cassio Rivetti clinched victory in the opening CSI 5*competition today despite a fast challenge from current GCT champion Edwina Tops-Alexander.
Cassio rode a deceptively quick round on his 12-year-old bay stallion Böckmanns Lazio finishing in a winning time of 57.19. The stallion’s big stride paid dividends on the course designed by Frank Rothenberger and after the prize giving Cassio said: “He jumped a really good round. He has had some experience here before and I believe that helped as he really liked this speed class.”
World No 1 female rider Edwina sped into second place on her consistently high performing mare Mel d’Argences in a time of 57.48 just a fraction behind Cassio. Edwina, the first GCT euro millionaire, had an impressive start to the 2012 GCT series by winning the opening Grand Prix of 2012 in Doha, Qatar, last month.
The great names in show jumping from around the world were out in force for the first 5* international class.
Continue reading Cassio Rivetti (UKR) Triumphs on the Opening Day of the Global Champions Tour in Spain, Spooner (USA) 3rd, Lamaze (CAN) 4th.
Del Mar, CA - The first of four Observation Events for the U.S. Olympic Show Jumping Team gets underway this weekend at the Del Mar National Horse Show, held May 1-6, 2012. Horses and riders on the USEF Long List for the U.S. Show Jumping Team for the 2012 Olympic Games will jump Friday in the $50,000 Surfside Grand Prix presented by ShowBiz Magazine and Saturday in the $100,000 Hermes Grand Prix of Del Mar presented by Intuit. Five combinations from the long list will contest these two classes along with other entries competing at the prestigious California horse show.
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Rich Fellers and Flexible (Cruising x Safari xx) Susan J. Stickle/PhelpsSports.com.
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Rich Fellers will bring his 2012 Rolex/FEI World Cup Final winning partner, Flexible, to the Observation Event. Fellers and Harry and Mollie Chapman’s 16-year-old Irish Sport Horse stallion broke a 25 year winless drought for the U.S. in Rolex/FEI World Cup Finals two weeks ago in ’s-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands. The pair is ranked seventh on the USEF Long List for the U.S. Show Jumping Team for the 2012 Olympic Games.
Also competing this weekend is Lauren Hough. The 2000 Sydney Olympic Games and 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games veteran returns to her California roots riding Blue Angel. Hough and Robin Parsky’s 10-year-old Anglo-European mare were third in the $50,000 Horseware Ireland Grand Prix at the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival in January.
Additionally, there are three up-and-coming riders in the field that have made a huge impact in the Young Rider ranks and are now making names for themselves at the highest-level.
Continue reading Olympic Observation Events to Begin at Del Mar National Horse Show
 Capping a successful week, Jill Henselwood and YJC graduate, George (Garant x Don Juan) on their way to winning the $40,000 HITS Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, at HITS Culpeper on Sunday. ©ESI Photography. CULPEPER, VA (April 24, 2012) – Canadian Olympian Jill Henselwood aboard Juniper Farm’s George continued her journey towards the Pfizer Million and the 2012 Olympics with a big win at Commonwealth Park in Sunday’s $40,000 HITS Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health. As she prepares for the Nations Cup Series in Belgium and Austria, Henselwood spent last week in Culpeper, Virginia where she also picked up wins in Friday’s $15,000 Brook Ledge Open Jumper Prix and Thursda y’s $2,000 Level 7 Jumper.
“I came to Virginia to make sure [George] is on his game and I knew we would be guaranteed good weather since there is snow at home,” said Henselwood. “The venue and the competition were super. These Virginia riders are always quick, so it was great preparation.”
Fellow Canadian Danny Foster of Milton, Ontario designed the course and presented riders an immediate jump-off option. Foster crafted a 14-obstacle track, which included three double combinations. Faults were scattered as his course proved to be challenging, but attainable. Ten were clear over the first round course, but only two managed to produce double clear efforts – Henselwood and Laura Linback of Mundelin, Illinois in the irons of Woodrun’s HH Dauphin.
Continue reading Jill Henselwood and YJC Graduate, George Kick off HITS Culpeper with a Triple Threat
 Rich Fellers (USA) riding Flexible (Cruising x Safari xx) winner of the Rolex FEI World Cup™ Final 2012. Kit Houghton/FEI photo. by Louise Parkes
America’s Rich Fellers and the amazing Irish-bred stallion Flexible stormed to victory in a thrilling third-round jump-off at the Rolex FEI World Cup™ Jumping Final in ’s-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands today. Only Switzerland’s Steve Guerdat and his 11-year-old gelding, Nino des Buissonnets, were left to challenge the US partnership against the clock in the closing stages, but despite a superb effort, they had to yield to the pure determination of a horse and rider who, quite simply, never give up.
Flexible was all but written off twice during his career due to severe injury, but overcame the odds to return to the top of the sport each time. For the legion of fans who have followed the 16-year-old son of Cruising and his rider from Oregon (USA) who bought the chestnut stallion in Cavan, Ireland 10 years ago, today was a dream come true. Unorthodox in his movement and jumping style, and the oldest in the competition at 16 years of age, Flexible showed the same kind of spirit as his sire, Cruising, who was runner-up at the FEI World Cup™ Jumping Final 13 years ago in Gothenburg (SWE). Flexible was second at the same venue himself in 2008, and has competed at all of the last five Rolex FEI World Cup™ Jumping Finals, but today it was his turn to stand under the spotlight. And the courageous stallion and his rider fought every inch of the way, bringing the packed stadium at the Brabanthalle in ’s-Hertogenbosch to their feet in an emotional tribute after their incredible round in the jump-off, while it was Guerdat who stood second on the podium ahead of fellow-countryman Pius Schwizer in third.
Continue reading FELLERS AND FLEXIBLE RECORD FIRST US VICTORY IN 25 YEARS AT THRILLING ROLEX FINALE
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