The USA's Richard Spooner and YJC graduate Cristallo (Caretino x Cicero) won the North American West Coast FEI World Cup™ Jumping qualifying series and will line out at 's-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands for the 2011/2012 Rolex FEI World Cup™ Final in two weeks time. Photo: FEI/Kit Houghton.
by Louise Parkes
The 2011/2012 North American FEI World Cup™ Jumping qualifying leagues concluded last weekend at Tampa in Florida (USA), yielding a star-studded selection of contenders for the 34th Rolex FEI World Cup™ Jumping Final at ’s-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands which is now only two weeks away.
Two separate leagues take place on the North American continent. The East Coast league began at Blainville in Quebec (CAN) last July, while the West Coast league kicked off at another Canadian fixture, Langley CSI2*-W, a month earlier. A total of four groups of athletes can qualify from this region – two from Canada, another two from Mexico, three from the USA West Coast League and seven from the USA East Coast series. And many of the riders who have made the cut for this season’s decider are big names that are likely to make their presence felt when the action gets underway at the Brabanthalle on 19 April. Continue reading Star-Studded Line-Up Emerges from North American FEI World Cup™ Jumping Qualifying Leagues
Beezie Madden and YJC Graduate Mademoiselle (Libertino x Silvester) were the winners of the $50,000 Grand Prix of Tampa CSI 2*-W after completing a jump-off round with blazing fast speed, beating Margie Engle by only a fraction of a second. Photo By: Kendall Bierer/PMG.
Tampa, FL – Sunday, April 1, 2012 – It was the concluding day of the Tampa Bay Classic today at the Bob Thomas Equestrian Center, and competition was fierce as the nation’s top competitors strived to pave their way to the 2012 World Cup Finals in ’s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands. The $50,000 Grand Prix of Tampa CSI 2*-W was the last opportunity for riders to qualify for the impending World Cup Finals, and the battle came down to two as Beezie Madden and Margie Engle fought to the finish. Madden and Mademoiselle emerged the victors, beating Engle’s jump-off time by only six-tenths of a second.
This afternoon, riders gathered beneath the Covered Arena to compete over courses designed by Michel Vaillancourt of Canada. The first round featured an imposing opening oxer-vertical line, followed by an oxer leading to another vertical-oxer line. Riders were also challenged by a vertical-oxer-vertical triple combination, an oxer-vertical double combination and a daunting grey wall. The course tested horse and rider alike, with combinations finding fault in multiple places, including the triple combination, double combination and the final oxer.
Only two riders were able to complete the first round without fault and advance to the short track. The course began with a single vertical bending to an oxer, after landing riders had the choice of making a wide turn around the fourth obstacle and moving onto an oxer or slicing the turn and saving some seconds. The oxer required an immediate right rollback leading to the last vertical of the triple combination, and then riders made a hard left over the oxer-vertical double combination. Finally, riders were faced with the grey wall, and galloped over the final oxer. Continue reading Beezie Madden Secures World Cup Spot With Victory Aboard YJC Graduate Mademoiselle
Wellington, FL – March 31, 2012 – Twenty-two-year-old Daniel Bluman, of Colombia, jumped to an exciting victory on Saturday night in the $500,000 FTI Consulting Finale Grand Prix, CSI 5* at the 2012 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF). Over 7,000 fans filled the stands to see the best of the best from the winter circuit compete under the lights in the International Arena at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. Bluman and his mount Sancha LS earned the top prize in a three-horse jump-off over Canada’s Ian Millar and Star Power and USA’s Lauren Hough and YJC Graduate Quick Study.
Wellington, FL – March 22, 2012 – Margie Engle and Indigo, Rich Fellers and Flexible, and Reed Kessler and Cylana are all tied at the top of the standings after round #3 of the USEF Selection Trials, which are being held to determine the riders that will represent the United States Show Jumping Team in the 2012 Olympic Games.
Riders showed in round #1 on Wednesday afternoon and round #2 earlier in the day on Thursday. The scores from all three rounds will carry over to Saturday evening when competitors will compete in a fourth and final round. This event also serves as the USEF National Show Jumping Championships, a return to the event that was last held in 2008.
Thirty horse and rider combinations showed in round #3 tonight over a demanding course set by Alan Wade of Ireland. Wade’s course tested the power, scope and stamina of all of the competitors, and none were able to clear the course without fault.
Kent Farrington and YJC Graduate Uceko (Celano x Koriander) posted one of eight clears in the first day of USEF Selection Trials for the 2012 Olympic Games.
Wellington, FL – March 21, 2012 – Week eleven of the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival kicked off on Wednesday with the exciting first round of the USEF Selection Trials for the U.S. Show Jumping Team for the 2012 Olympic Games. Eight of the USA’s top show jumping duos stood out from the pack with clear rounds in Selection Trial #1, including Reed Kessler and Cylana, Charlie Jayne and Athena, Margie Engle and Indigo, Laura Kraut and Teirra, Kirsten Coe and Baronez, Kent Farrington and Uceko, Christine McCrea and Romantovich Take One, and Mario Deslauriers and Urico.
Wellington, FL – March 18, 2012 – The tenth week of the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF) concluded with a day full of jumper competition at The Stadium on the beautiful grass field. Nick Skelton (GBR) and Beverly Widdowson’s Big Star earned yet another victory at the FTI WEF in the $80,000 Pennfield Feeds CSI 3* Grand Prix. Skelton and Big Star beat out Cian O’Connor (IRL) and KEC Alligator Alley and David McPherson (GBR) and Chamberlain Z in a three horse jump-off.
Sponsored by Artisan Farms, week ten ran from March 14-18. Week 11, which features the USEF Selection Trials for the U.S. Show Jumping Team for the 2012 Olympic Games, runs March 21-25.
Francie Steinwedell-Carvin riding Taunus (Koriander x Exkurs xx) at the CSI2*-W Thermal in California (USA). Photo: Flying Horse Photography / ROLEX.
The Rolex One to Watch for March 2012 is awarded to Francie Steinwedell-Carvin (USA). Based at Meadow Grove Farm in California, the 51-year-old jumped from 338th to 231st during February – a move up the Rolex Rankings of 107 places.
In recent years, Steinwedell-Carvin has enjoyed successes at a variety of high calibre competitions, taking part in numerous Grands Prix and FEI World Cup events with her many talented mounts, including YJC Graduates Splitfire (Hinault x Elberton), Twistar (Starman x Good Twist xx, bred in USA by Carlene Blunt) and Toldine (Baloubet du Rouet x Nimmerdor). 2011 was a successful year for the American rider, who finished third at the CSI2*-W in Burbank (USA) with the 12-year-old gelding, Taunus, in September, before going on to claim victory at the CSI2*-W in Las Vegas (USA) two months later with the same horse.
Wellington, FL – February 26, 2012 – The seventh week of the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival concluded today with an exciting 11 horse jump-off in the $32,000 Suncast® 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic. Nick Skelton (GBR) scored yet another big win with Big Star, owned by Beverley Widdowson. Second place went to fellow British rider Ben Maher on Quiet Easy 4, owned by Mrs. Phillips, while Darragh Kerins (IRL) and S&L Slingback, owned by S&L Farm, finished third.
Wellington, FL – February 25, 2012 – California’s Richard Spooner and Show Jumping Syndications International’s 14-year-old Holsteiner gelding Cristallo (Caretino x Cicero) galloped to victory in Saturday night’s $100,000 Fidelity Investments
® CSI 3* Grand Prix at the 2012 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival. The pair was the fastest by over two seconds over Katie Dinan (USA) and Grant Road Partner’s Nougat Du Vallet, who finished second, and Great Britain’s Ben Maher on Tripple-X III, who finished third.
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