(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.
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.
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.
IJF Graduate Zenith ISF (Judgement ISF x Clever Trick xx) won the Advanced division at Poplar Place HT.
Leslie Law and Zenith ISF continue to amaze as they work their way up the levels. In their third Advanced outing they won at Poplar Place with a score of 53.80 [16 XC time and [...]
Wellington, FL – March 30, 2012 – The FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival hosted the Adequan Young Jumper Finals today in the International Arena for three age groups. The $20,000 Adequan 8-Year-Old Young Jumper Final victory went to Ronan McGuigan (IRL) and Capall Zidane. Andres Rodriguez (VEN) and Aberdeen took the top spot in the $20,000 Adequan 7-Year-Old Young Jumper Final. Riding Lionshare Farm’s Wayfarer, Peter Leone (USA) won the $15,000 Adequan 6-Year-Old Young Jumper Final. In the Rost Arena, Arriana Boardman of New York City won the Horseware Ireland Adult Amateur 3′3″ Hunter championship with Red Carpet.
Carst VDL (Harley VDL x Calido I) and Todd Minikus top the YJC Clear Round Club, representing horses that have jumped clear in every YJC Qualifier to date in 2012. Sportfot.com photo.
In the midst of the excitement surrounding the Olympic Selection Trials, we pause to think about what it is that makes a champion. Superlatives like heart, scope and speed come to mind, but there’s also the often ignored quality of consistency. The ability to jump clear round after clear round doesn’t in itself guarantee success, but it certainly brings it within reach. With that in mind, we took a look at this season’s crop of Young Jumpers and have put together a list we call the Clear Round Club. The horse-and-rider combinations featured below have earned a minimum of three clear rounds in YJC Qualifiers, but the important point is none of them have incurred a first-round fault in a Qualifier so far this season. In baseball terms, they are batting 1000. The horses on the list represent all 4 age groups and are ranked by the number of clear rounds, to date:
1 CARST VDL (2007 ch.g. KWPN Harley VDL x Calido I), O: Stephanie Vijan, R: Todd Minikus, B: M. van de Bruggen (NED). Clear rounds = 7
2 FREESTYLE DE MUZE (2005 gr.g. BWP, Lord Z x Cento) O: Equinimity LLC, R: Richie Moloney, B: Joris de Brabander (BEL). Clear rounds = 6
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.
Wellington, FL – March 15, 2012 -The FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF) continued on Thursday with round ten of the $32,000 WEF Challenge Cup Series and a victory for Irish rider Shane Sweetnam and Spy Coast Farm’s Amaretto D’Arco. In a twelve horse jump-off, the pair was fastest of just two clear rounds, topping Canada’s Tiffany Foster and Victor, owned by Torrey Pines Stables and Artisan Farms LLC.
Sponsored by Artisan Farms, week ten features two classes on Sunday, March 18, on the grass field at The Stadium. Starting at 10:30 a.m., the $15,000 Artisan Farms Young Rider Grand Prix Final runs first and is followed by the $80,000 Pennfield Feeds Grand Prix CSI 2* at 2 p.m.
Today’s WEF Challenge Cup saw 46 entries showing over a course set by Michel Vaillancourt of Aiken, SC. Twelve posted clear rounds to return for the jump-off, but just two were able to clear the second round.
THERMAL, CA (February 24, 2012) – The second half of the 2012 HITS Desert Circuit is officially underway and exhibitors are flocking from all corners to Thermal, California. Entries have swelled to 2,700 stalls for the week and Thursday saw nine rings of competition buzzing all day long. Coming off an exciting win in Desert Circuit III’s $53,000 HITS Grand Prix CSI2*-W, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, Duncan McFarlane and Simone Cox’s Mr. Whoopy picked up right where they left off when they posted the fastest double-clear round in Thursday’s $32,000 HITS Desert Classic (FEI), presented by Pfizer Animal Health.
Olympic course designer Linda Allen brings you the complete guide to course building on DVD. 
(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.
