Kimberly and Cassidy Palmer performing a Pas de Deux freestyle test on Saturday at CHIO Aachen (www.barny-th.de)
The first weekend of competition at CHIO Aachen wrapped up on Sunday with six U.S. vaulters putting forth great efforts and gaining valuable experience. Four individuals and one Pas de Deux team represented the U.S. in CVIO3* competition with Kimberly and Cassidy Palmer and Alicen Divita leading the way.
The Palmer Sisters (Half Moon Bay, CA) vaulting on Wolfgang Renz’s Leon 364 and lunged by Wolfgang Renz, earned scores of 6.658 and 7.302 on their way to a fourth place finish in the Pas de Deux competition.
In the three-phase individual female competition Alicen Divita (Redwood City, CA), vaulting on her mother Julie Divita’s Pino del Rio and lunged by Elke Lensing, was the U.S.’s top representative. With a tenth place finish in the compulsory competition, an impressive fourth in the technical competition, and eighth in Saturday’s freestyle competition, Divita earned a sixth place overall finish with an average score of 7.465.
Also competing for the U.S. were Elizabeth Ioannou (Saratoga, CA), who finished in twelfth place overall and Mary Garrett (Seal Beach, CA), who finished fourteenth.
In the individual male competition Kristian Roberts (Moss Beach, CA) was the U.S.’s sole representative. Vaulting on Wolfgang Renz’s Leon 364 and lunged by Wolfgang Renz, Roberts finished in fourteenth place overall.
Jan Ebeling and Rafalca (SusanJStickle.com)
Dressage
In dressage competition the United States will have representation in each division with six athletes competing on eight horses. The U.S. sends four talented pairs to the CDIO5* which will run June 27-30. Jan Ebeling (Moorpark, CA) will ride his 2012 Olympic veteran Ann Romney, Beth Meyers, and Amy Ebeling’s Rafalca. Tina Konyot (Palm City, FL) also brings her Olympic Games partner Calecto V. They will be joined by rising stars Shelly Francis (Loxahatchee, FL) and Patricia Stempel’s Doktor. Rounding out the U.S.’s CDIO5* team is Olympic Games and FEI World Equestrian Games Team medalist Steffen Peters (San Diego, CA), who will ride Four Winds Farm’s Legolas 92.
In 2013, the United States will be represented in CDI-U25 competition for the first time; Caroline Roffman (Wellington, FL) will vie for top honors with Hyperion Farm, Inc’s Sagacious HF. The pair was awarded a Dutta Corp. flight to train and compete in Europe and look to make a splash at the prestigious European CDI.
CDI-U25 competition will run June 28-29 and features 15 competitors from eight nations.
The United States will send three combinations down center line in the CDI4*, which will be held June 26-29. In Big Tour competition, Grand Prix, Susie Dutta (Wellington, FL) will fly the flag for the U.S. with Tim Dutta Inc.’s Currency DC. While in the Prix St. Georges division, Small Tour, Francis brings Stempel’s Danilo and Roffman will ride her own Her Highness O.
A total of 57 competitors from 16 different nations are set to contest the CDIO5* and CDI4*.
Learn more about the dressage competition at CHIO Aachen here.
Chester Weber (Shannon Brinkman)
The U.S. sends two of its most experienced drivers into CAIO-4 competition this week in Aachen. The driving portion of CHIO Aachen will run June 25-30 and hosts 25 competitors from 10 nations. Chester Weber (Ocala, FL) is no stranger to success in international competition, having won four FEI World Championship medals. Recently, he won at the Saumur CAI-A4 with his own and Jane Clark’s team, he looks to win his second competition in the month of June in Aachen. Jimmy Fairclough (Newtown, NJ) has represented the U.S. at numerous championships and has more than five National Titles to his name. He will look to utilize that experience as he drives a leased team from Koos de Ronde.
Learn more about the driving competition at CHIO Aachen here.
Tiana Coudray and Ringwood Magister (Mike McNally)
The 2013 Aachen CICO3* represents a new challenge for the Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team as they contest the highly regarded competition for the first time. A team of four experienced riders are set to try and help the United States secure CICO3* victory in their inaugural effort. Tiana Coudray (Ojai, CA) brings Jatial, Inc.’s Ringwood Magister to Aachen. Will Faudree (Hoffman, NC) makes a return to the venue of the 2006 FEI World Equestrian Games having represented the U.S. at those championships; in 2013 he rides Jennifer Mosing’s Pawlow. Marilyn Little (Fredrick, MD) will ride her Raylyn Farms Inc. and Phoebe and Michael Manders’ RF Smoke on the Water. Rounding out the American effort is Clark Montgomery (Wiltshire, UK) and Jessica Montgomery, Carole Montgomery, Janet Higgins, and Elizabeth Smith’s Universe.
The Aachen CICO3* runs June 27-29 and features 40 competitors from 10 nations.
Learn more about the eventing competition at CHIO Aachen here.
Laura Kraut and Cedric (Shannon Brinkman)
Always a destination competition for the top jumpers in the world, the Aachen CSIO5* once again hosts the very best in the game June 25-30 as 62 riders from 17 nations line up. The U.S. will be represented by two of its most experienced and accomplished competitors. Olympic and FEI World Equestrian Games Team medalist, Laura Kraut (Royal Palm Beach, FL) brings four horses to Aachen; Cherry Knoll Farm’s Cedric, Le Bon’s Jubilee D’Ouilly, Joan Kalman and the Freedom Group’s Woodstock O, and Stars and Stripes’ Bonito R. Reigning Rolex/FEI World Cup Final champion, Beezie Madden (Cazenovia, NY) has two entries for Aachen’s prestigious classes; Abigail Wexner’s Cortes ‘C’ and Vanilla.
Learn more about the jumping competition at CHIO Aachen here.
To learn more about all the U.S. competitors for CHIO Aachen see the media guide.
Follow the 2013 U.S. Teams here.