Dressage:
Dressage riders on the West Coast battled it out this weekend at the Mid-Winter CDI3* held at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center. Jan Ebeling and Rafalca were impressive in both the Grand Prix and Grand Prix Freestyle, easily taking home top honors. The pair was the only one to top 70% with a freestyle score of 71.800%. Canadian Sharon Merkel-Beattie and Essence of Glory were first in the Grand Prix Special with a score of 64.042; Adrienne Lyle and Wizard were second.
Complete results can be viewed at: www.cornerstonedressage.com/results/MID%20WINTER%20RESULTS%202010.pdf.
Driving:
The Sunshine State CDE served as the third outing for Four-In-Hand drivers hoping to qualify for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG). Chester Weber and his team continued their winning ways from 2009. They were first after dressage and the marathon, and even after only having time faults in the cones were still able to defend their title. James Fairclough driving Jane Clark's team put in stellar performances to finish second, while David Saunders and Alan & Maureen Aulon's Morgans were third.
Monday and Tuesday team coaches Michael Freund and Peter Tischer were on hand from Germany to provide training sessions for the WEG candidates. After having seen improvement over the weekend in dressage, most of the session focused on the marathon and the cones phases.
In the Single Horse division Scott Monroe and his Morgan gelding, Bethesda After Dark, dominated all three phases finishing with only 106.82 in penalties. Finishing second was Donna Crookston and RG Cowboys Black Cadillac; Bob Koopman and Whippoorwill Keep Dancing were third. The Singles drivers participated in a training session with coach Koos deRonde Wednesday and Friday during the event. There will be training sessions for the Four-In-Hand and Singles candidates at the next selection trial, CAI Live Oak, March 25-28, 2010.
Endurance:
At the Sun City CEI1* and 2* held in La Union, NM, riders of all ages competed for top spots at the 75-and 50-mile distances. On Sunday, Doug Swingley and National Security won the 75 mile distance, making him the high-point rider for the event. In the 50-mile Senior division, Tennessee Mahoney put in an impressive effort to win. Also on Sunday, Jessica Di Camillo was the 50-mile Young Rider champion. On Saturday in the CEI1*, Dian Woodward riding Halyva Night won the 50 mile division.
Jumping:
Forty-four of the nation’s best horse/rider combinations started in Wellington, FL, as part of the USEF Selection Trials for the U.S. Show Jumping Team for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. The first of five Selection Trials kicked off on Thursday evening with 13 riders jumping clear over the Guilherme Jorge course. On Saturday, the second trial got underway as part of the $75,000 Fidelity Investments Grand Prix, and Lauren Hough and Laura Kraut were the only ones to remain perfect. Hough and Quick Study and Kraut and Cedric were named to the Show Jumping Long List.
More information on the first two Selection Trials can be found at:
• Thirteen Clear in First Leg of USEF Selection Trial for the U.S. Show Jumping Team
• Hough and Kraut on Top After Two USEF Selection Trials for the U.S. Show Jumping Team
• Lauren Hough/Quick Study, Laura Kraut/Cedric Named to USEF Show Jumping Long List for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games
For full coverage of all the Selection Trials, please visit
www.clubequestrian.com/coverage/weg_jumping_trial.aspx.
For more information about the U.S. High Performance programs see: www.usef.org/_IFrames/breedsDisciplines/discipline/international.aspx.
The U.S. will send teams in eight different disciplines to the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Lexington, KY, in September of 2010. Watch this space for information about the best in the U.S. on the road to Kentucky.
ENDS
For more information or to submit High Performance news, please e-mail: [email protected]