Dressage
American dressage rider Catherine Haddad capitalized on an eighth place finish in the Freestyle at the final Reem Acra/FEI Western European League World Cup Qualifier in s' Hertogenbosch, to earn a trip to the Final on Winyamaro. Haddad, who is based in Germany, has had consistent results throughout Europe at these important Qualifiers and will be representing the United States in Leipzig, Germany at the 2011 Reem Acra/FEI World Cup Final April 27 - May 1.
Please visit the USEF World Cup Final page for more information: http://usef.org/_IFrames/breedsdisciplines/discipline/alldressage/WorldCupTM.aspx
Details about the Final are available here: www.engarde.de
In Florida, the last CDI of the spring season took place in Loxahatchee at the International Horse Sport Champions Cup CDI*/3*. Arlene (Tuny) Page and her rising star Alina won the CDI3* Grand Prix for Freestyle with a score of 67.532% and went on to secure a win in their first Grand Prix Freestyle outing, scoring 72.650%. In the Grand Prix for Special James Koford rode Rhett to the win on a score of 67.489%. Susan Dutta and Currency DC improved on their fourth place finish in the Grand Prix to win the Special on a score of 67.021%, just ahead of Koford and Shannon Dueck (CAN).
The small tour saw a large field of competitors in the CDI*. Cesar Parra and Grandioso dominated all weekend, winning the Prix St. Georges with a 71.579%, the Intermediaire I with a 73.114% and the Intermediaire I Freestyle with a 73.950%.
For complete results please visit http://www.ihspb.com/schedule.htm.
Driving
USEF National Champions were crowned at the Live Oak International CAI in Ocala, FL. Joe Yoder built a commanding lead over the three phases and won the USEF National Pairs Championship - his first National title. With a second place dressage effort, a narrow margin of victory in the marathon and three balls down in the cones - Yoder bested Alan Aulson, who was second and Kathrin Dancer, third for top honors.
In the USEF National Single Pony Championship, Shelly Temple drove LR Ami B-Line to a narrow victory over Suzy Stafford to score her second consecutive (and third overall) win in the division. Temple finished on 124.6 and Stafford on 127.05 making it the closest championship of the weekend. Randy Cadwell was third.
Jennifer Matheson won her second consecutive USEF National Pair Pony Championship, winning the dressage and maintaining her advantage over Katie Whaley. Elizabeth Keathley was third.
Lisa Stroud was a one woman/four pony machine in the USEF National Pony Team Championship winning for the sixth consecutive year as the only entry in the Championship.
In the non-Championship FEI divisions, Marcie Quist drove to victory in the Single Horse division, over 2009 winner Robin Groves. Nifty Hamilton was third.
Chester Weber swept the Four-in-Hand division, winning at every turn. Josh Rector was second and Darryl Billing was third.
Competition coverage is available here: http://usefnetwork.com/2011DrivingNatlChamps/
Weber also formally retired 2008 Farnam/Platform USEF Horse of the Year, Jamaica before his hometown fans. Read more about Jamaica: http://usef.org/_IFrames/newsdisplay/viewPR.aspx?id=6851
Jumping
Laura Kraut and Cedric scored the biggest win of the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival flying to victory in the $500,000 FTI Consulting Finale Grand Prix CSI5* in Wellington, FL. The diminutive gray gelding out-ran 15 other horses in the jump-off and stopped the clock at 35.861 to beat his teammate from the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, Quick Study - ridden by Lauren Hough. Kraut and Hough have both scored in some of the biggest classes of the Florida circuit, so it was fitting that they went one-two in the final class. Both veterans head to Europe for the summer months.
See photos, results and watch the entire jump-off here: http://www.usefnetwork.com/FTIGrandPrix2011/.
ENDS