Denver, CO – Judges were impressed with Rosalind Ross and Devon Maitozo - their composition, performance and degree of difficulty – placing the pair atop the podium at last week’s USEF/AVA national Championships at the National Western Complex in Denver, CO.

Ross and Maitozo – from the F.A.C.E. Vaulting Club in Moorpark, CA – were named champions of the Pas de Deux, an FEI- recognized event expected to be competed at the 2012 World Championships for the first time.

A pas de deux is a double routine – a freestyle done with two vaulters. In competition, pas de deux vaulters do two, 2-minute freestyle rounds. The rounds are set to music and are judged on composition, performance and degree of difficulty, as well as the horse’s general demeanor.

There are two divisions of canter vaulting for pas de deux. Open pas de deux have vaulters that are gold or silver medalists. Preliminary pas de deux can have no vaulters who have competed at the gold level, and no more than one vaulter who has competed at the silver level.

Coming in on top of the Preliminary Pas de Deux competition at the USEF/AVA national Championships were Kimberly Pritchett and Christina Hogg from the VorTex Vaulting Team in Joshua, TX.

Also at the USEF/AVA national Championships, the Woodside Vaulters won the Team Championships, and Patrick Stevens and Mary McCormick won the Men’s and Women’s Individual National Championships, respectively.

Next year, the AVA/USEF National Vaulting Championships will take place at the Alltech Arena at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY, August 1-5, 2012.

ENDS

For more information about USEF Vaulting, visit:
http://usef.org/_IFrames/breedsDisciplines/discipline/allVaulting.aspx.