News & Announcements

  As we begin the holiday season we look back with pride as well as look forward with resolve to the year ahead.

  The world of hunters and jumpers was superb on many levels over these last couple of months. In late October, the United States earned gold at the Pan American Games and an invitation to the 2012 Olympic Games in London. And we all breathed a sigh of relief. As McLain Ward commented, the pressure was intense. "I have to be honest, it was a lot of stress, this Olympic qualification," said Ward. "I felt a little more pressure today and yesterday than I have in past Olympic Games." Clearly able to rise to the occasion, Christine McCrea, Beezie Madden, McLain Ward and Kent Farrington were fantastic down in Guadalajara. EquestriSol interviews with both Kent and Beezie will come to life soon...

  Coming off that United States high note for a moment, the entire world of show jumping was shocked and deeply saddened with the loss of an awesome Canadian equine competitor, Hickstead. His sudden passing after jumping a round in Verona caused a tidal wave of sympathy. The competitors at the event gathered for a moment of silence in the arena while the news spread like wildfire through the media channels. Hickstead's partner, Canadian Eric Lamaze chose to attend The Royal Winter Fair in Toronto right after the incident where he received a warm and sympathetic welcome from the crowd...
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The 2011 Las Vegas National

  Truly terrific this year – the turn out at The Las Vegas National was super, competition fierce and in Vegas there is certainly no lack of extracurricular activities. At the South Point alone you can go to the movies, bowl, visit the spa, dine in one of nine restaurants and of course gamble. And your horse is on the premises!

  Featuring several savory equestrian evenings, the event served up some great show jumping, exciting until the last rider.

Steinwedell-Carvin Gives Up Control
  When twenty-nine horse and rider combinations competed in a one round competition against the clock in the $31,000 Las Vegas National Welcome Jumper Classic, presented by Summit General Insurance Agency, Francie Steinwedell-Carvin and Taunus were top notch. Eleventh to go, Steinwedell-Carvin and Prentiss Partner's Taunus set a solid time, clean in 60.25, and held their lead through the next eighteen attempts.

  Steinwedell-Carvin shared how her relationship with Taunus has blossomed of late, as she had an experience that taught her to "'give up control to get control.' He likes to go around on the flat with his head up and I would work so hard to get him to get round." After working with a horse in a western saddle in a round pen with a cowboy, Francie learned about giving up control...
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Good to the Last Draw
  On a chilly evening in the Vegas desert the South Point Equestrian arena was on fire as twenty-nine horse and rider combinations hailing from all over the world raced for the win in the $20,000 1.35m Speed Classic, presented by CardFlex. Previous to this fast and furious event, the kids had a ton of fun at the JustWorld International Horseless Horse Show and the precious leadliners stole the crowd's heart.

  The track created by course designer Anthony D'Ambrosio offered several options for speed, and riders picked a variety of tracks for success. First to go American Karl Cook set the pace aboard Signe Ostby's Notories Utopia. The ride was smooth and slick in a time of 61.44. D'Ambrosio commented, "Karl is going to be tough to beat. There are two places where you could do one less stride than he did, that may be the only way to win."
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Saturday Night Lights & Heights
  Saturday was super at the Las Vegas National. The evening began by crowning a champion in the PCHA Victor Hugo-Vidal Adult Medal Finals. In its first year at this indoor location, three riders finished the first two rounds within three percentage points of each other and returned for a work-off. Called in second, Lorri Quiett on Abigail performed well and ultimately earned the top spot.

  Next Karl Cook illustrated that speed pays off in the exciting $10,000 Winning Round Classic, presented by Royal Champion. Twenty-seven couples gave it a go and nine completed the course fault free. Unique to the Winning Round Format, riders return according to their score and time in the first round.

  Since all were clean, time determined the order of go in the second round. It was no surprise that Karl Cook and Jonkheer Z (Signe Ostby, owner) were the last to come back in the second round. Shaving almost two seconds off Kirsten Coe and Vernon G's leading time, Cook took the win at the last second...
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North American League

NAL Sunday in Vegas
  Competitors hit the jackpot at the inaugural North American League (NAL) West Coast Finals and none of the nearly one hundred exhibitors went home empty-handed. Every NAL member who competed in one of the five classics on "NAL Sunday" at the Las Vegas National Horse Show received a gift bag and an NAL embroidered saddle pad.

The group who earned a trip to the victory circle garnered an array of awards. In addition to a ribbon and prize money, winners of each NAL class took home a silver trophy, a coolerette, a pendant, plus an NAL backpack filled with other goodies including a necklace designed exclusively for the NAL by Herschel Bonchek, a prize package from Equine Matrix, and a Clothes Horse Certificate for an NAL scrim sheet...
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Five Divisions of Glory on NAL Sunday
  Five champions in five divisions found the experience worth the trip. "I love doing big classes indoors and thought it would be fun to enter the NAL Finals here at the Las Vegas National. It was also a good prep for the upcoming medal finals - it is a special place," said 13-year-old Melanie Selleck after winning the NAL Children's Hunter Classic aboard her Foreign Escape.

  Chelsea Samuels, 21, of La Canada, CA won the NAL Adult Amateur Classic on Brooklyn, a 12-year-old chestnut warmblood, with scores of 81 in the first round and 85 in the second. "If I dreamed a horse into life, it would be Brooklyn. He is like a wind-up toy... He always rises to the occasion and was jumping out of his skin here," she explained.
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West Coast Riders Impressive on the East Coast

  It's a long trip east for those who set their sights on competing indoors in the fall. Each season the riders from the left coast have a chance to shine in this competitive setting. Of course many top horses and riders share the glory, but the west coast is not second to the east and often steps into the limelight as illustrated below.

The Capital Challenge Horse Show

Eq-cellence
  On the opening Equitation Weekend presented by Bigeq.com, Morgan Geller and Fabricio topped the North American Flat Equitation Championship, were champions in the 16-year-old Equitation, and second in the North American Equitation Championship. Geller trains with Katie Gardner and Jim Hagman of Elvenstar. Conor Perrin was fourth, Alicia Gasser fifth, Olivia Esse sixth and Demi Stiegler ninth in the North American Equitation Championships. Alison Fithian and Julia Nagler both earned wins in their respective equitation divisions.

  Pilar Flournoy, 14, from Topanga, CA, made her first trip east a worthwhile one, as she laid down two solid rounds to win the Taylor Harris Insurance Services National Children’s Medal Finals. Flournoy, who trains with Huntover, has that keen ability to stay focused under pressure. She also won the CPHA Foundation Eq Championships earlier this year. Destry Spielberg finished fourth and Alexandra Ladove seventh...
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