Peter Pletcher and HH London Dominate the Western Hay & Suncoast Bedding First Year Green Hunters at the 2010 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival

Peter Pletcher and HH London Dominate the Western Hay & Suncoast Bedding First Year Green Working Hunter Championship at the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival.

Wellington, FL – January 14, 2010 – Today the first championships of the 2010 FTI Wellington Equestrian Festival were awarded in the professional hunter divisions. The Green Working hunters, sponsored by Western Hay & Suncoast Bedding, took center stage in the Rost Arena this afternoon.

The season’s inaugural First Year Green Hunter Championship was awarded to Peter Pletcher of Magnolia, TX, with Double H Farm’s HH London. Pletcher describes HH London, a 7-year-old Dutch bred gelding by London Times and Voltaire, as “fantastic.”

Double H farm bought the bay gelding in the middle of the summer, and Pletcher sat on him for the first time in October 2009. Pletcher and the team from Double H Farm knew immediately that this would be a great match. “I tried him and I thought that he was really nice, easy, and straight forward,” Pletcher commented.  This was only the second show for HH London, and his first time competing at the 3’6″ height. Read more> http://www.horsesinthesouth.com/article/article_detail.aspx?id=9815

Tags: equestrian competitions, equestrian disciplines, hunter/jumper, Peter Pletcher, Winter Equestrian Festival

Georgina Bloomberg and Metropolitan Capture Round 1 of $30,000 WEF Challenge Cup at 2010 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival

Georgina Bloomberg and Metropolitan won Round One of the $30,000 WEF Challenge Cup Series the 2010 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival.

Wellington, FL – January 14, 2010 – Show jumpers in Wellington had their first grand prix event of the season in the $30,000 WEF Challenge Cup Round One, and it was Georgina Bloomberg of New York, NY, who rode to the win on Metropolitan, owned by Gotham Enterprizes. The first week of the FTI WEF is sponsored by G&C Farm and runs through Sunday, January 17. The 2010 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival has 12 weeks of competition that conclude on April 4, 2010, and they will be awarding almost $6 million in prize money through the circuit.

Olaf Petersen of Germany set the course for 22 entries in the $30,000 WEF Challenge Cup Round One, and there were five that cleared the course with no jumping or time faults. Two riders were clear over the jumps in the first round, but their slower times accumulated time faults over the 79 second time allowed. McLain Ward and Rothchild earned sixth place when they finished with one time fault in 79.864 seconds. Kirsten Coe and Faustino, owned by Ilan Ferder, had two time faults in 80.293 seconds for seventh place.

The first to return in the jump-off was Christine McCrea (USA) on Promised Land, owned by Candy Tribble and Windsor Show Stables. They had two rails for eight faults in a time of 42.419 seconds and fifth place. Following McCrea in the ring was Ljubov Kochetova (RUS) on Aslan. They put in a double clear performance and stopped the clock in 48.820 seconds to take the early lead, but would eventually settle for second place. Read more> http://www.horsesinthesouth.com/article/article_detail.aspx?id=9813

Tags: equestrian competitions, equestrian disciplines, Georgina Bloomberg, Show Jumping, Winter Equestrian Festival

Learn to Feel When Your Horse’s Hind Legs Are on the Ground, by Jane Savoie

Can you feel when your horse’s hind legs are on the ground? This is an important skill to develop because you want to time your leg aid so that you give it when your horse’s corresponding hind leg is on the ground.

In fact, the exact moment to influence a particular hind leg is just as it’s getting ready to push off the ground.

You can learn to feel where the hind legs are by feeling your horse’s hips. When a particular hind foot is on the ground, your horse’s hip is higher on that side. It feels like your corresponding seatbone is being pushed forward.

You can start developing your sense of feel by doing some transitions from walk to halt. Read more> http://www.horsesinthesouth.com/article/article_detail.aspx?id=9808

Tags: Horse Training, horse-back riding, Jane Savoie