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PMGWorld Dressage Masters Palm Beach Declared a Resounding Success Steffen Peters, joyful winner of the WDM Palm Beach Exquis Grand Prix Freestyle. Photos: Sue Stickle and Marie Cobb for Phelps Media Group Wellington, FL (January 31, 2012) – The 2012 World Dressage Masters Palm Beach presented by International Polo Club Palm Beach exceeded all expectations, from the first horse on center line in Friday’s Grand Prix to the victory lap following Saturday’s Exquis Grand Prix Freestyle. Top sport was represented by the world’s most exciting horse and rider combinations, some of them veterans, others rising stars. When the 2012 WDM Palm Beach Champion was named on Saturday evening, it was the experienced team of Steffen Peters and Akiko Yamazaki’s 14 year old Ravel of the US who succeeded in defending their title against 26 year old Charlotte Dujardin of Great Britain and the super-talented ten year old Valegro. “I must say I have seen some wonderful sport tonight,” said WDM Managing Director John van de Laar following the Freestyle competition. “I would like to congratulate Steffen.” With the Olympics just six months away, van de Laar noted that the WDM Palm Beach gave a hint to the rivalries that can be expected in London. “I am very anxious to see what happens in London. To show a horse like Valegro here at the Masters in an Olympic year, I must say ‘two thumbs up’.” Mason Phelps Radio Welcomes Guests Peter Welles, Maureen Gross, and Mary Ross Mason Phelps, Mary Ross and Brian O'Connor. Photo By: Susan J. Stickle Wellington, FL – January 31, 2012 – Mason Phelps Radio is pleased to announce that its fourth segment will be held this Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 5:00 p.m. EST on W4CY.com. Media Personality Steve Williams will be co-hosting alongside Phelps once again, and this week will feature Peter Welles, Maureen Gross and Mary Ross as guests. Phelps and Williams along with their guests look forward to discussing conserving land, how to find the perfect horse and how businesses are getting involved with the equestrian world. With the expertise of the panel, the show is sure to provide information on subjects ranging from keeping properties pristine to buying a new horse. One of this week’s guests will be the founder of MatchnRide.com, a horse sales website, Mary Ross. She has created a new way for prospective buys to find their perfect horse. “I am so excited to be on Mason Phelps Radio this week,” said Mary Ross. “Mason has been a dear friend for many years, and he always finds something exciting to talk about.” The Inaugural NARG Riders’ Grant Awarded to Sarah Johnstone The inaugural NARG riders' grant was awarded to Sarah Johnstone by Beezie Madden. Photo By: Kenneth Kraus/PhelpsSports.com Wellington, FL – February 1, 2012 – New in 2011, the NARG Riders’ Grant is designed to afford an emerging rider, dedicated to the sport of show jumping, an opportunity to achieve levels of performance they would otherwise not be able to attain. The grant provides the winner with $15,000 USD for expenses within North America approved by the NARG Board, a new Beval Artisan saddle, products from Ariat, PR from Phelps Media and a custom web site by Spotted Toad Design. After extensive discussion and multiple meetings, the NARG Board awarded The 2011 NARG Riders’ Grant to twenty-year-old Canadian Sarah Johnstone. A devoted young professional, Johnstone was a self-proclaimed barn rat who began working at the stable by age ten. As she continued to compete, Johnstone always worked to pay her way. Proving that hard work and a strong sense of commitment bring success, Sarah achieved an impressive list of accomplishments in the last decade. These include winning the Canadian Jump Canada Medal Finals and Canadian Equestrian Team Finals (CET) in 2006, taking 4th in her first CSI4* Grand Prix in 2010, topping the field in the FEI CSI3* Open Welcome at International Bromont last July and earning a short list position on the Canadian Show Jumping Team in 2011. Alltech National Horse Show Announces 2012 Dates and Locations for ASPCA Maclay Regionals Sarah Milliren of Sapula, OK, won the 2011 ASPCA Maclay National Championships. Photo Credit: Rebecca Walton/PMG Lexington, KY – February 1, 2012 – The Alltech National Horse Show, 129th edition is pleased to announce the dates and locations for this year’s ASPCA Maclay Regional competitions. The horse shows’ qualifying classes determine which riders will compete in this year’s ASPCA Maclay National Championship, which will be held at the Alltech Arena in Lexington, Kentucky on November 4, 2012. The ASPCA Maclay Horsemanship class has been held since 1933, and it is one of the most prestigious competitions for junior riders in the United States. Its winners are some of the biggest names in equestrian sport. Previous winners include: William Steinkraus in 1941, Frank Chapot (1948), George Morris (1952), Leslie Burr Howard (1972), Stacia Klein Madden in 1987, and Nicole Shahinian Simpson in 1992. The 2010 ASPCA Maclay National Championship winner was Hayley Barnhill, and in 2011 Sarah Milliren was named the winner. The NARG Top 25 of 2011 – See Who’s Best in ShowYear Two: The NARG Top 25 Shows in North America Are Revealed
Canada claimed the top two spots this year. The highest marks once again go to Spruce Meadows, a venue that continues to exemplify our aspirations for great sport in North America. The number two title this year goes to a Canadian discovery, Thunderbird Show Park. Both venues are tremendous places to compete and show jumpers should seriously consider adding these solid examples of top tournaments to their summer schedule. Team Orian Conquered the Bull in the Second Preliminary “Buck Off” and Teams Gear Up for This Week’s Competition at New Equestrian Village Megan Martin was a member of Team Orian, the winners of the Second Preliminary "Buck Off" held at the White Horse Tavern January 26, 2012. Photo Courtesy of Kerri Salter Loxahatchee, FL – January 31, 2012 – The Vinceremos Therapeutic Riding Center (VTRC) held its second preliminary “Buck Off” last Thursday at the White Horse Tavern’s Patio. The fundraiser benefits the VTRC, an organization that witnesses countless miracles on a daily basis and truly lives up to its meaning, “to overcome.” The “Buck Off” consists of three preliminary rounds in which teams of four compete on a mechanical bull to earn the highest score. The winning team will move on to the final event held on February 10, 2012. The buzz about the event has been nothing but positive. “The conversations about the ‘Buck Off’ have been simply amazing,” said Bobbi Rottman, with Equine Solutions. “The energy here is about double what it was last year, and that’s impressive considering that the winners from last year said it was the talk of the town all year.” As Rottman’s “brain-child,” its success means the world to her. She had wanted to help the VTRC reach out to the younger generations and hold an event where everyone could come together and have a great time. The first time the event was held was at the annual dinner and auction three years ago. The response was so immense that the committee had to turn people away. Soon after, it was decided to make the “Buck Off” its own fundraising event for the VTRC leading up to the annual benefit. They have received overwhelming support from sponsors throughout the years, and this year Floridian Community Bank, Palm Beach Equine Clinic and White Horse Tavern Catering are to thank. Jennifer Alfano and Jersey Boy Take Jacksonville Winter A to Z by Storm Jennifer Alfano and Jersey Boy won the $25,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby during the last week of the Jacksonville Winter Series A to Z. Photo By: Flashpoint Photography Buffalo, NY – January 31, 2012 – As 2012 kicks off for SBS Farms, Inc., it is apparent that nothing is going to stand in their way. Professional rider and trainer Jennifer Alfano rode Jersey Boy to a spectacular win in the Jacksonville Winter Series $25,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby last week. She and her mounts have earned numerous distinctions in the hunter rings, riding to the top scores with ease and consistency. Alfano rode Jersey Boy to the reserve championship in the High Performance Hunters earlier in the week, earning the first and second place ribbons over fences as well as the blue ribbon for their efforts in the handy course. The team was only getting started for the week. “Jersey Boy was awesome this week; he did great in the High Performance Hunters and then was spectacular for the derby,” Alfano described. “The first round he went around really lightly and skillfully but in the handy he was really just beautiful.” USET Foundation’s “An English Country Evening” Benefit Raises over One Million Dollars Tom Tisbo, Jeannie Tisbo, Bruce Springsteen, Hunter Julo, Hunter Harrison, Kaitlin Creel, Keith Creel and Ginger Creel. Photos By: Phelps Media Group Wellington, FL – January 30, 2012 – On Friday, January 27, 2012, the United States Equestrian Team Foundation hosted a benefit event at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington, FL. With over 500 guests in attendance, “An English Country Evening” featured honorary chairs NBC Today Show host Matt Lauer and his wife Annette, an avid equestrian. The celebratory evening included award presentations, an elegant dinner, and a lively auction, which helped raise over one million dollars for the USET Foundation. “An English Country Evening” was held in the Special Events Pavilion at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center, which was transformed into a beautiful English country garden by designer Reed McIlvaine (Renny and Reed), and included an exquisite dinner by Ken Rose catering. USET Foundation President Jane Forbes Clark, Board of Trustee Members Robin Parsky and Bruce Duchossois, and Executive Director Bonnie Jenkins all helped organize the very successful event. EQUUS Foundation’s Fete Cheval – Fun for All & All for Fun! McLain Ward and Louise Serio at the 2011 Fete Cheval. Photo courtesy of Phelps Media Group. WESTPORT, CT – January 30, 2012 – With equestrians representing the dressage, eventing, hunter, jumper, and polo communities, the EQUUS Foundation’s signature event at the Winter Equestrian Festival, Fete Cheval, promises to be the most entertaining event for horse enthusiasts this season in Wellington, Florida. The Fete Cheval presented by Spy Coast Farm will be held on Friday, March 9, 2012, and feature cocktails, an auction, dinner in the exclusive International Club with a ringside view of the evening’s entertainment in the International Arena. “What makes the Fete Cheval so unique is that it is all about fun, and lets very serious riders demonstrate their natural competitive spirit in games that they all recall from their youth,” said Elizabeth Press, co-chairing the event with Hillary Dobbs and Patricia Keenan, ” – games like Musical Stalls, Sit a Buck, and others.” USET Foundation Awards 2012 Lionel Guerrand-Hermès Trophy to Lucy Davis Lucy Davis (far right) was awarded the 2012 Lionel Guerrand-Hermes Trophy by the United States Equestrian Team Foundation. Photo By: Phelps Media Group Gladstone, NJ – January 30, 2012 – The United States Equestrian Team Foundation is pleased to announce that the recipient of the 2012 Lionel Guerrand-Hermes Trophy will be talented show jumping rider Lucy Davis of Los Angeles, CA. Each year this award is presented to a Young Rider in one of the Olympic disciplines who exemplifies both sportsmanship and horsemanship. In 2011, Davis set the west on fire, winning four grand prix events in a row at HITS Thermal, including the $200,000 Lamborghini Grand Prix of the Desert aboard her brilliant mount Nemo 119. Davis, a 19-year-old freshman at Stanford University, was presented with the trophy during the USET Foundation’s benefit, “An English Country Evening,” at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington, FL, on January 27, 2012. “It’s a really big honor and I am very excited to have won the award,” said Davis. “I got the call when I was in the middle of finals, and it really changed my mood. I am very honored because I know there are a lot of really incredible young riders in the United States, so this is really exciting to win.” |
Wellington, FL – February 1, 2012 – Following the overwhelmingly positive response to our 2010 Top 25 report, NARG’s host of volunteers once again invested hundreds of hours to numerically evaluate 50 of the top horse shows in North America. The 2011 results are an interesting mix of events – including a couple of Canadian champions, a promising new beginning for The National Horse Show, several new discoveries and two most improved shows.
