May 10, 2012
Relive Rolex Dressage Highlights
Lexington, KY
There’s nothing like an expert to take you on a guided tour of Rolex, and that’s exactly what Nancy Jaffer does in this terrific account of the dressage phase of this four-star event.
So even if you missed it altogether, you can experience Rolex highlights, including hearing from the riders, in these entertaining Rolex postcards from Equisearch: More info...
May 10, 2012
Navigate the Warm-Up Arena at a Dressage Show
You’re showing at your first dressage show, and as you approach the warm-up arena, you realize it’s crowded and looking more than a little crazy.
Did you know there are actual rules for how to act and what to do in the warm-up arena at a dressage show? Writer Louisa Zai shares all the details in this piece from Dressage Today:
The warm-up arena at a dressage show can be a happening place, but if you don’t know your way around, it can quickly become a scary one. Savvy riders share the warm-up arena with others who may be distracted by the antics of their horses or the directives of their instructors. Some riders may boldly think they own the warm-up arena and act as bullies while others may simply be petrified with dressage show nerves. The more prepared you are by knowing a few common rules, the more smoothly you will be able to warm up your horse and get ready for your test at the dressage show. More info...
May 10, 2012
How Do I Teach My Horse to Stretch and Collect for Dressage?
Answer: In dressage, the terms “stretching” and “collection” appear at very different stages of a horse’s training. As you can see in the illustration of the training pyramid at right, collection describes the most advanced degree of training, whereas relaxation and connection—the two qualities that are improved by asking a horse to stretch his topline and reach forward into the contact—are more basic fundamentals.
More info...
May 10, 2012
Alma Perkins Becomes Dressage Foundation Century Club's 100th Member
Alma Perkins & Charisma It was a day to remember in Benton, Louisiana, as Alma Perkins became the 100th member of The Dressage Foundation's Century Club on May 5, 2012. The journey to this special milestone began in 1996, when noted ... More info...
May 10, 2012
Dressage Rider Vanessa Way on Olympic Track
Taranaki dressage rider Vanessa Way remains on track to join Louisa Hill at the London Olympics and create New Zealand equestrian history.
New Zealand has never sent more than one dressage rider to an Olympics but looks set to have two at London, with Way making good progress in her European campaign.
After an early setback – her horse KH Arvan suffered from travel sickness – she has posted a second qualifying score, and requires just two more.
To meet Equestrian Sports New Zealand standards, riders must record four scores of at least 66 per cent in certain events and two of those must average 68. That's starting to get into the top-20 bracket, which the New Zealand Olympic Committee requires to rubber stamp selection.
Way, who is working at the state-of-the-art stable complex of world No1 Carl Hester and receiving coaching from him, has met the 68 average with her two qualifying marks, so just needs two more scores of 66 or more to put her selection in the hands of the NZOC. More info...
May 9, 2012
Hopefuls Ride for Olympic Places
IT WAS a big weekend for Olympic hopefuls in dressage and showjumping as they arrived to begin Australian team selection.
The showjumpers were in residence in Lummen, Belgium, on a wet and dreary weekend.
A warm-up class in the International ring (a Table A listed for 1.40/1.45m), the first round of the Nations Cup and the first round of the Grand Prix were ways of impressing selectors.
In the International Table A 1.40/1.45m the winner was Werner Muff of Switzerland, second was Dominque Hendrickx, Belgium, and third was Guido Hornesch, also Belgium.
The highest-placed Australian was Amy Graham, on Bella Baloubet, who finished 16th. Paul Athanasoff with his own Wirragulla Nicklaus was 21st.
Then we dropped down to 45th spot to find Julia Hargreaves and Vedor, and in 51st position was James Paterson-Robinson.
We then had to go to 73rd to find James Passy and 84th to find Matt Williams.
The team was Amy Graham, Paul Athanasoff, James Paterson-Robertson and Julia Hargreaves and, as they went into the Nations Cup, people would have been wondering how this was to work. More info...
May 9, 2012
2013 Great American Insurance Group/USDF Regional Dressage Championship Dates and Locations Announced
Lexington, KY
The United States Dressage Federation (USDF) has announced the dates and locations for the 2013 Great American Insurance Group/USDF Regional Dressage Championships, presented by SmartPak and supported by Merial, for each of USDF's nine regions.
Region 1 (October 17-20) at Virginia Horse Center in Lexington, VA
Region 2 (September19-22) at Lamplight Equestrian Center, Wayne IL
Region 3 (October11-13) at Georgia International Horse Park, Conyers, GA
Region 4 (October 11-13) at the National Equestrian Center, Lake St. Louis, MO
Region 5 September19-22) at Colorado Horse Park, Parker, CO
Region 6 (September19-22) at Donida Farms, Auburn, WA
Region 7 (September19-22) at Murieta Equestrian Center in Rancho Murieta, CA
Region 8 (September12-15) at HITS on the Hudson in Saugerties, NY
Region 9 (October17-20) at Brazos County Expo in Bryan, TX More info...
May 8, 2012
Paralympic Hopefuls Give Dressage DisplayThe Paralympics is only a few months away, and some disabled children from Northamptonshire have been given an insight into one of the equestrian events.
The Riding for the Disabled day was held at Moulton College near Northampton. It featured dressage displays from two riders who are hoping to compete at the Paralympics in August 2012. More info...
May 5, 2012
Anna Kasprzak & Donnperignon Lead Danish 1, 2 Finish in Mannheim CDI3* Grand Prix
MANNHEIM, Germany
Anna Kasprzak, barely out of Young Riders, rode Donnperignon to a dominating victory in the CDI3* Grand Prix Saturday while fellow Dane and Olympic medal winning pair Nathalie zu Sayn-Wittgenstein and Digby placed second as the pace of Olympic qualifying heated up with less than three months to the start of dressage in London.
The Grand Prix was rife with story lines–this was the first of two competitions in Europe in which Australia will select its Olympic team and Lyndal Oatley and Sandro Boy came out on top. It was also the first concerted effort by three of Colombia’s four team prospects to earn minimum qualifying scores, but they all fell short.
And Hiroshi Hoketsu, the 70-year-old Japanese rider scored 66.085 per cent on Whisper 115, his 15-year-old mare, that he plans to compete in London for his third Olympics–in dressage at the Beijing Games four years ago and 44 years on from his Olympic debut as a jumper rider in Tokyo. More info...
May 5, 2012
Lyndal Oatley & Sandro Boy Top Aussie at Mannheim Grand Prix in1st of 2 Olympic Selection Trials
Lyndal Oatley and Sandro Boy overcame interruption from a rain storm forcing her to seek shelter as she was about to enter the arena to lead the Australian Olympic trials Saturday after the Grand Prix in the first of two European competitions to select the team for the London Games less than three months away.
Lyndal scored 69.723 per cent to finish seventh overall in a field of 32 combinations in the Grand Prix at the Mannheim CDI3*, watched by her parents Carol and Sandy Oatley , the owners of Sandro Boy, who had flown from Australia for the show.
Hayley Beresford and Belissimo NRW were the second placed Australian combination with 68.872 per cent, in 11th place, and Kristy Oatley and Ronan scored 68.553 per cent for 13th place overall. Lyndal and Kristy are cousins.
