CHECK OUT OUR SALES HORSES!!

BALLYDUFF BEN

1997 16.2h Dark Bay Irish Bred Gelding

Duff is a highly experienced event horse who is your next Prelim or Intermediate partner. He is a multi-talented horse who would also excel in the Equitation ring or at the level 3/4 jumpers as well! His curren owner has done quite well with him, completing several 1* events in bot the long & short format. He is being offered for sale as his young rider is off to college.

SGT. PEPPER - "BLACKIE"

16h, 11 year old Dk bay TB Gelding.
Blackie has competed through Training level eventing with the ability to move up. He is a perfect Beginner Novice through Training level packer.

He has done a few schooling dressage shows and has scored well at training level. He is a cute mover, and has a nice jump. He is very auto-pilot on cross-country, and is quite bold. He is easy to manage on the ground, very obedient, loads, clips, and ties to anything without a problem.

His owner is heading off to college and is no longer able to compete him.

FEIVEL

Feivel is a 16.1h, 10 year old chestnut Westphalian Gelding by Feinsinn.

Feival has been at Blue Hill Farm since May, coming here originally for conditioning work & will be competing with working student Jess Brumfield in the fall. At his first show this August, showing 3rd Level, he scored fabulously with a 75!

Feivel is a proven amateur mount, trained to PSG level and will be competing with Jess at 4th level this fall. He has also gone to some jumper shows at level 2 and also hacks out like a gentleman. He would be a well rounded horse for several disciplines.


You can see all the details of our sales horses on our sales page, then email Blue Hill Farm or call us 610-486-6357 if you are interested in any of these fabulous horses!

Hagyard Equine Medical Institute Features World-Class Davidson Surgery Center

For Immediate Release
Rebecca Walton for Phelps Media Group, Inc. International

Releases and High-Res Photos Available at
PhelpsMediaGroup.com

Media Contact: Mason Phelps
Phelps Media Group, Inc. International
phone 561.753.3389 fax 561.753.3386
pmginfo@phelpsmediagroup.com


Hagyard Equine Medical Institute Features World-Class Davidson Surgery Center


Lexington, KY -November 22, 2010 - Hagyard Equine Medical Institute has been a leader in the equine veterinary practice since it opened in 1876. Each year they perform over 6,000 surgical procedures at Hagyard. As the oldest and largest equine hospital in the world, consistently delivers excellent results from both its medical practice and surgery areas.

The surgery department at Hagyard currently has three of the world's premier surgeons, including Dr. Michael A. Spirito, Dr. Robert Hunt and Dr. Dwayne H. Rodgerson, DVM, and, DVM.

Dr. Rodgerson is one of the countries leading experts on laparoscopic surgeries. Over many years, he has developed and perfected a special technique to view the horse's abdomen in the most minimally invasive way possible. This procedure still enables surgeons to closely examine areas such as the gastrointestinal tract, urinary system, genital tract, spleen, and liver with minor impacts to the horse.

Dr. Rodgerson has been a surgeon at Hagyard since 2002 and has enjoyed being a part of the talented team at Hagyard Equine Medical Institute. "Hagyard has been a leader in how surgery is done across the country," he explained. "Many techniques that are used at other surgery centers were developed here at Hagyard. Equine surgeons have found Hagyard's techniques to be very effective in regards to reproductive, colic, orthopedic and laparoscopic surgeries."

Hagyard Surgery specializes in:

* Abdominal Surgery
* Arthroscopic Surgery
* Emergency Care
* Lameness Evaluation
* Laparoscopic Surgery
* Obstetrics
* Orthopedic Surgery / Fracture Repair
* Reproductive Surgery
* Respiratory Surgery
* High Speed Treadmill
* Nuclear Scintigraphy

Hagyard Equine Medial Institute prides itself in the unique care that is given to each horse during surgery. In most situations, the veterinarians try to treat the horses as day cases. "We try and get them back to their normal routine as quickly as possible to reduce their level of stress," noted Dr. Rodgerson. "We perform our surgery very efficiently and the horses do not have to come in two or three days before surgery. They will hopefully come in that day and leave that afternoon. There are surgeries that involve longer stays, but we are always trying to get the horses home to their normal routine."

To aid in the excellent care that is received by each horse, the Surgery Department at Hagyard is equipped with digital radiology and nuclear scintigraphy systems. The Surgery Department also has an equine high-speed treadmill to aid in evaluating poor performance and lameness cases.

Hagyard Equine Medical Institute is proud to be a leader in equine surgery in both general and specialized surgical cases. The Surgery Department accepts major and minor cases, elective or emergency, on an inpatient or outpatient basis, and offers expertise in all areas, from soft tissue to orthopedic procedures.

About Hagyard Equine Medical Institute:

Hagyard Equine Medical Institute of Lexington, KY, was founded in 1876. The practice, which is located directly across from the Kentucky Horse Park, is one of the oldest and largest equine veterinary practices in the world and is known for its excellence in veterinary medicine. The Hagyard Sport Horse Program, a specialized department at the practice, serves the nation's top sport horse athletes and brings the same level of excellent care to high performance horses that the institute has provided for the race horse and breeding industries for decades. The facility at Hagyard Equine Medical Institute offers 13 Digital Radiology systems, 1.5 Tesla Siemens MRI, Nuclear Scintigraphy, a high speed treadmill, an on-site laboratory, an on-site pharmacy, full surgical services, ambulance and emergency services, and Hyperbaric Medicine. The practice has performed veterinary medicine for more than 134 years and is currently composed of over 60 experienced veterinarians, with 12 board certifications in specialty areas of Medicine, Surgery, Critical Care, and Theriogenology.

For more information on the practice at Hagyard Equine Medical Institute, please go to www.hagyard.com.

Jessica's Travels

I wanted to keep everyone abreast of Jessica's travel schedule.

She is currently down in Lexington, Ky., returning home on Wednesday, Nov. 17th.

She will then leave for West Palm on Sunday,Nov.21st. to work with Susie Dutta and will return home on Wednesday, Nov. 24th.

She will be spending Thanksgiving with her son and daughter-in-law, Suzanne, in Conn. at Suzanne's Sister's house.....where they are staying overnight and will return home Friday afternoon. "It is so much fun being with Susie's family. It is always a festive gathering!!!"

The next trip is for a clinic in Chapel Hill, N.C., she will leave Thursday, Dec. 2nd and return Monday evening Dec. 6th.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Reflections on the WEG

I was just down visiting with Jess, Missy, James and the crew at Blue Hill Farm.  It's always such a great experience to go to a training barn like theirs, where everyone is dedicated to the sport & the horses. What is different about Blue Hill is the feeling of camaraderie, teamwork and optimism that carries through to their success in the show ring.


I think it's an accurate statement to say that the team members & coaches were happy with their performance at the WEG.  The US riders all rode well, considering that they had to keep their nerves in check at their first International event at this level.  Missy felt that our area for score improvement would have been with accuracy, but even with those improvements we couldn't have gotten more than 5 points.


Jessica was also quite happy with James' performance, but was frustrated a bit with the judging.  
"James rode beautifully but suffered from the judges's inconsistant judging. I think some of it is because they do not see him along with the riders from the European countries often enough to know how well he stacks up against them. We plan to ride abroad next summer in preparation for the next Para-Olympics. I think it will help the judges see that he is a very good, steady, correct grade 4 rider."


That of course brings me to the next hot topic on the judging at the WEG.  It's a difficult balance to comment on the judging results at a competition without sounding unsportsmanlike, but the frustrations that arose from the judging at the WEG were consistent & quite obvious.  The general feeling was that the judges had their countries that they consistently score well & they're are afraid to change their scoring methods at such a venue.......But when there are 10 - 15 point differences on each ride, the fairness & consistency of the judging does become debatable.  Perhaps it is time that the US & Canada works on filling a few judge spots to help improve the balance for every team?

With the US placing in a respectable 7th place, the team is now qualified for the London Olympics in 2012!  There continues to be optimism in the barn & everyone has their own individual goals set in order to travel to London in 2 years.

Many thanks to all the friends, family, grooms, sponsors & supporters who donated their time & tireless effort to make the WEG happen for these riders.  It was a lot of work & a job well done!

Photos of James compliments of Kerri Sowers.

Congratulations Laura!

Laura Goldman finished in an impressive 4th position with a score of 69.9 after her Individual Championship test on Carlingford JD!!

Many thanks to Scott, who is sending me photos from the prior day's schooling.  We'll be sure to put together a full photo album after all the excitement from the event.

Great Results from James!

James called today to give me the final results of his Individual Championship Test.  Notably, the comment that he made was that he & Jessica were quite pleased with his results, and that optimism continued throughout our conversation.

The only real notable mistake came during his extended canter, where he took ownership for a shift in his own position which caused Ben to swap his lead.  He felt the judges didn't score him very high, with a 66%, but he was quite happy with his 5th place overall out of a field of 18 riders!

It was also a fun homecoming for James, with quite a few supporters from the Irish contingent, including Ronan Tynan, the Irish opera singer who sang at opening ceremonies.

Next up for James will be the Grade IV Freestyle on Sunday.

For the full list of results, please click here & check back frequently for our updated photo album.

Cheers!

Para-Dressage Gets Underway at Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games

ATTACHED PHOTOS Click on the above photos for details and a high resolution version. Photographs may be used free of charge only in relation to the PMG press releases they pertain to.

Para-Dressage Gets Underway at Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games Written by: Lauren R. Giannini Client: United States Para-Equestrian Association Release Date: 2010-10-05 Lexington, KY – October 5, 2010 - The unofficial results for the team tests in the Para-Dressage Championships indicate that the top three teams are very close. Great Britain stands in first place on 214.98, with a slim advantage of 2.1 penalty points over second-placed Germany on 212.88. The Netherlands follows in third place on 211.91. The USA is eighth on 198.16. Please remember that these are provisional results. With any luck at all we’ll have confirmation that these are the official results by morning from the company doing the WEG scoring, but that’s another story. Stay tuned. The highest placed rider for the USA was first-time international competitor Laura Goldman on Carlingford JD, the flashy black and white Irish Sporthorse gelding owned by Trudy Phillips. Classified 1a (most severely disabled, Goldman’s walk test netted a provisional score of 68.706 which put them in third. Great Britain’s Anne Dunham and Teddy scored 71.294 to secure first place, followed by Brazil’s Sergio Froes Rieriro De Oliva and Reliquaia on second with 69.529. “I thought the test was OK,” said Goldman. “I trained to be very accurate, like my coach taught us to be. I’ve got to tell you, I was scared. Now it’s not scared. I’m amazed at myself. It’s because my horse is fantastic; without him I couldn’t do it. And my coach is really on the ball. I hope the sport grows in this country, and we get as strong as the Europeans.” Goldman has only ridden Carlingford since the end of May – about 30 times all told before coming to Kentucky for the Games. “I never thought I’d get to this stage. I had to fight to ride and to get people to work with me outside of therapeutic classes,” admitted Goldman. “A lot of people think we’re like a sack of potatoes on a horse, but we’re not. I’ve always, always wanted to show, but I couldn’t. I’m hoping my score will help our team and we’ll move up. I hope I helped.” Robin Brueckmann partnered with Elly Schobel’s Raison d’Etre and Susan Treabess did the honors aboard Moneypenny, owned by Katy Peterson. Both para-equestrians are classified Grade IV (least disabled). Brueckmann scored 65.750, netting sixth, Treabess earned 63.000 to stand 10th out of the 12 para-equestrians in the division. Michelle George (BEL), fourth to go, set the bar by earning the judges’ approval and 70.687 percent. The next two scores were respectable – 68.875 awarded to Frank Hosman (NED) and 68.500 earned by Henrik Weber Sibbesen (DEN) with the remainder ranging from 66 and change down to the mid-50s. All things considered, Brueckmann felt very pleased about their test. She started riding the Lexington, KY bred three-quarter Thoroughbred gelding last October. “My trainer Elly Schobel showed him at Grand Prix and I started riding him last October; he’s a very nice horse and I think I maximized what I could get out of him,” said Brueckmann. “He lights up with a crowd. If they’d applauded even louder, he would have been even better.” Susan Treabess also thought it was a good test, not to mention that the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games also happen to be her first time ever to get her feet wet in international competition. “My goal was to have a clean test and a nice test and I did that,” said Treabess. “ We have a good harmony together because we have a really good relationship, and I thought this test was typical of that. I’ve been overwhelmed here. This has been a goal of mine for five years, and I’ve been riding this horse for three years to get ready. I show Prix St. Georges/Intermediaire I in able-bodied dressage. The horses have to be about the same level to do this. Really, this is way more competitive than Prix St. Georges in California. You have to have a quality horse to compete here.” That’s a fact that became more apparent as the day continued. Lee Pearson (GBR) and Gentleman claimed the day’s high score of 73.818 (Grade Ib), with the Grade III leader Hannelore Brenner (GER) aboard Women of the World breathing down their necks on 73.556. Jonathan Wentz (USA) found himself way down in the standings for Grade II, 15th out of 18 in the class, but his attitude reflected the spirit that prevailed all day in spite of cool temperatures and a not quite warming sun. “It was really solid! Quite an experience! My whole goal was to have a clean and precise test, and I did that. For the future, we’d like to push the highlights more,” said Wentz. “There was pressure being added to the team at the last minute, but my goal is to support the USA.” Para-Dressage competition continues with the Individual Championship Tests Wednesday and Thursday. Individual Freestyle will run on Friday and Saturday. Photo Credit: Laura Goldman on Carlingford JD was the highest place rider for the USA in Tuesday’s para-dressage competition. Photo © 2010 Lauren Giannini. Photo may be used free of charge only in relation to this press release.

2010 Radio Show Episode 119!! Listen Now!!

2010 Radio Show Episode 119 - Jumping Starts and Para Preview

5 Oct 2010, 12:00 PM

Daily radio coverage of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games continues with the first day of jumping and a preview of Para with Susan Treabess and Missy Ransehousen. Plus Jane Savoie joins us for a few minutes. Listen in...  

2010 Radio Show Episode 119 - Show Notes and Links:

• Hosts: Samantha Clark and Glenn the Geek
• Location: The International Equestrian Festival in downtown Lexington. Recording at 7:00 PM every night. Stop down and join us.
• Guest: Brendon Mcardle
• Guest: Nick Skelton
• Guest: Susan Treabess
• Guest: Missy Ransehousen
• Guest: Jane Savoie
• Coverage: Follow all the coverage of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games on the Horse Radio Network.

Filed under: Missy Ransehousen, Susan Treabess, Nick Skelton, Jane Savoie, Brendon Mcardle

Historical day for Para-Dressage at 2010 Games

2010-10-05 
Historical day for Para-Dressage at 2010 Games 
Staff Writer

Para-Dressage riders made history Tuesday at the 2010 Games. As they rode their dressage tests, they became the first Para-Equestrian athletes to ever compete in a World Equestrian Games.

“It’s brilliant just to be involved in such a big event,” said Jo Pitt of the British team. “It’s bigger than the Paralympics for us. Just to be beside the other able-bodied athletes is really exciting for us.”

As athletes finished their tests and rode out of the arena, their faces reflected the pay-off of competing on the world stage. Some have undergone tremendous struggles to get here, not only with their own limitations, but also with their horses, who have to be just as fit and as trusting as any other horse at the Games.

“I hope other sports come see our sport,” said Lauren Barwick of Canada. “There are a lot of misconceptions.”

The misconceptions Barwick listed included the talent of the riders, fitness of the horses and quality of competition, which she said all measure up to athletes in the other disciplines.

“Once we get on the horse, a lot of time you don’t know what our disability is,” Barwick said.

From afar, you can hardly tell that many of these athletes are disabled. And, similar to other athletes at the Games, the riders are their own worst critics, finishing their tests and discussing what went wrong and what they could improve.

“The fact that Para was included, it feels natural, because it should be included,” said Kaye Marks, a spectator who is involved with the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association.

The sport has been gaining recognition since 1996, when it was included in the Paralympic Games. In 2006, Para-Dressage became an FEI regulated sport, meaning that the 2010 Games would mark its debut with the seven other disciplines competing in the World Equestrian Games.

“It feels a bit like the Paralympics,” said Gert Bolmer from The Netherlands. “It is nice to be a part of the whole team. It is really good promotion for our sport.”

Many spectators dotted the stands of the Covered Arena, and some came over just to watch these unique athletes.

“I am sure it has got to be a great accomplishment for them,” said Cathy McCord a visitor from Cynthiana, Ky. “We just watched the jumping, which was awesome, but this is just a whole different feeling. It does give you chill bumps, doesn’t it?”

Pennsylvania Equestrian Coverage of James

Click on this link for a great article on James in the Pa Equestrian!!

An Update for Ireland

I had a moment this morning to catch up with Jess & James during schooling in the indoor.  For me, this was my first time to really watch James and Jess together in action!  I was able to snap a few photos.....but I apologize for the blurry resolution, but my flash starting smoking during the schooling!!

They did look fantastic & are in great spirits, ready to represent their country.  Tomorrow they will ride their individual test in front of the judges, as a warm up round.  They compete on Thursday, and I would like to ask for anyone to submit photos to me for the blog, as I unfortunately will be returning home.

Please send all photo submissions to Lisa@midatlanticeqservices.com

More later on Missy, Becca & the US Team!!  LT

Last Day at the KER!

Missy & the Para crew have been down at the Kentucky Equine Research center (barn entrance pictured above) in Versailles now for 9 days.  They initially went through the team processing & opening ceremonies, and then quickly settled into a daily training routine.  Every training day has been very specific to each horse & rider combination.  Missy’s role as Chef D’Equipe requires that she acts as “captain of the ship”, but many of the riders are here with their dedicated trainers, thus Missy steps in as needed and everyone is working well as a team.

As a side bar comment, the USA Para Olympic riders are allowed 10 total riders as the host country, which consists of 1 team of 4 and 6 individual riders.  There are several different grades for the Para riders; 1a being walk only, up through a Grade 4, which is the most able bodied rider, equivalent to 3rd or 4th level in able bodied competitions.

Yesterday they competitors held a mock show, where they had a dress rehearsal for the competition, braiding & get in full dress.  Janet Foy from Colorado acted as our judge, critiquing their rides & giving them pointers for game day.

Tomorrow the team will be moving to the horse park & schedules will get very specific, so each country gets their alotted practice time in the ring.   Several team supporters will be sending in more pictures, so stay tuned for more updates.

Many thanks to everyone at the Kentucky Equine Research Center for their amazing hospitality!!

To read more about the Para Games, visit the WEG website.

Becca Gets Some Good Karma from EN!

I have total "WEGitus"....it creeps up on your slowly and then finally one becomes completely consumed with nothing else but getting to Ky!!

I was just out on Eventing Nation & noticed this great picture of Becca & a note of good luck from Samantha.  I hope everyone is having a great time & see you on Thursday!

http://eventingnation.com/home/2010/09/samantha-clarks-opening-weekend-report.html

THE FINAL COUNTDOWN TO WEG!

We’re in the final moments leading up to our riders’ departure for WEG, and the barn is buzzing with excitement and anticipation for both James’ and Becca’s departure this week. I had a moment to visit them this Sunday after Missy’s solid 3rd place finish on Fantastik (pictured) this weekend at Plantation Field.

James will be leaving with his horse Orlando (Ben in the barn) on Saturday the 25th, to make his solo mission down to Kentucky. Unfortunately he will be riding just as an individual for his home country of Ireland, as his fellow rider, Eilish Burn on Youri had to withdraw her horse due to recent minor strain. James is now feeling a bit of a dis-advantage because he won’t be able to ride the team test prior to his individual, but he has been in front of 3 of the judges in Canada & at the American trials.....so his confidence is strong.

The highlight of James’ season came originally in March when he did his first CDI able bodied test in Palm Beach, where he placed a very respectable 12th out of 30 or so horses. In addition, this summer at Windreach International CPEDI 3* in Toronto, he won the overall Championships & scored a 76 on his freestyle! James’ last competition was August 11th at Morven park, where he did his individual championship test (scoring a 72) & his freestyle test (scoring a 71). He made one noted mistake by forgetting his second simple change, so as he says, “I have to wake up” in preparation for the games. At home, James has continued his daily lessons with Jess & has been practicing the test to improve his half passes & the fluidness of the finer points and movements.

Once they arrive in Kentucky, Ben will be staying with Reese K. Stanfield at Maple Crest Farm in Georgetown, Ky. Reese is a Grand Prix dressage rider herself and placed in the top 5 last year at the Championships at Gladstone & her sister Lindsay has been a longtime student of Jessica’s.

 James’ dutiful groom this year at WEG will also be Kerri Sowers, who has been very involved with BHF through the generous loan of her long time partner, Kazan, to Becca Hart for this year’s USEF Para Championships.


This summer was a great one for Becca, winning the USEF National Para Champion on Kazan & USEF National Reserve Champion on Pippin (Norteassa). Kazan, owned by Kerri Sowers of Egg Harbor City NJ, competed Kazan in the Young Riders at PSG (about 9 years ago) and then progressed to the Intermediare II level. He’s been in & out of semi retirement for the past 5 years due to Kerri’s hectic schedule as a Physical Therapist and her dutiful commitment to helping out the riders at BHF. In addition Kerri is also busy bringing along her next young horse to follow in Kazan’s footsteps!

Becca is also gearing up for her big trip down south by continuing her training with Missy at home. In preparation for the WEG, Becca is in lessons 6 days a week on Pippin, remaining focused on her consistency, flow and increased brilliance with bringing Pippin’s poll up and out.

A big thank you goes out to Becca’s partial sponsor, Starbucks Corporation, in Kennett Square. They have given her a flexible schedule which has allowed Becca to focus on the games, and they are helping her fulfill her financial obligations required to make her way to Kentucky!!! She and Becca will be leaving on Wednesday the 22nd, driving straight through to the Kentucky Equine Research Center, who has generously sponsored the US Para Team and provides their four legged partners with stabling up until they move over to the equestrian center.

Let’s also not forget another key person on the team, her groom Alex Philpin, who is a long time friend of Missy's, has groomed professionally for years and has accompanied Becca to the World Championships and Hong Kong in the past.

Best of luck to both these extremely talented riders. We are proud of everyone involved here at Blue Hill Farm & we promise to keep in touch with regular updates reporting live from the WEG!!!

An Update From Jessica

Blue Hill Farm has been very busy with the Para riders. First was a long but successful trip to Toronto, Canada for a the Windreach 3 star dressage competition for our riders. We were very proud of Becca Hart, who placed 2nd in all three of her classes, right behind the Canadian Olympic gold medalist!

James Dwyer won two of his three tests and nicely qualified for the WEG, for his home country of Ireland. Our wonderful, colorful Carlingford JD, an Irish Sport horse of color, won all of his classes at grade 1A with his para rider, Laura Goldman, new to competition. She qualified for the US para selection trials, held at the end of June in Illinois. JD’s owner, Trudy Phillips, was kind enough to offer him to Laura for the ride.

The next important event was the Selection Trials in Illinois at the beautiful Lamplight Equestrian Facility. Becca outdid herself riding two horses; her own Nortessa and a new ride on Kazan, offered by Kerri Sowers (one of Jessica’s long time students). Nortessa, otherwise known as “Pippin”, Becca’s Para-Olympic mount, was just back from resting a slight strain. He placed just behind Kazan, who Kerri successfully rode to the Individual Bronze Medal at the 2001 Young Rider Championships. Kerri also kindly groomed for Kazan and James’ horse, Orlando, in Canada and at the Trials. Becca was really on top of her game, with her first place on Kazan and second with Nortessa, She became overall Champion and Reserve! 


James, competing for Ireland, rode at the Selection Trials in an open class, but had the same international judges. His scores in the Grade IV Division were the highest of all Grade IV riders! Carlingford JD again won all 3 classes at the 1A Grade Level, which put him squarely in the group of riders able to ride at the WEG. What a weekend for Blue Hill!

With these long trips behind us, we returned home for a two week rest before showing again at the NJ Horse Park. During the two weeks at home, I made a short trip to Florida to give a judging and short riding clinic for the riders from the Dominican Republic preparing for the Central American Games. These riders were hard working and dedicated to their sport. My purpose was to provide judging analysis through the Prix St George level tests, and to facilitate a clinic on how to raise their test scores on movements that were easiest to improve.

July 16th - 18th we were at the NJ Horse Park where the Blue Hill riders did very well in their 1st, 2nd and 3rd Level tests. Missy rode Taldi at 2nd Level, placing 1st in three out of her four rides and on Saturday was Reserve Champion. Rachel won all three of her rides and was Champion at 3rd Level, riding Carlingford JD.


Elizabeth Baries on Margarita was Reserve Champion at 1st Level on Saturday, winning one of her tests, placing 2nd on another and then taking two 3rd place prizes as well. We were very proud of her, considering this was Elizabeth’s first recognized show! Kerri Sowers rode her young horse Amigo, placing first in one of her First Level tests, and Silva Martin rode a powerful Grand Prix test on Jeff the Chef, scoring a 63% and placing second! Our Para riders stayed home to prepare for the Morven Park Dressage Show, which is taking place this upcoming weekend.

When reflecting on our efforts in Canada and Illinois, were were very pleased that three of the WEG judges got their eyes on our riders at these competitions. It was an important effort to show the judges that our riders were working to improve their tests, and we hope that the judges kind words and helpful insights will be remembered while competing at the WEG!!

Hart Places First And Second In 2010 USEF Para-Equestrian National Championships

Rewritten with Permission of the Chronicle of the Horse June 27, 2010

Hart Places First And Second In 2010 USEF Para-Equestrian National Championships
By: Lisa Slade (More Photos)

She placed first and second in the Para-Equestrian Selection Trials to put her in a strong position for the U.S. team for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.

Rebecca Hart remained unbeaten at the Para-Equestrian Selection Trials for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games and the 2010 USEF Para-Equestrian National Championships by placing first and second on Kazan and Norteassa, respectively, in today’s freestyle test for Grade I, II and III riders, and then sweeping the overall championship with Kazan (69.74%). The Para-Equestrian National Championships were held in conjunction with the Selection Trials at Lamplight Equestrian Center in Wayne, Ill.

“I was really happy with him because it’s a relatively new ride,” Hart said of Kerri Sower’s Kazan. “It was only the second time we did our freestyle. The music suits him so well—it’s dainty, it’s jumpy and it’s nice.”

Norteassa, Hart’s partner of almost eight years, was reserve champion in the Para-Equestrian National Championship on 69.01 percent and second in the freestyle for Grade I, II and III riders on 72.50 percent.

“He was just kind of consistent and went in and did what he needed to do,” Hart said.

Next Hart, 25, will head back to trainer and Para-Equestrian coach Missy Ransehousen’s farm in Unionville, Pa., for additional training before the WEG.

“Missy has been fabulous, just getting the conditioning and working on getting them both ready to go through an entire week like this,” Hart said. “These can be incredibly grueling and long weeks, especially when it’s hot and humid like this.”

Robin Brueckmann, Summerfield, N.C., and Elly Schobel’s Raison D’Etre finished first in today’s freestyle test for Grade IV riders (69.83%) and third overall in the USEF Para-Equestrian National Championship.

“The walk was really good,” Brueckmann said of her freestyle ride. “I had some trouble with the changes, and that was my fault—I needed to have set him up better. We went out back in the warm-up, and it was all wonderful, so it’s only going to get better from here.”

Brueckmann used Simon & Garfunkel music from a freestyle she created for her previous Grand Prix horse, Richmond.

“[The music] is light and airy and fluffy and elegant, and so is he,” Brueckmann said of Raison D’Etre. “It’s really good music for him.”

The official list of team members and individual competitors for the World Equestrian Games will be released in approximately four to six weeks. There are four team spots and six individual spots available. The first seven will likely be filled from the top seven finishers in the National Championships, and the others are left up to the discretion of the selectors.

Results for the 2010 Para-Equestrian National Championships

Please help Support the PARA-WEBATHON for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games!!

Join us on June 8, 2010 at 7PM Eastern and support these inspiring athletes!

This is the first ever Para-Webathon to raise funds and awareness for Para-Equestrians on their Journey to the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. All monies raised will be funneled through the United States Para Equestrian Association to offset the costs of the 10 United States Para-Equestrians and their horses attending the Games. Hosted by the Horse Radio Network at the Alltech studios in Kentucky.


• Phone number to donate on June 8, 2010 (7pm-9PM Eastern)  888-334-2991

• Link to donate by web
http://www.uspea.org/default.aspx?id=donate
• Send checks to USPEA, 3940 Verde Vista Drive, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360

• Thank you to the following for helping organize this event:
o The Horse Radio Network
o Alltech
o USPEA
o EZSignsOnline for providing signage
o Central Kentucky Riding for Hope 

Ransehousen Receives USEF Lifetime Achievement Award!

January 3, 2010 -- For more than five decades, the name of Jessica Newberry Ransehousen has been synonymous with the United States dressage program. And, after a lifetime spent as a high performance international medalist, lead dressage coach for the U.S. program, highly-skilled dressage judge and widely-respected ambassador for the sport of dressage, the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) has selected Ransehousen as the winner of the USEF’s highest individual honor--the USEF Lifetime Achievement Award and the Jimmy A. Williams Trophy.

From her start as a dressage rider, Ransehousen has known the taste of success. In 1956 and 1957, she earned the title of the United States Equestrian Team’s National Dressage Champion. But, this was only the beginning for this multi-talented equestrian.

Read full article compliments of Equisearch.