competitions

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February 10, 2013

indoor driving

Posted by Jennifer under competitions
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The sport of “Indoor Driving,” at the FEI level at any rate, is a fast-paced, exciting blend of cones driving and two marathon-like obstacles … all taking place in an indoor arena. We don’t see much of this type of driving here in the States, but it’s a really big deal among Europe’s top FEI drivers. During the winter, the FEI recognizes a series of “Driving World Cup” events, which are held at a variety of indoor show-jumping competitions. This weekend, in Bordeaux, France, was the Driving World Cup Final. Koos de Ronde (who came here to the KY Horse Park in 2011 to drive a team in an exhibition round on the marathon course at the Kentucky Classic CDE) won this year’s Final event, beating out Boyd Exell, who’d held the title for the past several years.

You can watch Koos’s winning round here:

If the embedded video won’t work on your computer and/or to see other drivers in both the first and final rounds (and at some of this season’s previous World Cup events), click here.

October 7, 2012

four new national champions

Posted by Jennifer under Kentucky Classic CDE, Lexington & KHP | Tags: postaday |
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Today — the final day of this year’s Kentucky Classic CDE, here at the Kentucky Horse Park — featured the cones phase of the CDE and the medal ceremonies for four new National Champions (in the pair-horse, single-pony, pair-pony, and pony-team divisions).

In the pair-horse division, Misdee Wrigley Miller, who had the best dressage score among all the CDE competitors, was declared Reserve Champion …

… after finishing only sixth-tenths of a point behind the winner. Jimmy Fairclough, who hasn’t competed with a pair of horses in nearly twenty years (he’s been driving a four-in-hand team in that time), is this year’s National Champion in the pair-horse division.

Paul Maye is the new National Champion in the single-pony division

Wendy O’Brien and her pair of ponies are this year’s National Champions in that division

Lisa Stroud won her eighth National Championship in the pony-team division

Katie Whaley and her team of ponies (Reserve Champions) had the only double-clear round on the cones course

October 5, 2012

a correction

Posted by Jennifer under Kentucky Classic CDE, Lexington & KHP
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In yesterday’s post, I wrote:

“Local favorite Misdee Wrigley Miller (who splits her time between Florida and Paris, Kentucky) had the highest dressage score of the day (even beating out Chester Weber by a couple of points): 39.68.”

I should, of course, said that Misdee had the LOWEST (in other words, the best) dressage score of the day. I apologize for any undue confusion!

October 4, 2012

a beautiful day for dressage

Posted by Jennifer under Kentucky Classic CDE, Lexington & KHP | Tags: postaday |
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Today was the first day of dressage at this year’s Kentucky Classic CDE, here at the Kentucky Horse Park.

It’s also, of course, a regular work day for me. So I only made it out to the dressage arena for a little while this afternoon.

Here are a few photos of the three competitors in the Pair Horse division … the USEF National Pair Horse Driving Championship, in fact. I took these as the drivers were warming up for their dressage tests.

Steve Wilson, from nearby Goshen (very close to Louisville), is competing in only his second advanced-level event:

Over the past decade or more that I’ve known him, Jimmy Fairclough has always driven a four-in-hand team (including at this year’s FEI World Four-in-Hand Championship, where he won the team bronze medal), but he brought a pair of horses this weekend:

Local favorite Misdee Wrigley Miller (who splits her time between Florida and Paris, Kentucky) had the ~~highest~~ [correction: the LOWEST; in other words, the best] dressage score of the day (even beating out Chester Weber by a couple of points): 39.68.

September 26, 2012

thanks for the memories

Posted by Jennifer under competitions, Germany | Tags: postaday |
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And so, with yesterday’s post, we’ve come to the end of our recap of this year’s Celle CIAT. It was a wonderful event and a lovely weekend, and we were lucky to be able to spend it with friends both old and new.

Thank you to the event’s organizers, officials, and competitors (the ones shown here, and the many others we didn’t get photos of) for welcoming us so warmly!

this photo looks all cloudy and spotty because, although the rain had stopped by this point (after the awards ceremony), my camera lens was soaking wet