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Winner's Circle |
Congratulations to Carol Di Maggio and her 19-year-old Arabian stallion Taez+//. Bred and owned by Di Maggio, Taez+// took top honors in dressage at the Arabian Sport Horse National Championship in Nampa, ID on Sept. 24-27. Ridden by Chelsey Sibley, he won both the Grand Prix Dressage Championship and the Musical Freestyle Championship. Patience Prince Carr and OKW Entrigue were reserve champions in both classes and Sibley also won the Prix St. Georges and Intermediate 1 on Elaine Kerrigan’s stallion KB Omega Fahim. Nail Biter at the Galway Downs Training Level Event It was a showdown for the top spot in the Training Level division of the 10th Annual Galway Downs Three-Day Event and Horse Trials in Temecula on Nov 2. Less than a rail separated the top three horses and riders before the show jumping phase, but in the end Amber Shevin of Los Angeles piloted her 8-year-old Hanoverian mare, Weltina, to a double-clear round to win the event. “It feels really cool [to win],” said Shevin. “It’s not every day you can participate in something like this and win. I feel really lucky.”
Training Level three-day event winner Amber Shevin and Weltina. Second place went to Debbie Davis of Clovis and her 12-year-old Warmblood, Omar. Davis went into the final phase with the overnight lead, but dropped a rail at fence three to finish on a score of 30.6. Although Davis ended the weekend with a red ribbon instead of a blue, she, too, was ecstatic with her experience at Galway Downs. Taking third was Marissa Marcotte of Danville and her own 11-year-old Hanoverian/Thoroughbred-cross, Falcon. The pair finished on their dressage score of 30.8. Marcotte and Falcon are relative newcomers to the sport, and are in fact only part-time eventers. The pair currently competes in Fourth Level in straight dressage. Marcotte tried eventing for the first time last year after succumbing to pressure from her trainer and boss Alexis Hellfrich. Although dressage is her first love, she enjoys eventing and was delighted with her first classic format. First run in November 1999, Galway Downs is the longest-running CCI** and CCI* currently held in the United States. For more information or a complete list of results visit www.galwaydowns.com. California Young Rider Helps Clinch National Eventing Team Championship The final United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) National Eventing Championship also wrapped up the season with the 2008 USEF National Junior/Young Rider CCI* Team Championship-West at the Galway Downs International Three-Day Event. The team, made up of three riders from Area I and VI, triumphed in the long format CCI* over the team from Area VII to claim the Championship. Suzy Hettich from Goleta and Given Half a Chance led the team; they were third individually with a score of 54.0. The pair was one place ahead of their teammate Katherine Erickson from Carlisle, MA and Dually, who were fourth. Jillian Terzian and Belmont Ballygowan picked up costly time faults on roads and tracks, but added no jumping faults on the cross-country. Seventeen-year-old Hettich was fifth in the short format CCI* at Twin Rivers in September, the pair’s final prep before the Championships. Erickson, who attends school in California, made the trek from Carlisle worth the miles. She moved up from 14th after the dressage to finish fourth. Belmont Ballygowan is a seasoned Advanced horse from Australia and has proved a classy campaigner on the West Coast for Terzian. The second place team of Amber McCluskey and Huadoresya, Lucia Clemetson and Proper Precaution and Lexy Funk and Cameron only finished two of their three riders, giving the Area I and VI a clear victory. The 2008 USEF National Junior/Young Rider CCI* Team Championship-East was run two weeks earlier at the Hagyard Midsouth CCI* held at the Kentucky Horse Park. Foxfield Jumping Derby and Medal Finals The 29th annual Foxfield Jumping Derby held on Oct. 4-5 at the Foxfield Riding School in Westlake Village drew some of Southern California’s top jumper and hunter riders. One of the few events of its kind in the United States the derby is a long course consisting of 20 obstacles. The course started in the jumper ring with traditional fences and then moved out to cross-country jumps. The cross-country part of the course had innovative jumps, such as ditches, stone walls, banks and open water. Junior and amateur riders jumped a 3’6”- 3’9” derby course in the morning. Then in the afternoon the professionals took the field in an open derby with fences ranging in height from 3’9” to 4’. Jenny Terry rode Carolyn Osborn’s Harmony In Motion to the blue in the $1,500 Calabasas Saddlery Junior and Amateur Jumping Derby. Second place went to Laura Fairbanks, who rode her horse Ferris 16 to the red ribbon. In the $4,999 Foxfield Open Jumping Derby Amy Pulliam rode her own horse, Astro Boy, to the win. Second went to Holly Scapa on Also held at the event was the Foxfield Medal Finals. Laura Mormann bested a competitive field of riders to take home bragging rights and the championship on Vindoctro. Foxfield’s Jessica White was reserve champion aboard Deborah Deeley’s horse As Advertised. Several other classes were also held at the show. For complete results visit www.foxfield.com.
Photo: Captured Moment Photography Ali Nilforushan and Warco Van de Halhoeve Win $50,000 Las Vegas CSI-W When in Vegas sometimes you just have to let it all roll. Veteran rider Ali Nilforushan certainly did and his gamble paid off. Aboard Warco Van de Halhoeve, Nilforushan commanded the $50,000 Las Vegas CSI-W Grand Prix, held at the South Point Hotel and Casino on Nov. 1, from start to finish. Reminiscent to his first World Cup qualifier of this season, Nilforushan was once again the only rider to keep all the rails up and finish within the time allowed. Colorado professional Mickie Sage on Cocknito CH and veteran Richard Spooner aboard Ace both jumped clean, but had small time faults to finish second and third, respectively. A handful of other riders, including Olympian Will Simpson and Rich Fellers, had one rail down. Over 40 riders from around the world will return to Las Vegas in April to compete in the 2009 FEI Rolex World Cup Finals. Only the top three West Coast riders will be invited to participate, all based on points accumulated during the qualifying season. The qualifying season is well underway, with five classes complete and six more qualifiers left. As of press, Nilforushan is leading the race with 66 points. Mandy Porter and Richard Spooner are tied for second with 45 points.
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