Dutch make it a hat-trick of Furusiyya victories at Copenhagen

By Louise Parkes

COPENHAGEN, DEN (FEI) – The Dutch are clearly on a roll after recording their third victory of the inaugural Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping series at Copenhagen in Denmark today.  Winners at the opening leg at Al Ain, UAE in February, they also topped the first round of the Europe Division 1 league just a week ago in La Baule, France. And today another new combination of horses and riders took the lead from the outset and added only four faults to their first-round zero score to head the line-up at the Danish venue where six nations – Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Poland and Sweden – were all hunting for qualifying points ahead of the series Final which will take place in Barcelona, Spain in September.

France finished second with the host nation in third, while the British slotted into fourth ahead of Sweden and Poland in joint-fifth place.  Both Belgium and Switzerland added 16 faults second time out, but this was still good enough to take seventh and eighth places respectively as only eight of the 13 countries went through to the second round.

Put it Up to Them

London 2012 Olympic Games course designer, Great Britain’s Bob Ellis, really put it up to them at this Europe Division 2 event with a course that asked them to turn and re-balance, and to measure their distances carefully.  And as if that wasn’t quite enough, he set them an enormous question just three fences from home, with the open water followed by the triple combination of vertical, to oxer, to vertical before tackling the offset final oxer at fence 12. 

Time and again horses coped well with the early part of the track only for it all to fall apart here.  Jur Vrieling wasn’t only competing on the Dutch team, he was also acting as team manager for the day, and the much-experienced 44-year-old said of the course – “when I walked it I thought it was difficult enough, it’s the first time in my life that I had a triple combination after the water and I was really a bit surprised by it!  But it ended up very well for us.  It makes the victory even nicer after a difficult task – because you can say that it was quite something for the horses to jump!  It (the course) was very nicely built, but it was tough enough” he added.

Bit Between Their Teeth

At the end of the first round the Dutch already had the bit between their teeth as their only mistake was made by their opening rider, Hendrik-Jan Schuttert (Up to Date HS) who had been a member of the winning side at La Baule a week earlier. And the host country was looking strong with only the four faults registered by Andreas Schou (Allerdings) on the board following clears from both Thomas Velin (Chopin van Het) and Thomas Sandgaard (Amarone). Poland and France were next in line with eight faults apiece while Sweden was on nine, Britain and Belgium were each carrying 12, and Switzerland had racked up a total of 13.

These eight nations qualified for round two, but, with 16 faults, the Irish had to settle for the best of the rest in ninth place ahead of Norway with 20 faults in 10th, Finland in 11th place with 25 faults, Germany in 12th with 28 and Italy’s 32 first-round faults leaving them lying 13th and last.

Hardly Flinched

Once out in front, the Dutch hardly flinched, pathfinder Schuttert going clear second time out and anchorman Vrieling clinching it with the only double-clear of the day with his very handsome grey, Zirocco Blue VDL, which ensured the four collected by Willem Greve second time out was all they had to add.  Suzanne Tepper had provided a vital first-round clear with KM Wish but the horse seemed to tire in the round two with three fences down. 

The Danes slipped to third when having to count three four-fault results this time out, and that allowed the French to move into runner-up spot as both Nicolas Delmotte (Number One d’Iso Un Prince) and Timothee Anciaume (Quorioso Pre Noir) kept a clean sheet so they only had to add in the one mistake made by Aymeric Azzolino’s impressive French-bred, Looping D’Elle.

The British meanwhile improved two places when Jesse Drea’s second-round clear with Touchable meant they could drop the eight collected by Tim Davies (Salome ll) and count just the single errors from opener David McPherson (Octavio) and anchorman Geoff Billington (Uppercut) – the latter providing the only British clear of the first round. 

Result a Delight

For rider and Chef d’Equipe Jur Vrieling, the Dutch result was a delight.  “I am very pleased” he said.  “I think all three of the other riders had a really good round.  When you start the first round well then it’s just about keeping your head and staying positive – it went really well for us” he explained.  And talking about his own horse, Zirocco Blue, he added “he’s a breeding stallion, breeding a lot in Holland and he is a really fantastic horse, and for sure one for the future.  I think you can say the same for Willem Greve’s Carambole – these are two exceptional horses”.

Greve agreed – “my horse is a nine-year-old stallion I produced myself since he was four.  I took a lot of time with him, and gave him a lot of time to develop himself. I was very pleased with the way he jumped today. I think he jumped the first round beautifully and the second round even better!  We took a bit of the pressure off Jur who was the last rider of our team, and he did it brilliantly.  We all had a share in this win, so that makes it feel really good, and we have a really good team atmosphere so we are very happy!” said the 30-year-old rider.

Tepper has been enjoying an ever-upward curve in recent months with KM Wish.  “I have her for two years now and she’s really good with lots of scope and she’s fast.  A month ago we won a Grand Prix in Poland, then we were on the Nations Cup team that was second in Drammen and we were second in the Grand Prix there.  I think she was getting tired when we had those fences down in the second round” she added.

Schuttert has been riding the 12-year-old Up to Date since the horse was five years old. “I rode two Young Riders Europeans with him.  In the first round today I had one down, I came in a bit big into the combination (the double at fence three) but afterwards it came good in the second round where I had a clear”. 

Surprised them Today

Course designer, Bob Ellis, certainly surprised them today. “I was very pleased” he said. “I think that we had 10 or 12 clear rounds in the first round and I think 6 or 7 in the second round. I think that I am actually the lucky Mascot for the Dutch team, everywhere I seem to be they seem to win, including many medals at the Games! – and the sun shone for us today”. 

Asked if it is difficult to build a course in the Copenhagen arena because of the trees and the shadows they create, he said, “you’ve got the gradients as well which take its toll with the course but no, it’s not difficult. What is difficult is that you’ve got 13 teams through all sorts of levels, to be fair to everybody, you’ve got some very good teams and some lesser teams. It wasn’t a monster of a course, there were a couple of big verticals and not terrific spreads but it was difficult enough in the last line, very difficult” he pointed out.  Plenty of the riders today would agree with that, but the winning Dutch proved more than equal to the challenge.

The Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping 2013 series now moves on to St Gallen in Switzerland next week for the third leg of the Europe Division 1 series.  For information on the Swiss fixture check out website www.csio.ch or contact Press Officer Peter Wyrsch at Email peter.wyrsch@csio.ch or Tel +41 79406 5207.  

For information on today’s leg at Copenhagen, check website www.firstgrandprix.dk or email Press Officer Trine Gronvaldt at presse@spr.dk, Tel + 45 22 71 40 40.

Result:

1.Netherlands 4 faults: Up to Date (Hendrik-Jan Schuttert) 4/0, KM Wish (Suzanne Tepper) 0/12, Carambole (Willem Greve) 0/4 , Zirocco Blue VDL (J Vrieling) 0/0. 

2.France 12 faults:  Number One d’Iso Un Prince (Nicolas Delmotte) 4/0, Looping d’Elle (Aymeric Azzolino) 0/4, Amadeus Z (Francois Xavier Boudant) 4/8, Quorioso Pre Noir (Timothee Anciaume) 4/0. 

3.Denmark 16  faults: Allerdings (Andreas Schou) 4/4, Kamila (Kim Kristensen) 12/12, Chopin van het Moleneind (Thomas Velin) 0/4, Amarone (Thomas Sandgaard) 0/4.

4.Great Britain 20 faults: Octavio (David McPherson) 8/4, Salome (Tim Davies) 12/8 , Touchable (Jesse Drea) 4/0, Uppercut (Geoff Billington) 0/4.

5.Sweden 21 faults: Udermus (Douglas Lindelow) 8/8, Tital (Emma Emanuelsson) 0/4, Newton Nickel (Angelie von Essen) 5/Elim, Clarimo (Rolf-Goran Bengtsson) 4/0.

5.Poland 21 faults: Bischof (Andrzej Lemanski) 0/4, El Camp (Lukasz Koza) 12/8, Wavantos vd Renvillehoeve (Lukasz Wasilewski) 4/4, Centino du Ry (Igor Kawiak)4/5.

7.Belgium 28 faults: Cortez (Nicola Philippaerts) 0/8, Equipharma Dax van Dabdijhoev (Pieter Devos) 8/12, Calumet (Catherine van Roosbroeck) 8/4, Upper Star (Jerome Guery) 4/4.

8. Switzerland 29 faults: Even to Heaven (Roland Grimm) 8/8, Alessa Z (Emilie Stampfli) 8/12, Oceane de la Taille CH (Evelyne Busmann) 4/0, Rubin Vlll (Fabio Crotta) 1/8.

9.Ireland 16 faults IN FIRST ROUND: Cruise on Clover (Thomas Ryan) 4, Value T (Anthony Condon) 8, Corona (Alex Duffy) 4, Par Trois (Mark McAuley) 8.

10.Norway 20 faults IN FIRST ROUND: Dimaro vd Looise Heide (Dag Ove Kingsrod) 16, Tiffany (Camilla Storemark) Elim, CC Top (Ole Kristoffer Meland) 0, Quartel du Mazes (Tony Andre Hansen) 4.

11.Finland 25 faults IN FIRST ROUND:  Coolidge (Niclas Aromaa) 16,  Agropoint Cassius (Kaarlo Kovacs) 5, Celestine (Satu Liukkonen) 12, Carolus Z (Henri Kovacs) 8. 

12.Germany 28 faults IN FIRST ROUND: Conthendrix (Andreme Thieme) 12, Balance (Andreas Kreuzer) 16, Westbridge (Nisse Luneburg) 0, JK Horsetrucks Commanchi (Jorg Naeve) 20.

13.Italy 32 faults IN FIRST ROUND: Varon O’Hessein (Roberto Previtali) 12, Calida (Federico Ciriesi) 12, Zyquita sr (Giampiero Garofalo) 12, Onnyl des Seruois (Antonia Maria Garofalo) 8.

ASPCA, IFAW, Code 3 Associates, RedRover & SAWA
Assist Central OK Humane Society in Caring for Animals
Displaced by Violent Tornado in Moore, Okla.

NEW YORK, (ASPCA) — The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals at the request of Central Oklahoma Humane Society (OK Humane) in Oklahoma City, Okla., has dispatched its disaster response team to assist with shelter operations as the facility experiences an influx of animals affected by the devastating tornado that hit Moore, Okla. on May 20. The ASPCA and OK Humane are also coordinating the distribution of pet food to impacted areas.

The ASPCA has also enlisted the assistance of the following agencies for this joint disaster relief effort: IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare) of Yarmouth Port, Mass.; Code 3 Associates Animal Disaster Response of Longmont, Colo.; and RedRover of Sacramento, Calif. Representatives from SAWA (Society of Animal Welfare Administrators) are also en route to Oklahoma Humane to lend their support.

Since the tornado, local animal control officers with the City of Oklahoma City have brought 110 lost, stray, injured or displaced pets to OK Humane where they are being assessed and cared for; that number could rise in the coming days. OK Humane has also reunited 46 pets so far with their families.

“OK Humane is very fortunate to have the ASPCA as a partner,” said Christy Counts, president and executive director of OK Humane. “We feel confident that with their assistance and support during this critical time, we will be able to provide excellent disaster response to this tragic situation.”

“We’re happy to lend a hand to Central Oklahoma Humane by providing staffing to handle the influx of animals affected by this disaster,” said Dick Green, director of disaster response for the ASPCA’s Field Investigations and Response team. “Our goal is to help make sure things run smoothly, and to see that the animals are comfortable and find their way back to their families as soon as possible.”

“In the face of overwhelming loss, IFAW is proud to be there for families separated from their beloved pets during the tornado,” said Shannon Walajtys, IFAW manager for disaster response. “We are assigning teams to help care for animals at the shelter and assist with reunifications.”

“Code 3 Associates is helping to provide care and logistical support to the animals located at OK Humane’s dedicated animal housing facility,” said Eric Thompson, director of emergency services for Code 3.  “We stand ready with additional staff and assets to provide further assistance should additional needs be identified.”

“We at RedRover are heartbroken about the devastation this tornado brought to Oklahoma. We will be assisting with the process to reunite people with their pets,” said Beth Gammie, RedRover emergency services manager. “For families who have lost so much, knowing that their pets are safe means everything.”

For more information about how you can help the pets and people of Oklahoma, please visit OK Humane. Moore-area pet owners who are searching for a lost cat or dog, please visits www.okclostpets.com.

WELLINGTON, (JRPR) – Caroline Roffman of Lionshare Dressage is looking forward to officially adding the word “international” to her title of FEI Dressage Rider.  After winning many prestigious US awards and titles in her young professional riding career, Roffman has earned the honor of being invited to compete at Aachen this summer. She is the first American dressage rider to be invited to compete in the Under 25 Grand Prix division at Aachen, and will make history in that class with Sagacious HF.  She is excited about her plans to travel to Europe with Sagacious and her own mare, Her Highness O to train and compete in the prestigious European tours.  “I am proud and excited to test my mettle in the European arena, and to be the first American to compete in the Under 25 Grand Prix,” said Roffman.  “I will also compete Her Highness O in the small tour at various European CDI competitions including Aachen,” Roffman announced.

Roffman has clearly demonstrated the caliber of dressage riding found in the US.  With titles to her name such as 2011 Young Adult “Brentina Cup” winner, 2012 USEF Dressage Festival of Champions National Intermediaire I title, and winner of the US Developing Horse Prix St. Georges Dressage Championship last summer at Lamplight, she is able to travel abroad with the experience of a seasoned rider well beyond her years.  The two horses she is taking on the journey are equally impressive.

Sagacious HF, a 1999 KWPN (Welt Hit II x Judith x Cocktail) gelding owned by Hyperion Farm, Inc., came to Roffman in 2012, and these stars have been soaring ever since.  Most recently, the pair scored above a 78% during of the 2013 Adequan Global Dressage Festival at the Dressage National 3 in the Young Rider Grand Prix.  “I am completely smitten with this horse,” Roffman describes, “I am thankful to my team, and everyone who has helped us including Lars Petersen and Juan Matute.”

Roffman is also planning to take her small tour mare, Her Highness O, on the journey. Roffman and this beautiful black mare totally ruled many of the shows during the 2013 Adequan Global Dressage Festival, including winning a Team Gold and Individual Bronze at the CDIO Nations Cup 3* in Wellington.   Roffman explains that last summer, after several years of partial ownership, she acquired full ownership of Her Highness, and they went on to win the USEF National Developing Horse Prix St. Georges Dressage Championship in 2012. “She came to me to be sold as a brood mare with only 30 days under saddle,” Roffman says about the now 9-year-old Hanoverian. “I soon realized what a special horse she is, and since then have worked to cultivate her talent in the show arena.  To have the chance to compete her in Europe is a dream come true.”   Roffman describes the 16.2 mare by Hohenstein and out of Weltmeyer, as a great talent, but explains it’s her character that sets her regally above other horses. Roffman plans to take Her Highness to even higher levels, and she is excited to continue developing this amazing horse to the Grand Prix level.

At only 24-years-old, Roffman has accomplished more than most dressage riders ever dream of.  Most recently, she was awarded the Judy Guden Memorial Trophy at the 30^th Anniversary of the Palm Beach Dressage Derby show, and also helped claim a second Team Gold Medal at the 2013 Wellington Nations Cup CDIO3* presented by Stillpoint Farm in Wellington.   She has won multiple titles in the Young Horse divisions, including championships in the Four-, Five- and 6-Year-Old divisions, and in 2012 won the Developing Horse Prix St. Georges with Her Highness O.  Roffman also was the 2012 Intermediare I Champion on her own Hanoverian gelding, Pie.

Caroline Roffman owns Lionshare Dressage in Wellington, FL and partners with US Pan Am Team alternate and 2012 Developing Horse Grand Prix Reserve Champion, Endel Ots.  For more information about these two rising dressage stars, visit www.lionsharedressage.com

SEGUIN, TX (D&D) – As the country honors its armed forces this Memorial Day weekend, Thursday May 23, D&D presented a handful of wounded service members with a special gift.  The retail superstore, with the combined efforts of Ariat, Wrangler and Justin, outfitted five Army soldiers undergoing rehabilitation at Brooke Army Medical Center with new boots, jeans and shirts- a program known as Boots for Troops.

1st Lieutenant James Elkins, Sergeant Jeremy Frost, Sergeant Paul Roberts, Sergeant Joseph Gonzalez and Specialist John Whittinghill all participated in the event.  Each of the soldiers was injured during his brave service overseas.

The D&D Family would like to extend a thank you to all of our country’s military members for their service.  May God bless you always.

Pictured L to R: Kathreyn Harris, Chase Ferrell, Sgt. Paul Roberts, Mike Hall, Sgt. Joseph Gonzalez, Sgt. Jeremy Frost, 1st Lt. James Elkins, Kevin Ferrell, Spc. John Whittinghill, Lisa Ferrell, Corbett Ferrell.

Photo by Steven Long

ROME, (FEI) – The seventh qualifier of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping 2013 will take place at the Rome Piazza di Siena CSIO 5* in Italy this Friday 24 May attracting a field of eight teams.

The starting order, which was determined by a draw held at Rome today, will be as follows:

1. Italy

2. Sweden

3. Great Britain

4. Germany

5. France

6. Switzerland

7. Spain

8. Ukraine

Four teams – France, Great Britain, Spain, and Ukraine – will be competing for Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping points in Europe Division 1. The updated Europe Division 1 standings can be consulted here.

Tomorrow’s competition will begin at 15.15 CEST (local time in Italy, GMT+2 hours) and will be broadcast live on FEI TV, FEI’s official online video platform.

The FEI is providing a wide range of online information resources in connection with the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping.

Dedicated webpage

Our dedicated webpage gives you access to useful information, including the calendar, latest results, updated standings, rules and news from the series.

Social Media

The FEI is posting news, images and videos on Facebook www.facebook.com/the.fei and Twitter www.twitter.com/myfei_home. Please follow us and share our content.

Our signature Twitter hashtags are: #Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ #Jumping

Thirteen teams at Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping eighth qualifier in Copenhagen (DEN)

The eighth qualifier of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping 2013 will take place at the Copenhagen CSIO 3* in Denmark this Friday 24 May attracting a field of 13 teams.

The starting order, which was determined by a draw held at Copenhagen this evening, will be as follows:

1. Poland

2. Ireland

3. Italy

4. Netherlands

5. Great Britain

6. France

7. Denmark

8. Switzerland

9. Germany

10. Sweden

11. Belgium

12. Finland

13. Norway

Six teams – Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Poland, and Sweden – will be competing for Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping points in Europe Division 2. The latest Europe Division 2 standings can be consulted here.

Tomorrow’s competition will begin at 13.00 CEST (local time in Denmark, GMT+2 hours) and will be broadcast live on FEI TV, FEI’s official online video platform.

The FEI is providing a wide range of online information resources in connection with the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping.

Dedicated webpage

Our dedicated webpage gives you access to useful information, including the calendar, latest results, updated standings, rules and news from the series.

Social Media

The FEI is posting news, images and videos on Facebook www.facebook.com/the.fei and Twitter www.twitter.com/myfei_home. Please follow us and share our content.

Our signature Twitter hashtags are: #Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ #Jumping

H.R.H. Crown Princess Mary of Denmark to visit the CHIO Aachen 2013

AACHEN, (World Equestrian Festival CHIO Aachen) – Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mary of Denmark will be attending the Opening Ceremony of the World Equestrian Festival, CHIO Aachen, on June 25^th, 2013.  The wife of the Danish heir to the throne, H.R.H. Crown Prince Frederik has accepted an invitation extended by the Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia, Hannelore Kraft.

The Kingdom of Denmark is this year’s CHIO partner country. In their role as the partner country, the Scandinavians will be significantly shaping the show and in particular the Opening Ceremony.  For example the famous golden carriage of the Danish Royal Family will be participating in the colourful parade as well as the Hussar Guards Regiment and the Royal Guards with their affiliated music corps. H.R.H. Princess Benedikte of Denmark, Her Majesty Queen Margrethe of Denmark’s sister, will be officially opening the CHIO Aachen 2013.

“We are very much looking forward to the Royal guests,“ commented Carl Meulenbergh, President of the Aachen-Laurensberger Rennverein e.V. (ALRV). “The fact that both I.K.H. Princess Royal Mary of Denmark and I.K.H. Princess Benedikte of Denmark will be visiting us here in Aachen, demonstrates the high esteem that the CHIO Aachen enjoys in Denmark.  Aachen will heartily welcome its Danish guests,” added Meulenbergh.

Tickets for the Opening Ceremony are still available online at www.chioaachen.de as well as from the ticket hotline on +49(0)241-917-1111.  Over 35,000 spectators are expected to attend the event, which will be broadcast live on WDR.

The partner country Denmark will also be spectacularly represented in the exhibitor area at the “Danish Village“, where among others an original Danish holiday house and three royal coaches will be on show.  Furthermore, the CHIO visitors will also be able to inform themselves here about the European Championships in Jumping, Dressage and Para-Dressage that are to be staged in Herning, Denmark, in August.

COLLEGE STATION, (TAMU) – Though recent storms promised to reset the drought button for a large part of East Texas, the western half of the state will likely see below-normal precipitation from now through August, according to a Texas A&M University climatologist.

“We are looking for above-normal rainfall, and we’re not having an easy time finding it,” said Dr. John Nielsen-Gammon, Texas State Climatologist, College Station.

Temperatures were expected to be above normal for all of the southern plains this summer, Nielsen Gammon said.

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“The short-range and long-range outlooks are sort of opposites,” he said. “We’ve got decent chances of rain in West Texas over the next week or two, while the Gulf Coast is going to stay fairly dry. But over the summer, the outlook from the Climate Prediction Center has the best chances for rain being along the Gulf Coast with drier conditions in West Texas.”

Nielsen-Gammon noted a few months ago no one was predicting the widespread swings in temperature and late freezes. However, he believes Texas has seen the last of abnormally low temperatures, and that warmer weather is back on track.

The reason for the cold fronts was likely due to above-normal snow cover in the northern hemisphere, he said.

“It was the first time in more than a decade that the springtime snow cover has been above normal,” Nielsen-Gammon said. “That means cold air can stay cold a lot longer on its way down to Texas.”

So far, the entire state has had below-normal rainfall for May. Parts of West Texas may “luck out” the last of May because of “fairly active, dry-like convections” during the rest of the month, he said.

As for June, the coastal regions of Texas may be drier, he said.

“It’s because the Gulf of Mexico is so cool right now, but that’s just a hunch at this point,” he said.