What's Happenin'

Wellington, FL- April 26, 2012- The First Annual Southeast Medal Finals will take place on September 21-23 2012 at the Jacksonville Equestrian Center. Sponsors are lining up to support this great new show. Highlights include the Southeast Junior and Adult 3′ Medal Finals, ASPCA Maclay Regionals and much more.

Hunter and Equitation judges will include Kip Rosenthal, Brian Lenehan and John Roper. Allen Rheinheimer and Fred Brown will serve as jumper judges.

Kip Rosenthal is an accomplished equestrian, who has ridden and trained with such familiar names as George Morris, Victor Hugo-Vidal, Bert De’Nemethy and more. As a respected R-rated judge in both Hunter and Hunter Seat Equitation, Rosenthal has judged many of the most prestigious competitions in North America.

Rosenthal’s judging history includes the Hampton Classic,Lake Placid, Capital Challenge, the NCEA National Championships, as well as the Pessoa/USEF Hunter Seat Medal Finals, Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Finals, and the ASPCA Maclay Finals.

“I am honored to judge in the first Southeast Medal Finals Show,” shared Rosenthal. “This show, modeled after the New England Medal Finals, provides an opportunity for Zone Four members and beyond, to vie for the three-foot, USEF Pessoa Junior and the USEF Adult zone championship and the Region Three ASPCA Maclay Regional Championship. We expect the best riders from the area to attend.”

Rosenthal’s interest extends to the governance of the sport where she volunteers her time by serving as a member of the USHJA Hunter Seat Equitation Task Force.

Rosenthal holds a PhD in clinical counseling psychology and conducts sports psychology seminars throughout the country. She has written several articles that have appeared in Practical Horseman and The Chronicle of the Horse, and writes “Kip’s Tips” for Today’s Equestrian.

Brian Lenehan is also a highly-regarded R-rated judge who has judged equitation and hunters at the country’s top shows, such as Harrisburg, Upperville, Lake Placid, WEF, Traders Point, HITS Ocala, HITS on the Hudson, Kentucky,Vermont and many more.

John Roper hails from Franklin,TN and is yet another esteemed R-rated professional who will judge the hunter and equitation competitors at Southeast Medal Finals. He is a member of the USEF Judges Mentor Program and a respected clinician.

Fred Brown hails from Newton Square, PA, is a judge, top trainer and clinician. Brown has judged Gulf Coast, Upperville, Monmouth County, Aiken and more.

Allen Rheinheimer is a USEF Jumper Judge, Course Designer and has served on USEF committees. Reinheimer is a fixture at our country’s most prestigious shows like the Hampton Classic, Devon and Washington International. Rheinheimer is from Zionsville, IN.

Southeast Medal Finals is located hosted by one of the premier equestrian facilities on the east coast, the Jacksonville Equestrian Center. It is centrally located for USHJA Zone 4 and Region 3 competitors. The complex includes a network of adjacent trails, available to explore and enjoy for a casual hack during horse show down times.

Southeast Medal Finals Fast Facts:

WHAT: The Southeast Medal Finals will be a new indoor hunter, jumper and equitation horse show attracting the top riders from USHJA Zone 4 and beyond.

WEBSITE: www.southeastmedalfinals.com

WHEN: September 21-23, 2012

WHERE: The Jacksonville Equestrian Center, Jacksonville, FL, featuring a large indoor coliseum with 3,000 seats, two outdoor rings and 500 permanent stalls.

FEATURES

• Southeast Junior 3′ Medal Finals
• Southeast Adult 3′ Medal Finals
• ASPCA Maclay Regionals
• Region Three Maclay Equitation Classic
• Florida Equitation Classic
• Zone 4 USEF Pessoa National Hunt Seat Medal Finals
• Zone 4 USEF Adult Medal Finals
• Zone 4 $10,000 Children’s Jumper Championship
• Zone 4 $10,000 Adult Jumper Championship
• Zone 4 Children’s Hunter Championship
• Zone 4 Adult Hunter Championship
• Zone 4 Children’s Hunter Pony Championship

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Susan Rindal -904-655-5497 – jdlala@aol.com

Bob Bell – 843-768-5503 – bbell@earthlink.net

James Lala- 561-906-6668- jdlala@aol.com

OFFICIALS

• Hunter and Equitation Judges: Kip Rosenthal, John Roper, and Brian Lenehan
• Jumper Judges: Allen Rheinheimer and Fred Brown
• Course Designer: Allen Rheinheimer and Joe Carnicom

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES:

• Banners: 20 Eight Foot Banners to Hang in Ring
• Parties: Welcome Party, Jumper Cocktail Party, Maclay Breakfast
• Program Ads: Full Color or Black and White, Full Page – Business Card Size
• Tables: 20 VP Tables for Six with full service
• Prize Money: Adult and Children’s Jumper Championships
• Cooler Sponsors: 10 Coolers Awarded to Championship Winners
• Grooms Award

DIRECTIONS:

Coming Into Florida From The North:

Take I-95 SOUTH to 295 SOUTH, 14.5 miles to Interstate 10 WEST, 4.8 miles to Cecil Commerce Parkway, exit #350. Turn right off the ramp, go 3.6 miles and turn right on Normandy Blvd.(State Road 228). The Jacksonville Equestrian Center is located 2.5 miles on the right hand side of Normandy Blvd.

Coming North From South Florida:

Take I-95 NORTH to 295 NORTH, 15.6 miles to the 103rd Street(State Road 134) Exit 16. Turn left off the ramp, go 7.8 miles and turn right on New World Ave.Go one block and turn left on Normandy Blvd.(State Road 228). The Jacksonville Equestrian Center is 1 mile on the right hand side of Normandy Blvd.

Coming Into Florida From The West:

Take Interstate 10 EAST to the Cecil Commerce Parkway(exit #350). Turn left off the ramp, go 3.6 miles and turn right on Normandy Blvd. (State Road 228). The Jacksonville Equestrian Center is located 2.5 miles on the right hand side of Normandy Blvd.

Coming From  : The Ocala Area

Take US 27  NORTH to US 301. Keep straight onto US 301, 22.5 miles. Turn right onto US 301 NORTH, 51.3 miles, turn right onto Normandy Blvd.(State Road 228). The Jacksonville Equestrian Center is located 6.6 miles on the left hand side of Normandy Blvd.

TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS: Please contact Equestrian Travel 855-GO- Gallop   www.equestriantravel.com, the official Hotel Coordinator for the Southeast Medal Finals

Like Southeast Medal Finals on Facebook!

Zen Horse Koi Scarf

WELLINGTON,Fla.(May 2, 2012) – Zen Horse Koi, the second in a series of collectible silk scarves to benefit the Equestrian Aid Foundation (EAF), is now available for sale. The scarf, designed by renowned artist Linda Bruff Luster, features rich, complementary colors that create wearable art. It can also be framed to produce a stunning focal point to any room. The sale of the scarves will benefit the EAF, which provides financial assistance for horsemen who are catastrophically injured or ill throughout their time of need.

The Zen Horse Koi scarf is available for $175 online at the EAF website – www.equestrianaidfoundation.org. It is 100 percent silk. Its unique size, 24” x 72”, makes it easily worn as a scarf or shawl.

The Zen Horse Scarf project to benefit the EAF was underwritten by long-time supporter Karen Long Dwight, ensuring the entire purchase price helps EAF recipients in need.

“Karen and I have been friends now for more 10 years and this is our second venture together to benefit the EAF,” Linda said. “She asked me to design both scarves using my two most recognized paintings – Zen Horse I and now Zen Horse Koi. I am so proud to be able to support the EAF and help its recipients.”

The purchase of a Zen scarf directly affects the lives of equestrians and horse enthusiasts financially assisted by the EAF.

www.equestrianaidfoundation.org, www.facebook.com/EAF.Ride4Hope

*Helen Steinkraus* Photo credit: David S. Gillmor

By William C. Steinkraus

Helen Ziegler Steinkraus died peacefully at home on the evening of April 11th surrounded by her family, after a brief illness. Born inNew York, the daughter of William Ziegler, Jr. and Helen Murphy Ziegler, the 81-year-old Mrs. Steinkraus grew up in Noroton, CT and New York City. She was educated at Nightingale-Bamford School and attended Columbia University and Hunter College before teaching briefly at Brearley. She then worked as a research assistant on the lung cancer studies of Dr. Ernst Wynder at the Sloan-Kettering Institute, and made several trips abroad collecting medical samples for him.

Throughout her life Mrs. Steinkraus displayed extraordinary courage, individuality, generosity and taste, and was a staunchly loyal friend.

Known to many by her nickname Sis, she was an elegant person and a very accomplished and versatile sportswoman. A member of the New York Yacht Club, she raced in Long Island Sound with her brother, William Ziegler III on their jointly-owned boats, and crewed on races to Bermuda and Hawaii.

She skied for many years both at home and abroad. She hunted wildfowl and upland birds from the East and South to Mexico, rode with many American foxhound packs as well as several Irish hunts, and made two hunting safaris in Africa. She also enjoyed snorkeling and tennis.

After marrying Olympic show-jumper William Steinkraus in 1960 she became interested in equestrian dressage, and with training from Jean Saint-Fort Paillard, Gunnar Andersen, Carol Mikolka and others, commenced a very successful competitive career that took her all the way to the Grand Prix level. With Natu she was USDF horse of the year at 2nd, 3rd and 4th level in three consecutive years and won the Eastern National 4th level finals in 1975. A vice-president of the American Dressage Institute, she became a sought-after national and international senior dressage judge and a strong early advocate of the freestyle to music. As a dressage organizer she was instrumental in developing the Wellington, FL dressage competitions, which she conducted in their early years. In retrospect, she played a valuable role in the development of dressage in America.

Aside from her own participation in sport, Mrs. Steinkraus took special interest in the ballet and figure skating, and with her interest in medicine, became active in Darien Post 53 Ambulance service where she became qualified as an EMT-I. She was also for several years a director of the American Maize-Products Company of Stamford, formerly headed by her brother, a lifelong director of the E. Matilda Ziegler Foundation for the Blind, and managed the family estate at Great Island in Noroton, CT until her death.

Mrs. Steinkraus was a loving wife, mother and grandmother, and especially enjoyed visiting the horses with her grandchildren. She is survived by her husband of 51 years, William C. Steinkraus; three sons, Eric of Sandy Hook, CT; Philip and his wife Stefanie of Rhinebeck, NY; and Edward of Darien, his wife Beth and three grandchildren, Grace, Abigail and Griffin.

Donations in her memory can be made to the US Equestrian Team Foundation, PO Box 355, Gladstone, NJ 07934, and Darien EMS-Post 53, POB 2066, Darien, CT 06820.

A private service was held.

Peter Barry finished in 11th place in the 2012 edition of the CCI 4* Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event, held April 26–29, at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY, USA. Photo credit—Shannon Brinkman, www.shannonbrinkman.com

Ottawa, ON— Canadians Peter Barry and Jessica Hampf finished in 11th and 19th place respectively in the 2012 edition of the CCI 4* Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event, held April 26–29, at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY, USA.

Barry, of Dunham, QC,  sat in 40th place following dressage with a score of 60.3 riding his own Kilrodan Abbott, 13-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding. The pair completed Derek Di Grazia’s challenging cross country course with one of the best performances of the day incurring just 3.2 time penalties which moved them up the leaderboard into 14th place. Barry and Kilrodan Abbott added one rail, for four penalties, to their score to finish with a score of 67.5 which was good for 11th place overall.

“This was my second time at Rolex so everything was more relaxed, and I enjoyed the experience more,” said Barry, who horse, Kilrodan Abbott had the second fastest recovery time of all the entries following cross country. “My horse was more confident this year and it was a great course for him. Our goal was to improve on last year’s score and we did it.”

Jessica Hampf, originally of London, ON, also improved on her result from last year. Riding High Society III, 16-year-old Australian Thoroughbred gelding owned by the rider and Carl Hampf, were in 55th spot following dressage with 70.2. The pair added 23.2 time penalties on cross country and 8 jumping penalties to finish in 19th place with a score of 101.4.

William Fox-Pitt of Great Britain claimed first place riding Parklane Hawk with a score of 45.3 – keeping him in contention for The Rolex Eventing Grand Slam of Eventing having won CCI 4* Burghley in 2011. Americans Allison Springer with Arthur placed second with 47.0 and Boyd Martin third with Otis Barbotiere, scoring 51.0.

About Canadian Eventing 
Canadian Eventing is a committee of Equine Canada responsible for the sport of eventing in Canada from the domestic to the international level. The Canadian Eventing Committee is comprised of 12 members, including two rider representatives elected by the Elite Riders Association. Directed by the strategic plan for eventing, all eventing activities are administered by this committee via six technical sub-committees with the support of eventing department staff based at the Equine Canada office in Ottawa. The national team athletes and program, led by International Technical Advisor David O’Connor, are monitored by the High Performance Committee. For more information about Canadian Eventing, visit www.equinecanada.ca/eventing.

Photo: From left to right, Lauren Knopp, Rebecca Cohen, and Mary-Cameron Rollins are participants in the ShowChic mentoring program.

Wellington, FL (May 3, 2012) – Mary-Cameron Rollins, Lauren Knopp and Rebecca Cohen are three confident young riders and stars on their way up in the dressage world. Thanks to a new mentoring program by the dressage boutique ShowChic, formerly known as Sho Clothes, all three young ladies will have help as they travel the road to success within the horse industry.

“I have a strong desire to help young riders get started and find success,” said Michele Hundt, owner of ShowChic. “Our ShowChic Mentoring Program will give our riders an opportunity to head in the right direction while being ambassadors for us at the same time. I am excited to launch the mentoring program and look forward to watching these three young ladies blossom.”

As part of the ShowChic mentoring program, Rollins, Knopp and Cohen will attend and assist with the boutique’s monthly “Shop Talk” program, present ShowChic sponsored awards at dressage shows and assist Hundt with fashion shows and educational events ShowChic takes part in. “The girls will also post on our Facebook page and act as spokespersons for ShowChic,” Hundt said.

In addition to the rewards of learning more about the equestrian industry, each rider in the mentoring program receives a minimum of $500 a year in store credit. This will enable each rider to successfully dress and compete at the upper levels. “I am very excited to have Mary-Cameron, Lauren and Rebecca on board. They all are doing extremely well in the show world and ShowChic is proud to have them as part of our team,” Hundt said.

Rollins, 24, began her dressage career at the tender age of 13 when she rode her first Prix St. Georges on a horse named Vesper. She said it wasn’t an “exceptional” ride but it helped her realize that dressage is what she wanted to do with her life. She is a bronze and silver medalist and has her silver freestyle bar. In 2009, Rollins competed at NAJYRC on the Region 3 team, earning a bronze team medal and an individual gold. Her goal for 2012 is to compete at the USEF National Championships inGladstonein the Brentina Cup on her horse Rose Noir 2.

Knopp is a 2009 National Junior Reserve Champion at Gladstone. She also won the team and individual silver medal at NAJRYC in 2009 and she won the Silver Stirrup Award Reserve Champion. She continues to progress and this year she is competing in the Young Riders division and scored a combined score of 70.757% at the Welcome Back to White Fences II and III shows. Knopp also found great success competing at the Global Dressage Festival inWellingtonduring the winter.

Cohen, 16, is thrilled to be part of the ShowChic mentoring program. She also found great success at the Global Dressage Festival during the winter circuit, riding away with scores in the 70’s on her 17.2 hand Westphalen gelding Downtown. Cohen was the Region 3 Junior Rider Champion in 2010 at 3^rd and 4^th level. In 2009 she was the Junior Rider Reserve Champion in Region 3 at 1^st and 2^nd Levels. She has also competed at Gladstone and NAJRYC.

“They are a very talented group of young ladies and we are going to have a great time together,” Hundt said. “I am looking forward to everyone meeting them and if you attend our next ‘Shop Talk’ it will be the perfect chance to learn more about them.”

“Shop Talk” is a monthly gathering for the equestrian community and it takes place the second Tuesday of each month. ShowChic is located at 3220 Fairlane Farms Road inWellington. “We offer the finest in dressage apparel and we stock the following name brands: Arista, Cavallo, Kentucky, Pikeur, Samshield, GPA and Charles Owen. We also offer beautiful handmade stock ties, BrowBands with Bling stock pins, Carol Ehrlich jewelry and more,” Hundt said.

For more information on ShowChic, visit their website at www.shoclothes.com or call them at 561-319-2121.

Rescue horses at S.A.F.E.R. rescue shelter in Sonoma County, Calif., are just a few among the thousands of horses across America waiting to find homes that will adopt or foster them.

Purina Makes Feed Contribution and Asks Horse Owners, Retailers to Help

(ST. LOUIS, Mo. – May 1, 2012) – During the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, Purina Mills, LLC announced its pledge to donate $125,000 in feed to American Horse Council’s Unwanted Horse Coalition (UHC). The donation will support A Home for Every Horse, a program dedicated to finding homes for horses in need of adoption or fostering.

Purina’s goal is to donate a half ton of Purina® Strategy® horse feeds to 400 rescue shelters. Purina® Strategy® horse feeds are a high-performance feed that have provided more than one billion feedings to horses of all ages and lifestyles. A portion of every bag sold will help fuel the contribution, giving horse owners the opportunity to help.

A Home for Every Horse was initiated by Equine Network and gives rescue shelters an effective, online method to place horses with loving families interested in adoption or fostering. A Home for Every Horse works under the Unwanted Horse Coalition, an organization that promotes responsible equine ownership and awareness of the options, services and assistance available to guarantee horses receive care and humane support throughout their lives.

Through a broad alliance of 30 equine organizations, including the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP), American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA), Purina and others, a collective effort works to ensure everything possible is done so that no horse becomes unwanted.

“The UHC is so honored to be a part of A Home for Every Horse. With so many unwanted horses in our nation, we must really stress the importance of rescuing and adopting,” said Ericka Caslin, director with Unwanted Horse Coalition. “Not only are there so many talented and wonderful horses waiting for homes, but the adoption of a horse will free up a space for another horse to be rescued and saved.”

“Helping to find homes for horses in need is an ambitious undertaking, and we at Purina believe it’s critical for organizations across the equine industry to come together in a united effort to help address this growing issue,” said Dave Hoogmoed, president of Purina Mills. “With thousands of horses across the country in need of shelter and nutrition, we must increase education and awareness about horse ownership, care, and adoption. This mission is at the core of the Unwanted Horse Coalition and one that Purina® supports through the partnership of A Home For Every Horse.”

Tim Campbell, owner of Purina® Certified Expert Dealer Friendly Feed and Supply in Fulton, Calif., donated a half ton of Purina® feed to rescue shelter, S.A.F.E.R., to help match the company’s nationwide effort and support his local community.

Purina® Retailers Help Local Rescue Organization

The plight of the rescue horse is one familiar to horse lovers. The burden of care often falls on rescue shelters that take in these horses. That’s why some Purina® dealers are realizing opportunities to make a difference in their own communities.

In spirit of A Home for Every Horse, three Purina® dealers in northernCaliforniaunited to support an area rescue organization, Sonoma Action for Equine Rescue (SAFER). Friendly Feed and Supply, Frizelle Enos Feeds and Rainbow Agriculture each donated a half ton of Purina® horse feed to SAFER for rescue horses in Sonoma County and the surrounding area. In addition, Purina matched the generous donations with an additional half ton of feed.

“SAFER has done so much for members of this community, and these partnerships allow us to create awareness and help solve some of the challenges that horses and horse owners face during tough economic times,” said Jim Mayfield, president of Rainbow Agriculture. “We’ve been a Purina® product dealer for close to thirty years and it means a lot to be associated with a brand that truly cares about the welfare of horses and horse owners.”

Owner of Purina® Certified Expert Dealer Friendly Feed and Supply in Fulton, Calif., Tim Campbell, and president of S.A.F.E.R. rescue shelters, Kate Sullivan, unload a truck containing a half ton of donated feed for horses at the shelter.

“This donation translates directly into how many horses we can afford to take in and help find homes for in the community. We’ve been working so hard that we haven’t had the opportunity to do much fundraising and we just hoped that if we did the work, the support would come,” said Kate Sullivan, president of SAFER. “Our foster shelters will see a lot more success stories because we’ll be able to provide a lot more feed assistance.”

Horse lovers interested in adopting an animal in need can visit www.ahomeforeveryhorse.com to search for available horses in their area. A Home for Every Horse is hosted and promoted by Equine.com, the industry’s largest website for buying and selling horses, with a network of more than 1.5 million horse owners.

For more information on the American Horse Council’s Unwanted Horse Coalition, visitwww.unwantedhorsecoalition.org. And to learn more about the partnership between the Unwanted Horse Coalition and Purina® Horse Feed, visit www.feedyourstrategy.com.

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About Land O’Lakes Purina Feed LLC

Land O’Lakes Purina Feed LLC (www.horse.purinamills.com) is a national organization serving producers and their families through 4,700 local cooperatives and independent dealerships throughout theUnited States. The company, in combination with its wholly owned subsidiary Purina Mills, LLC, is North America’s leading feed company, providing producers, cooperatives and dealers with an extensive line of animal feed, ingredients and services designed to help agricultural producers, dealers and cooperatives compete in the global marketplace.

“New Canadian citizen David Marcus riding Chrevi’s Capital excelled in dressage competition during the 2012 winter season in Wellington, Florida.” Photo Credit – Sue Stickle

Wellington, Florida– David Marcus of Campbellville, ON, made the most of his new Canadian citizenship, putting himself in contention for Olympic consideration following a strong winter competition season in Florida.  Several weeks of international dressage competition are held in the Wellington, West Palm Beach and Loxahatchee areas, making south Florida     a top destination for dressage athletes from around the world.

Marcus, 31, received his Canadian citizenship on December 28, 2011, and promptly began representing his new country successfully, scoring over 70% with Chrevi’s Capital in the national grand prix held at the Wellington Classic Dressage Premier from January 12 to 15 in Loxahatchee, Florida.

Even more impressively, the national competition in Loxahatchee marked the first grand prix test for Marcus’s mount, Chrevi’s Capital owned by Deborah Kinzinger.  In just four short months competing at the sport’s highest level together, Marcus and the 12-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding have formed a solid partnership that has seen them achieve an average score of 67.251% for Olympic consideration.  As of May 1, Marcus is ranked fifth overall in a hotly contested race for a spot on the 2012 Canadian Olympic Dressage Team.

“At every competition this winter, Chrevi’s Capital steadily increased his scores by one or two percent, culminating in the CDI5* at the Global Dressage Festival where we placed second in the Grand Prix Special,” said Marcus of the CDI5* Global Dressage Festival held March 28 to April 1 in Wellington, Florida.  “I am thrilled with the progress he has made; he has exceeded my expectations.  I had hoped that he would do this well, but he progressed so quickly, going from having never done a grand prix to now being so consistent in the Grand Prix and Grand Prix Special that we are in the running for a place on the Olympic team.”

O’Connor leads the group of intrepid journalists on the second annual “Rolex Ride The Course” media tour of the 2012 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event CCI**** cross-country course. Sidelines representative Kim MacMillan is about twenty feet behind David on the roan gelding Comanche on the right had side of the group. Photo by Allen MacMillan/MacMillan Photography

By Kim MacMillen

Looking through Comanche’s ears as we jigged up to the Rolex Head of the Lake water complex the jumps looked even more daunting from the saddle than from the ground, if that’s possible. Comanche, a red roan Appaloosa gelding, was my trusty, albeit enthusiastic, mount on the 2012 “Rolex Ride The Course” media trail ride around cross-country at the Kentucky Horse Park.

Thanks to Rolex Watch and Merrick Haydon of Revolution Sports, a small group of lucky journalists had the chance to tour the course on horseback to see the obstacles and galloping track from the perspective of the horse and rider.  Our tour guides were Olympic silver medalist and veteran of numerous U.S. eventing teams Gina Miles and USEF President and Olympic gold medalist David O’Connor. We also had a visit with Derek di Grazia, the course designer, at one of the obstacles.

Gina Miles on the far left (black jacket on the grey) talks with Sidelines photojournalist Kim MacMillan (center in black vest on the red roan gelding Comanche) while another journalist with a helmet camera rides Pocahontas in the foreground right. Photo by Allen MacMillan/MacMillan Photography

UVA Men (left to right): Felipe Viana, Lou Lopez, Todd Thurston, Eduardo Lopez, Mauricio Lopez, CB Scherer, LJ Lopez

UVA polo dominated the USPA Intercollegiate National Tournaments this past weekend in Ithaca, N.Y., taking home titles in both the men’s and women’s events.  The Cavalier squads faced strong competition throughout the tournaments, which featured top college programs and some of the best young players in the United States.

The UVA men’s team defeated Cornell in the semifinal and went on to win the championship with a 23-17 victory against Westmont in the final.

UVA Women (left to right): Lou Lopez, Isabella Wolf, Kylie Sheehan, Julia Steiner, Vicky Friedrichs, LJ Lopez

In the women’s tournament, UVA took down a solid Texas A&M team before meeting rival Cornell in the final and winning in a close 17-13 contest

The National Intercollegiate Championship is part of the USPA’s Intercollegiate/Interscholastic polo program, which is committed to growing the sport of polo with players and fans.  Several players from the winning UVA teams are part of the premier Team USPA development program as well, which is also highly involved in training and teaching young polo players. With the help of programs like these, polo is experiencing a resurgence in the U.S.as depicted in the recent in-depth feature on “60 Minutes” surrounding the sport.

Katrina Hiller

April 24, 2012 – The Dressage Foundation’s Renee Isler Dressage Support Fund recently provided two scholarships to young riders to support their participation in educational clinics.

Katrina Hiller (WI) was accepted by the United States Dressage Federation to participate in the Junior/Young Rider Clinic with Jeremy Steinberg on March 17-18, 2012.  However, she needed some financial help to make the trip from Wisconsin to Maryland with her horse, Toy Soldier.  Katrina received an $800 scholarship from Renee’s Fund, which enabled her to attend the clinic.

“The clinic with Jeremy Steinberg was an incredible experience,” said Katrina.  “His methods were effective yet respectful to the horse, and overall made Toy much more supple, active, and rideable.  I can’t thank The Dressage Foundation enough for giving me the opportunity to ride for Jeremy!”

Annie Adamcyzk

Renee’s Fund, which also provides support to young riders and professionals who participate in other educational events, awarded a $325 scholarship to Annie Adamczyk (IL).  Annie was selected to participate in the Emerging Dressage Athlete Clinic with Lendon Gray.  The event will be held April 28-29 at Legacy USA Equestrian inBurr Ridge,IL.

“Receiving this scholarship to ride with Lendon Gray is such an honor.  I cannot thank Renee Isler and The Dressage Foundation more for giving me this great opportunity. I am so excited to see how well Storm, my new mare owned by Marilyn Black, and I improve because of this clinic,” said Annie.
Since 2008, the Renee Isler Dressage Support Fund has provided nearly $40,000 in grants/scholarships to support young riders, the USDF Jr/YR Clinic Series, and dressage professionals.  For more information about this Fund, go to www.dressagefoundation.org/Renee_Isler_Dressage_Support_Fund.htm or contact Jenny Johnson at (402)434-8585 or jenny@dressagefoundation.org.

The Dressage Foundation

The Dressage Foundation is a 501(c)(3), non-profit, tax-exempt, donor-driven organization that is dedicated to supporting and advancing the sport of dressage.  The organization solicits contributions, appropriately allocates the donations, and awards grants and scholarships to dressage riders of all ages and levels.  For more information, please visit www.dressagefoundation.org.