The last test in the three phases of combined driving is the cones test, where drivers navigate a course of pairs of cones in the arena. The cones are set just eight inches wider than the carriages, leaving very little room for error. Each cone is topped with a ball and knocking down a ball adds four penalty points. The course has a time limit and any time over that limit also adds penalties.

Misdee Wrigley-Miller was the first American on the driving course at 2018 WEG, and she added 32.93 penalties to her score. Jimmy Fairclough added 12.07. Then Dutch driver Bram Chardon completed the first and what was ultimately the only fault-free cones driving round of the day, putting on even more pressure at 2018 WEG. His father/teammate, Ijsbrand Chardon, was next with just 4.10. The final driver for the Netherlands, Koos de Ronde, had an impressive finish with just 5.79 points, which was the team’s drop score.

The final American driver on course was Chester Weber, who stood in second place individually. He went clear and just over the time, adding only 2.77 points to the U.S. team’s score, good enough to stay ahead of the Netherlands to take home the first-ever gold medal for a U.S. driving team at 2018 WEG. Weber’s score also kept him in silver medal position individually, with only Australia’s Boyd Exell left to go.

Exell proved why he’s the top four-in-hand driver in the world, steering his team of black Warmbloods to a near-perfect round, adding just 0.53 points to his score to secure individual gold, just like he did at the 2014 and 2010 WEGs.

Simone Wins Gold

It was a historic 2018 WEG moment in the show jumping arena today as well. Germany’s Simone Bluth became the first woman to win individual WEG gold in jumping, and she did so with a decisive victory aboard her mare, DSP Alice.

Blum had to be feeling the pressure of her own success, having completed every single round in show jumping’s long schedule without knocking a single rail at 2018 WEG. Her cumulative score for the first four rounds consisted of just the 2.47 penalties she’d picked up on the very first day.

The top 25 individual riders completed Round A on Sunday morning, and from there the top 12 return for Round B, which determines the final standings. All four American riders made the top 25, and three of them—Adrienne Sternlicht on Cristalline, Laura Kraut on Zeremonie, and McLain Ward on Clinta—returned for the final round at 2018 WEG.

Sternlicht finished the final round of her first-ever major championship with just one rail and two time penalties, putting her in 11th place overall at the end of the day.

Kraut, who had put in two phenomenal double-clear rides in the preceding two rounds, finished the final round with nine penalties, ending the WEG in 10th place overall. Ward had just one fault, which put him just off the podium in fourth place.

Blum entered the last round with a rail in hand, but she didn’t need it. She and DSP Alice cleared the final course with no jumping penalties and just one time fault to keep their score securely ahead of Martin Fuchs and Clooney of Switzerland. Steve Guerdat and Bianca, also of Switzerland, finished with the bronze.

Tryon 2018 WEG Moment of the Day

Your WEG Moment of the Day for Sunday, September 23, 2018: Bram Chardon of the Netherlands celebrates after completing the first and only clear cones round in the final phase of combined driving and gets a congratulatory hug from his groom. Bram is part of the Dutch team along with his father, Ijsbrand.

The post U.S. Driving Team Wins its First-Ever WEG Gold appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

2018 World Equestrian Games Driving Marathon

The first day of autumn was hot and sunny at the Tryon International Equestrian Center where the 19 combined driving teams took to the White Oak course for the marathon phase.

The marathon is based on eventing’s cross-country phase. In the driving version, competitors navigate through hazards that can include hills, tight turns, and water. Each hazard is timed separately, so unlike cross-country, drivers can opt to walk in between hazards without worrying about taking too much time. With the lingering North Carolina summer weather, drivers were letting their teams catch their breath today.

Australia’s Boyd Exell was the overnight leader after dressage with his stunning team of black Warmbloods. His total time on the marathon was the third fastest, but his dressage dominance was enough to let him hold on to that lead through today.

American Chester Weber came into marathon day in second place at 2018 WEG. With his fifth fastest finish, he also held his place on the leaderboard with his team of bay Warmbloods.

But after Weber, standings didn’t stay in their dressage order. Belgium’s Edouard Simonet had the fourth fastest time to move up from sixth to third place. Koos de Ronde of the Netherlands had the best marathon time, and that was enough to launch him from 14th place after dressage to fourth heading into the cones phase at 2018 WEG.

The U.S. team maintained its lead after the marathon. James Fairclough, the first on course this morning, stayed in 11th place overall. Misdee Wrigley-Miller had a slow finish overall that dropped her from fourth after dressage to 15th.

The team from Belgium had the best marathon day overall and moved up to second place behind the U.S. in team standings. The Netherlands is close behind in third.

Driving concludes tomorrow afternoon after the end of show jumping.

Making Strides in American Para-Dressage

Para-dressage concluded today with the final individual freestyle tests and medal presentations at 2018 WEG. Eight riders for each grade are invited back for these final rounds in which riders choreograph their own tests to music.

Italy’s Sara Morganti repeated her individual gold medal win in the Grade I freestyle with her Rheinlander mare, Royal Delight. In Grade II, Denmark’s Stinna Tange Kaastrup rode a phenomenal test with Helle Kristiansen’s 17-year-old gelding, Horsebo Smarties.

The gold for Grade III went to Dutch rider, Rixt van der Horst, whose test with the Dutch Warmblood mare, Findsley, was synched perfectly to her music and scored an impressive 77.347%. In Grade IV, another Dutch rider, Sanne Voets, rode another Dutch horse, Demantur N.O.P., to another gold. Voets also won the individual Grade IV gold earlier in the week.

In Grade V, Sophie Wells of Great Britain continued her dominance of the division, posting an 80.755 with C Fatal Attraction, an 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding at 2018 WEG.

American riders had a banner day with their freestyle tests to finish off an exceptional WEG for the para team. Rebecca Hart broke the U.S. medal drought in the sport when she took bronze in the individual Grade III test on Wednesday, and she continued the trend by winning silver in the freestyle with El Corona Texel.

In Grade I, Roxanne Trunnell also took bronze with Kate Shoemaker’s 6-year-old Hanoverian gelding, Dolton. Shoemaker rode another of her horses, the Hanoverian stallion, Solitaer, to a bronze medal finish in the Grade IV.

Vaulting’s Big Finish at 2018 WEG

The vaulters from Germany maintained their dominance in the final rounds of freestyle competition today.

On the women’s side, Kristina Boe performed her Jane Goodall-inspired routine to the top score of 8.388. Her teammate Jankia Derks took the silver medal while Lisa Wild of Austria came in a close third to take the bronze. Elizabeth Osborn was the best placed American female in today’s freestyle, finishing in 11th place.

For the men, Lambert Leclezio of France managed to prevent what would have been a medal sweep by the Germans, and he did it in a big way. His freestyle scored a 8.744, the gold-medal score for the division. Jannik Heiland, Thomas Brusewitz, and Jannis Drewell of Germany took the 2nd through 4th places on the final scoreboard. The Americans had a tough go, with Colton Palmer and Kristian Roberts finishing in 14th and 15th.

In the squad competition, the German team with 2010 gold medalist Patric Looser as the lunger, turned in yet another impeccable performance for a 9.104 and the gold. The fight for silver and bronze was a close one, with the Austrian team scoring an 8.641 and the Swiss team close behind at 8.491 at 2018 WEG.

The U.S. squad had a great performance and a heartbreakingly close-to-the-podium score of 8.457, which put them in fourth place at the end of the night.

Coming Up

Tomorrow is the final day of the 2018 WEG. The final rounds of show jumping will take place at 9:45 a.m. and 12:35 p.m. EDT. The final phase of combined driving, the cones test, is scheduled to take place at 2:30 p.m. and will be followed by the closing ceremony at 5:30.

The final round of jumping will air live on NBC starting at noon EDT.

Tryon 2018 WEG Moment of the Day

Your WEG Moment of the Day for Saturday, September 22: Prior to this year’s WEG, the US had never won a medal in para-dressage. Today, three Americans took home freestyle para medals. Roxanne Trunnell and Dolton won bronze in Grade I, Rebecca Hart and El Corona Texel won silver in Grade III, and Kate Shoemaker and Solitaer won bronze in Grade IV. Congratulations to all!

The post U.S. Drivers Hold on to Top Spot after Marathon Phase at WEG appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

In a competition where scores were calculated down to a thousandth of a point, a tie seems unlikely. But that’s exactly what happened today in the team jumping final at the FEI World Equestrian Games 2018 Tryon.

The top ten nations returned today for the last round of team competition. The Swiss team was the overnight leader, but after one of their riders was eliminated due to two refusals on course and the remaining three racked up 17 penalties, they opened the door for new medal contenders.

With two clear rounds and only four faults in the remaining counted score (each team’s lowest score is dropped), Germany moved into bronze medal position. Sweden had a near-perfect day, with no faults in its three counted scores, while the U.S. had a total of eight faults added to its total, creating a tie between the two nations at 2018 WEG.

All four riders from each team returned for a shortened version of the original course for a jump-off. In those four rounds, both teams had a single rail each. The tie breaker came down to which team had the fastest total time in the jump-off at 2018 WEG.

It was the U.S., by 2.06 seconds.

2018 marks the first time the U.S. has won team gold in a World Equestrian Games show jumping competition. Team members Laura Kraut and McLain Ward have both been part of WEG teams in the past while Devin Ryan and Adrienne Sternlicht both made their debut in Tryon. Three of the four U.S. horses are mares (Ryan’s Eddie Blue is a gelding.) All four riders are expected to return to the ring on Sunday for the final round of individual show jumping competition at 2018 WEG.

Driving Begins

The last of the eight WEG disciplines to take place is combined driving, which started today with the dressage phase. Nineteen drivers are competing at Tryon in this four-in-hand competition.

Australia’s Boyd Exell has long been the dominant competitor at the top level of this sport, and he showed why again today, earning the top score of 31.68 penalties. His American counterpart, Chester Weber, is close behind in second place with 35.10 at 2018 WEG.

The U.S. team is off to a strong start. Misdee Wrigley Miller currently sits in fourth place while James Fairclough is 11th. Overall, the team is in first place ahead of the second-placed Dutch team. France is currently in third.

Driving will continue tomorrow with the marathon phase. Be sure to check out the results here: 2018 WEG U.S. Driving Results

Tryon 2018 WEG Moment of the Day

Your WEG Moment of the Day for Friday Sept. 21: Pui Ting Natasha Tse of Hong Kong rides out of the arena on Baxo after successfully completing their Grade I Para-Dressage test. With them is Baxo’s equine friend. FEI rules allow for a companion to accompany para-equestrian horses to the stadium for moral support if needed to keep the horse calm and working at his best in the sometimes electrifying atmosphere of competition.

The post U.S. Show Jumping Team Wins WEG Gold appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Thursday was another marathon day for show jumping, vaulting, and para-dressage at the FEI World Equestrian Games Tryon 2018. No medals were awarded in jumping or para-dressage, but vaulting awarded its medals for the pas de deux competition after the pairs performed their second round of freestyles.

Silvia Stopazzini and Lorenzo Lupacchini of Italy earned the top score tonight after placing second to Jasmin Lindner and Lukas Wacha in the first round on Wednesday. Their combined average of 9.027 was just enough to squeak past the Austrian pair, who had a final score of 9.013. The German duo of Janika Derks and Johannes Kay took the bronze.

Two American pairs competed in the pas de deux freestyles. Daniel Janes and Haley Smith vaulted on Diva 506 for a final score of 8.244. Kathryn Keville and Florence Rubinger finished ninth. U.S. teammate Mary McCormick was their lunger, holding the line for Revlon.

USA = U So Amazing ????

Beautiful from @USequestrian’s Daniel Janes & Haley Smith ?#Vaulting #Tryon2018 #BeOne pic.twitter.com/LWhnXRjvEU

— The FEI (@FEI_Global) September 20, 2018

Narrowing the Field

The second day of show jumping narrows the field that started with 124 horse-and-rider pairs yesterday at 2018 WEG. After today’s round, only the top ten teams will move on in the team competition and some riders competing as individuals will continue on, for a total of 62 pairs scheduled for the next round on Friday.

Penalties from today’s round were added to yesterday’s to calculate the current rankings. After a double clear round today at 2018 WEG, Italy’s Lorenzo de Luca took the top spot on the leaderboard. De Luca rides Irenice Horta, a Belgian Warmblood mare by Vigo d’Arsouilles Stx, the stallion ridden to a 2010 WEG gold medal by Philippe Le Jeune.

McLain Ward of the U.S. had just one time penalty with Clinta, putting him in second place at the end of today’s round. 2016 Olympic silver medalist Peder Fredricson of Sweden is in third with H&M Christian K.

The other members of the U.S. team fared well in today’s round at 2018 WEG. Adrienne Sternlicht rode Christalline to a clear round with just one time fault to move into 12th place individually. Devin Ryan and Eddie Blue knocked a rail for four faults and a 20th place standing. Veteran WEG rider Laura Kraut had two knockdowns with Zeremonie and is now 26th.

The results were good enough to keep the U.S. in second place competition heading into the final day of team competition at 2018 WEG. Switzerland currently holds the lead by less than a point and Germany is in third. Team competition is especially important as the top six countries will earn their qualification for a spot in the 2020 Olympic show jumping competition.

Big Start for Dutch Para-Dressage at 2018 WEG

Team competition started today for the para-dressage division with riders from grades II, IV, and V performing their tests. Because of the structure of para-dressage at WEG where nations’ teams consist of varying mixes of different grades, the standings aren’t straightforward. Some teams have only had one rider perform their test, while others have had two or three. So far, only France has had all four riders complete their test.

However, with one rider left to go, the team from the Netherlands is looking strong in the standings. Grade V rider Frank Hosmar rode Alphaville N.O.P. to a 73.488, the second best score in the class. Sanne Voets repeated her success from the individual competition, earning the top score of 76.550% with Demantur N.O.P. in the grade IV. In grade II, Nicole den Dulk finished in second place with Wallace N.O.P. with a score of 72.939 at 2018 WEG.

Great Britain’s team had a banner day as well, with two accomplished riders taking their turns in the team arena. Sophie Wells rode C Fatal Attraction to a big score of 77.233 in the grade V. Lee Pearson finished in third in the grade II with a score of 71.606% on his nine-year-old mare, Styletta.

Two of the U.S. team riders went today, both in grade IV. Kate Shoemaker and her Hanoverian stallion, Solitaer, scored a 69.800%, which was good enough for fifth place. Angie Peavy and Rebecca Reno’s Oldenburg mare, Royal Dark Chocolate, posted a 67.075 to finish in seventh place at 2018 WEG.

Grades I and III will perform their tests tomorrow, including America’s Roxanne Trunnell and Dolton in the grade I and Rebecca Hart and El Corona Texel in the grade III.

Coming Up

Combined driving begins tomorrow with the dressage competition from 8:30 a.m. until noon EDT. Para-dressage runs throughout the day with grade III at 9:30 a.m. and grade I at 1:30 p.m. The next round of show jumping competition begins at 1:30 p.m. Vaulting takes a day off before the final freestyles on Saturday.

Show jumping is scheduled to air live on Olympic Channel at 1:30 p.m. on Friday, September 21. Show jumping team medals will air on NBCSN at 11:30 p.m.

Tryon 2018 WEG Moment of the Day

Your WEG Moment of the Day for Thursday, September 20: US rider Adrienne Sternlicht gives a triumphant fist pump after her clear round with Christalline in the second round of show jumping at the FEI World Equestrian Games Tryon 2018. The U.S. team currently stands in 2nd place at 2018 WEG.

The post U.S. Show Jumping Team Currently in Second Place at WEG appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Horse Illustrated is excited to bring you the 2018 WEG Show, the premier podcast devoted to the 2018 World Equestrian Games (WEG) in Tryon, North Carolina. Tune in for an in-depth look at all the disciplines, athletes, venues and logistics involved in the 2018 WEG. Whether you are new to the WEG or have been following it for years, this show has something for you!

Read all the show news here.

Listen to all of the 2018 WEG Show episodes here.

Subscribe to listen:

The post Podcast: 2018 World Equestrian Games Show appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Show jumping is the most popular international equestrian sport, and it kicked off in earnest today with 124 horse-and-rider pairs taking their shot at the first competitive round of the FEI World Equestrian Games Tryon 2018. This initial round was run as a speed round where time is converted to penalties to determine the score, and there is no jump off.

Swiss rider Steve Guerdat, gold medalist from the 2012 London Olympics, took the top spot in today’s class riding a 12-year-old mare named Bianca. Pedro Veniss of Brazil was second with Quabri de l’Isle, and Rowan Willis of Australia was third with Blue Movie at 2018 WEG.

Americans McLain Ward riding the Oldenburg mare, Clinta, and Laura Kraut with the Holsteiner gelding, Zeremonie, both went clear. Ward finished in eighth place overall while Kraut finished 12th. Kraut and Ward are both veterans of past Olympic and WEG teams for the U.S at 2018 WEG.

The other half of the American team consists of two WEG first-timers: Devin Ryan and the Dutch Warmblood Eddie Blue and Adrienne Sternlicht and Cristalline. Both had good rounds with just one rail each. Ryan finished 38th overall and Sternlicht came in 45th at 2018 WEG.

All four American riders will return to ride again tomorrow in the second round of show jumping, which begins at 9:00 a.m. EDT at 2018 WEG.

Bronze for Hart at 2018 WEG

Para-dressage continued today with the individual tests for grades III and I. American rider Rebecca Hart, currently competing in her third WEG, rode El Corona Textel, a Dutch Warmblood gelding, to a 72.235% and a bronze medal finish at 2018 WEG.

Great Britain’s Natasha Baker with Mount St John Diva Dannebrog won the silver and Rixt van der Horst of the Netherlands took the gold with Findsley.

In the grade I division, 2016 Paralympic team member Roxanne Trunnel of the U.S. made her WEG debut with Kate Shoemaker’s 6-year-old Hanoverian gelding, Dolton. She scored a 72.143% and finished in fifth place at 2018 WEG.

Italy’s Sara Morganti repeated her gold-medal win from the 2014 WEG, scoring a 74.750 with her Rheinlander mare, Royal Delight. Laurentia Yen-Yi Tan of Singapore won the silver with Fuerst Sherlock, and Elke Philipp of Germany took the bronze with Fuerst Sinclair at 2018 WEG.

Vaulting Heats Up

After yesterday’s compulsory rounds, things got more exciting with the first of the vaulting freestyle rounds for individual male, individual female, pas de deux and teams at 2018 WEG.

In the women’s competition, Denmark’s Sheena Bendixen took the top score today. U.S. competitors Mary McCormick and Tessa Divita finished 5th and 7th, respectively. On the men’s side, Germany’s Thomas Brüsewitz took the top spot again after his first-placed finish in the compulsories. U.S. vaulters Kristian Roberts and Daniel Janes finished 7th and 14th at 2018 WEG.

The first of the pas de deux freestyles ended with Austria’s Jasmin Lindner and Lukas Wacha in the top spot on the leaderboard. Daniel Janes returned with Haley Smith in the pairs to end the day with the sixth place score for the U.S. Kathryn Keville and Florence Rubinger also vaulted for the U.S. today and finished in eighth place at 2018 WEG.

For the first time this year, a nations cup style vaulting competition took place with two individual vaulters and one squad from each country competing for team medals. The team from Germany took home the gold medal. Switzerland won silver and Austria took the bronze. The U.S. team finished in fifth place overall at 2018 WEg.

Coming Up

Vaulting, para-dressage, and show jumping will all continue tomorrow, Thursday, September 20. Show jumping sessions begin at 9:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. EDT and both are scheduled to air live on Olympic Channel. The vaulting pas de deux freestyle will air live at 6 p.m. on NBCSN.

Para-dressage team tests for grades II, IV, and V, are on the schedule for tomorrow and will be broadcast for FEI TV subscribers at tv.fei.org.

The one sport we haven’t seen yet at this WEG is combined driving. Competition begins Friday. The horses will have their first inspection tomorrow at 2018 WEG.

Tryon 2018 WEG Moment of the Day

Your WEG Moment of the Day for Wednesday, September 19: The vaulting team from Italy completes a daring stunt where the flyer is thrown into a flip…and successfully caught!

The post Show Jumping Begins with 124 Entries at FEI World Equestrian Games Tryon 2018 appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Two new disciplines started today at the FEI World Equestrian Games Tryon 2018. Para-dressage took over the Tryon Arena while vaulting moved in to the indoor arena where reining took place last week at 2018 WEG. Read on for Para-Dressage and Vaulting starting in the second week of the 2018 World Equestrian Games in Tryon, North Carolina.

Holding on to Gold

Para-dressage is divided into grades 1 through 5 and riders are classified into grades based on type of physical impairment. Grade 1 tests are walk-only. Grades 2 and 3 are walk and trot. Grade 4 includes walk, trot, and canter with lateral movements at the walk and trot. Grade 5 is at walk, trot, and canter with lateral movements at all gaits at 2018 WEG.

Today, grades 2, 4, and 5 completed their individual tests. Grade 4 was first to go, with a field that included two of the U.S. team’s riders, Angie Peavy and Kate Shoemaker. It also included the 2016 Paralympic gold medalist, Sanne Voets of the Netherlands with her Paralympic mount, Demantur N.O.P., a Dutch Warmblood gelding. Voets rode a clean test to earn a score of 73.927% and the WEG gold medal. Rodolpho Riskalla of Brazil won silver with Don Henrico, and Danish rider Susan Jensby Sunesen won bronze with CSK’s Que Faire at 2018 WEG.

Peavy and her chestnut Oldenburg mare, Royal Dark Chocolate, finished in sixth place with a 68.707. Shoemaker was less than a tenth of a point behind to finish in seventh place with her Hanoverian stallion, Solitaer at 2018 WEG.

In grade 2, 2016 Paralympic bronze medalist Stinna Tange Kaastrup took the gold with Horsebo Smarties. Former eventer Pepo Puch of Austria, who won gold at the 2016 Paralympics, took silver with his Hanoverian gelding, Sailor Blue. Dutch rider Nicole den Dulk won the bronze with her Dutch Warmblood, Wallace N.O.P at 2018 WEG.

Great Britain’s Sophie Wells, Paralympic gold medalist from 2016, took gold again here, winning the grade 5 individual test with C. Fatal Attraction, an 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding. Frank Hosmar of the Netherlands won silver with his Dutch gelding, Alphaville N.O.P. German rider Regine Mispelkamp won the bronze with her Rheinlander gelding, Look At Me Now

Para-Dressage will continue on Wednesday with grade 3 tests at 9:30 a.m. and Grade 1 at 1:30 p.m. EDT at 2018 WEG.

On the Circle

The first day of vaulting brought the compulsory rounds for the squad, individual female, and individual male divisions. In the compulsories, each athlete demonstrates seven standard exercises. The scores earned in the compulsory rounds will be combined with the freestyle rounds to determine medals at 2018 WEG.

There was a close battle for the top of the leaderboard in the squad competition today, with the Swiss squad narrowly moving ahead of the Germans. The Austrian team currently sits in third, but only 0.006 points separate them from the fourth-placed American team at 2018 WEG.

For the individual female division, Austria’s Katharina Luschin and Daniela Fritz have the first and third spots, respectively, with Germany’s Kristina Boe in second. Tessa Divita is the top-placed American woman, currently in 14th place. Elizabeth Osborn and Mary McCormick of the U.S. are in 19th and 20th place, respectively at 2018 WEG.

Germany currently dominates the individual male leaderboard, with Thomas Brüsewitz and Jannik Heiland holding down the first and second spots. France’s Lambert Leclezio is in third. The Americans, Colton Palmer, Kristian Roberts, and Daniel Janes are clustered farther down the leaderboard, in 14th, 15th, and 16th place at 2018 WEG.

Vaulting continues tomorrow with the team, individual male, and pas de deux freestyles. The Nations Teams Freestyle: Individual and Squad, is scheduled for live broadcast on NBC Sports Network at 6 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, September 19.

Coming Up for 201 WEG

Show jumping gets underway tomorrow with the first rounds of individual and team competition. Parts of the competition are scheduled to be broadcast live on Olympic Channel at 9 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, September 19.

See the full broadcast schedule here.

Watch on tv.fei.org (requires a paid subscription.)

Tryon 2018 WEG Moment of the Day

Your WEG Moment of the Day for Tuesday, September 18: Lunger Monika Winkler-Bischofberger offers some quiet encouragement to vaulting horse Acardi van de Kapel before Swiss vaulter Lukas Heppler’s compulsory round in the individual male competition.

The post Para-Dressage and Vaulting Launch Second Week of 2018 WEG appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

At the FEI World Equestrian Games Tryon 2018, three-day eventing took five days. Read more on how Great Britain wins the gold in the eventing phase at the 2018 World Equestrian Games in Tryon, North Carolina.

The biggest competitions in the sport tend to take four days to complete all three phases, since dressage tends to require two days. At Tryon, former-hurricane Florence added the fifth: an unplanned rest day in between cross-country and stadium jumping while wind and rain pummeled the Tryon International Equestrian Center at 2018 WEG.

Fortunately, all of the horses and their riders weathered the storm, and with the exception of the jumbotron, which was taken down as a precaution ahead of the peak wind, the US Trust Stadium held up well, too. The sun even came out for parts of Monday’s stadium jumping phase at 2018 WEG.

The team from Great Britain had a phenomenal cross-country day and came into the final phase 8.2 penalty points ahead of the second-placed Irish team. Ireland kept the pressure on. Sam Watson and Padraig McCarthy both turned in double-clear rounds. Sarah Ennis and Cathal Daniels had just one rail each; with the drop score, they only added four penalty points at 2018 WEG.

Gemma Tattersall was the first of the Brits to ride today, and she racked up 12 points. Piggy French and Tom McEwen added just four each. The team’s final rider, Rosalind Canter, had a single rail in hand to maintain the team’s lead as she started her round. She and her Dutch Warmblood gelding, Allstar B, delivered a fault-free round to secure gold for the Brits.

The team from France completed the podium, adding just two rails to their team score to finish in bronze medal position at 2018 WEG.

On the individual side, Padraig McCarthy of Ireland and his British Sport Horse, Mr. Chunky, moved up in the rankings with their double-clear round thanks to teammate Sarah Ennis’s unlucky rail with Horseware Stellor Rebound, which ultimately dropped her from third place to fifth. Canter’s clear round guaranteed her at least silver, with just overnight leader Ingrid Klimke of Germany with her Oldenburg gelding, SAP Hale Bob OLD, left to jump at 2018 WEG.

Klimke had less than two points separating her from Canter, so she’d have to be nearly perfect to hang on to gold at 2018 WEG. And she almost was, expertly navigating the course until the very last fence. Bobby hit the top rail with a hind leg, knocking down an expensive rail that dropped Klimke from first to third, bumping Canter up to gold and McCarthy to silver at 2018 WEG.

For the Americans, it was a tough WEG that ended with an eighth place team finish. This placing is consequential as the top six teams from this WEG, excluding Olympic host nation Japan, earned their qualifications for the 2020 Olympics. The U.S. will now need to qualify at the 2019 Pan-Am Games in Lima, Peru.

Phillip Dutton and Z were the only American pair to turn in a fault-free round today, which moved them up from 21st individually after cross-country to 13th overall. The other three pairs, Lynn Symansky and Donner, Boyd Martin and Tsetserleg, and Will Coleman and Tight Lines, each added 12 points to their score. Symansky was the next best placed American, finishing 25th out of the 70 who completed the event at 2018 WEG.

What’s Next?

The end of eventing marks the end of the first half of WEG, and we’ll see four different equestrian disciplines in the second half, beginning on Tuesday with para-dressage and vaulting. Show jumping competition begins on Wednesday, and combined driving will take place from Thursday through the end of the WEG on Sunday.

See the full schedule here.

Tryon 2018 WEG Moment of the Day

Your WEG Moment of the Day for Monday, September 17: Rosalind Canter of Great Britain celebrates after finishing her stadium jumping round with Allstar B. Her clear round meant the British team secured team gold in eventing. Canter also won individual gold after overnight leader Ingrid Klimke knocked a rail on the final fence, dropping her placing to third.

The post All the Gold to Great Britain in WEG Eventing appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Day four of the FEI World Equestrian Games Tryon 2018 had riders, spectators and officials keeping an eye on the sky as Hurricane Florence started moving in from the coastal Carolinas. But the cross-country phase of eventing and the individual reining final concluded before the wind and rain could cause any direct problems.

WEG 2018: Hurricane Ingrid

The Tryon cross-country course takes advantage of multiple water obstacles, the undulating terrain of the foothills region, and an expanse of land that was once a golf course. The 3*-level course curved around a compact area but ended with a long uphill climb back to the US Trust Stadium in the main part of the Tryon International Equestrian Center at 2018 WEG.

One of the most notable features of this course was the Mars Sustainability Complex, a combination that started with a jump into the water, followed by a sailboat-shaped jump in the water, and then the real test: a jump out over a waterfall. A few horses (and riders) drew the line at tackling that particular obstacle; there was a longer option that allowed them to skip the cascades.

“They have lots of options, and it’s a championship,” said course designer Captain Mark Phillips. “It’s sort of fun to put a joker in the pack like that. In the team competition, it might make all the difference.”

In that team competition, it was Great Britain ending the day on top of the leaderboard at 2018 WEG. All four of the British riders went clear and inside the time, adding no penalties to their score of 80.8 after dressage.

Ireland had a banner day, too, with three of its four riders accruing zero penalties. With the fourth score being the drop score, Ireland also maintained its dressage finish of 89.0. The French team is close behind with a 91.8.

The team from Germany is accustomed to being a contender for gold in eventing, but after a few rough rides they’ve dropped to sixth. However, team member Ingrid Klimke had a clear and almost optimal time with SAP Hale Bob OLD, which moved her from third individually after dressage to first place after cross country.

Great Britain’s Rosalind Canter is close behind in second place with her horse, Allstar B. Ireland’s Sarah Ennis is in third with Horseware Stellor Rebound. Less than four points separates the top five riders, so a lot could change after stadium jumping day.

The American team currently sits in eighth place in the team standings. Lynn Symansky and her OTTB, Donner, were the only American pair to go double clear today. They’re the highest-placed Americans, sitting in ninth place individually.

Lauren Kieffer, who is competing as an individual for the U.S. with her horse, Vermiculus, had a fall on course today at 2018 WEG and has been eliminated. She and Vermiculus are unhurt.

2018 World Equestrian Games Reining: Big Win for Belgium

Reining has been part of the FEI World Equestrian Games since 2002, and the United States has brought home almost every gold medal in the division. Today, Belgian rider Bernard Fonck joined the ranks of non-Americans in possession of reining gold (Duane Latimer of Canada won individual gold in 2006.)

Fonck, who was part of Belgium’s silver medal team at the 2014 WEG, rode the 10-year-old AQHA stallion, What a Wave, to a 227.0. Just a half a point separated him from silver medalist Daniel L. Huss of the U.S., who rode the 8-year-old chestnut AQHA mare, Ms. Dreamy.

The victory had to be bittersweet for Fonck, who has been riding What a Wave for the stallion’s owners, Karl and Terri Roberts, for four years. What was meant to be a one-year arrangement was extended as the pair had continued success in the reining arena, but Fonck said he promised the horse’s owners that he would give up the ride after the WEG so that they could have the chance to enjoy him.

The bronze medal position came down to a ride-off to break a tie between Cade McCutcheon of the U.S. and João Felipe Andrade C S Lacerda. Both rode their hearts out to roars from the fans and turned in what may have been their best competition rides yet. McCutcheon edged out the win with an impressive 228 with his grandparents’ 7-year-old AQHA stallion, Custom Made Gun.

Delays and Cancellations

The impending hurricane has been a potential complication at 2018 WEG since it first appeared. What is now Tropical Storm Florence is reaching the Tryon area overnight and through the day on Sunday. As a result, the stadium jumping phase of eventing will take place on Monday instead of Sunday as originally planned. Additionally, the dressage freestyle has been cancelled entirely, despite earlier attempts to reschedule it for Monday morning.

“This was not an easy decision, but we have explored every option, including trying to reschedule the horse departures, and even looking at moving the competition into the indoor with a change of footing, but the logistics of making all this happen are just not possible,”said Tryon 2018 Organising Committee President Michael Stone in a statement. “We know this is desperately disappointing for the 15 athletes who had qualified their horses for the Freestyle, and of course for all the spectators who had bought tickets, but the weather has simply left us with no choice. Horse welfare has to be the top priority and flying the horses out on the same day as competition doesn’t work, so sadly the decision to cancel the Freestyle had to be taken.”

Tryon 2018 WEG Moment of the Day

Your WEG Moment of the Day for Saturday, September 15: The trophy case in the McCutcheon household is getting a little crowded. Tom and Mandy McCutcheon have both brought home gold medals from previous WEGs. This year, they’re cheering on the sidelines as horse show mom and dad. Their son, 18-year-old Cade, won individual bronze with Custom Made Gun in the reining final tonight after an intense ride-off for third place.

Read more about the 2018 World Equestrian Games here.

The post Belgium’s Bernard Fonck Wins Gold in WEG Individual Reining Final appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

It was all dressage, all the time on day two of the FEI World Equestrian Games Tryon 2018.  Read on to learn more about the dressage results of the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games Dressage riders competed in the Grand Prix Special in the US Trust Arena while the second half of the three-day eventing field completed their tests in the Tryon Stadium.

Dressage Queens

Repeating her top finish from the Grand Prix yesterday, Germany’s Isabell Werth came back with the highest score of the day in the Grand Prix Special. Completing a precise ride with the animated Westphalian mare, Bella Rose, Werth earned an 86.246%, nearly five points ahead of her closest competitor.

That competitor was the United States’ own Laura Graves and her Dutch Warmblood gelding, Verdades. Graves and Diddy repeated their second-place finish, posting an 81.717% to enthusiastic cheers from the home-turf crowd.

Great Britain’s Charlotte Dujardin finished a close third, earning an 81.489% with Mount St. John Freestyle, a nine-year-old Hanoverian mare.

American Kasey Perry-Glass also finished in the top 10 with the striking 15-year-old gelding, Goerklintgaards Dublet.

Dressage at WEG will conclude on Sunday morning—assuming no hurricane delays—with the Grand Prix Freestyles.

Not a Dressage Show

The dressage phase of three-day eventing concluded today with the second half of competitors completing their rides.

Germany holds the lead in the team competition heading into cross-country. Julia Krajewski maintained the top of the leaderboard after her impressive 19.9 penalty test on Thursday. Her teammate, Ingrid Klimke, joined her at the top with her test aboard SAP Hale Bob OLD today, which scored a 23.3 and put her in second place.

Rosalind Canter of Great Britain posted a 24.6, putting her in third individually and helping the British team secure second place in the team competition.

The United States team currently sits in third place. Phillip Dutton rode the 10-year-old Zangersheide gelding, Z, to a 27.6 and is currently tied for 12th individually. Lynn Symansky and her longtime partner, 15-year-old Donner, earned a 28.3 and are in 18th place.

2018 WEG: Endurance Update

FEI officials announced today that one of the competitors in Wednesday’s endurance race, a 20-year-old gelding from New Zealand named Barack Obama, was euthanized at the Tryon Equine Hospital. The race was cancelled due to hot and humid weather conditions and difficult trail conditions after a heavy rain shower on Wednesday. More than 50 horses were held or treated for metabolic concerns.

The FEI released the following statement:

No medals were awarded for the endurance race. The Spanish team, whose members had been leading the race, filed a protest, asking the FEI to award medals based on the riders’ position at the time the race was canceled. Their protest was denied.

Tryon 2018 WEG Moment of the Day

Your WEG Moment of the Day for Friday, September 14: American eventer Lynn Symansky rode her longtime equine partner, Donner, to a 28.3, putting them in 10th place heading in to cross country day. The score is Donner’s personal best for the CCI4* test.

Read more about the results of the 2018 World Equestrian Games here.

The post Gold for Isabell and Silver for Laura at FEI World Equestrian Games appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.