Highlights From Spring 2010 Del Mar

This time last year we were singing the praises of the 2009 Rolex FEI World Cup in Las Vegas, proud of the super competition and offering congratulations to Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum, McLain Ward and Rich Fellers.

What a difference a year makes! This year we congratulate Meredith and Markus on their new daughter Brianne, now over 11 weeks old. We wish McLain could have a re-ride in this year’s World Cup. And we congratulate Rich (as well as Harry and Mollie Chapman) on his top twelve World Cup finish and his double grand prix victory at the Del Mar National earlier this month.

The beautiful grass grand prix field at Showpark set the stage for two main events this week at the Ranch & Coast Tournament. On Friday afternoon, the hunters were the stars as they competed in the $10,000 Chronicle of the Horse/USHJA International Hunter Derby and on Saturday afternoon, the jumpers took the spotlight in the $50,000 Grand Prix of California presented by Mary’s Tack & Feed.

Hail to the Hunters
In the open hunter divisions, tri-colors went to Truman (Mary Sweeney, owner) ridden by John French in the Green Conformation Hunters, and to Ashley Pryde’s Victory Road in the First Year Green Hunters also with John French in the irons. Iwasaki & Reilly’s Small Affair dominated the Second Year Green Hunters again with John French aboard. Exupery (Stephen Borders, owner) with Keri Kampsen riding earned the Regular Working Hunter championship, and in the Regular Conformation John Bragg rode Cunningham (Mary Slouka, owner), to the championship. 

Thirty-eight horses hunted around the Derby course designed by Scott Starnes, which included three 4’ options and a diagonal line across the field with two verticals and two oxers. The early part of the line rode easy in five strides then continued to flow in four strides and finished with three strides. As always, the course took its toll on a few, a spooky cut-out wall leading into the combination at fence eight stopped a handful in their tracks and others had hard rubs or a rail in the diagonal line. But for the top twelve of the day, the scores were in the eighties and even nineties. Watching those rounds flow around the course was hunter poetry in motion.
[Read full Blenheim EquiSports press release with results]

The post derby Tango Party at the San Diego Polo Club complete with Argentinean Asado, Tango demonstrations and fundraising fun was another fabulous affair. See our photo gallery for the social details. Cha cha cha!

Photo © CapturedMomentPhoto.com

Chef Leopoldo
As Leopoldo Palacios explained to us last season, course designers are like chefs. They take all the ingredients including height, distance, scope, time allowed, the materials, positions of the jumps, shadows, terrain plus a dash of this or that – and analyze those who will be tasting this creation, the riders, to bake the perfect grand prix course. Ideally a varied group of horses and riders will return with a clean plate and jump off for a second round of Chef Leopoldo’s course creation.

The afternoon event opened with a polo demonstration provided by four riders from the San Diego Polo Club. With a fabulous location just across the street from the Del Mar Horse Park, the polo season begins this month.

Fifty-one horse and rider combinations went for the win in the $50,000 Grand Prix of California presented by Mary’s Tack and Feed on a cool Saturday afternoon. The early rider got the prize, as Canadian John Pearce galloped on the field third in the order and was the first to ride clean on his 14-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding, Chianto. Next clean in the first round was New Zealand rider Guy Thomas and 13-year-old Holsteiner gelding, Carino. Riding seventh in the class, Thomas navigated the course smoothly and accurately. A handful tried to master the course without success until two talented and gutsy young women, Lucy Davis on Old Oak Farm’s Nemo 119 and Ashlee Bond on Little Valley Farm’s GZS Cassir Z, went sixteenth and seventeenth in the order and clean.

Of the thirty-four horses remaining, including Gold Medalist Will Simpson on Archie Bunker (Linda Smith, owner), Rich Fellers on the famous Flexible (Harry and Mollie Chapman, owners), Susie Hutchison aboard El Dorado 29’s Cantano, Joie Gatlin riding Camaron Hills Quick Dollar, and other well-known competitors, only the final entry in the ring went clean, S.F. Shakira and Michael Endicott. Happy to have him join the elusive four, the crowd burst into an exuberant cheer as he completed the course.
[Read full Blenheim EquiSports press release with results]

Photo © CapturedMomentPhoto.com

Media Mentions
Blenheim’ is honored to have their own tab on PhelpsSports.com alongside all the show jumping news from around the world. If you’re not a member of Phelps, now is the time.

Join Blenheim on Facebook and get connected with the latest updates, announcements and news. If you’re a tweeter follow Blenheim on Twitter.  A great place to follow the horse show scene, during Ranch & Coast we posted the details of the main events as they were happening.

EquestriSol News: March 20, 2010

Congratulations

Although we only made it to Thermal for one weekend this year, and late at that as we fought through four hours of LA traffic, we were present to witness John French and Crown Affair win the $10,000 COTH/USHJA International Hunter Derby during Week III. Check out the video here. Waldenbrook Farm had a very successful circuit, as you will see by their multi-page ad run in development.

We would also like to congratulate Joie Gatlin and Camaron Hills Quick Dollar not only for their $50,000 HITS CSI-W Grand Prix win during Week V, but for their consistency throughout the World Cup qualifying season. Joie and Keri Potter are currently second and third to Rich Fellers in points – will they be the three West Coast riders heading to Geneva in april?

And welcome…

Although many of you have heard the news, we are excited for new parents Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum and Markus Beerbaum on the arrival of Brianne Victoria Beerbaum. Just over a month old, Brianne was born February 27, 2010, in Bremen, Germany. She weighed 7 lb. 9 oz (3.43 kilos) and was 20.5 inches long (52 cm). Meredith writes, “The three of us are healthy and happy and very excited about the future.”

Don’t miss out!

Newsletters abound this season, so don’t miss out on the opportunity to follow along or better yet be a part. We are going greener with our print editions, look for them at select Blenheim EquiSports shows. And we are gaining ground with our e-news edition, consistently adding new recipients.

Delving into the world of social media and the latest in web development, with our clients and sport in mind we are working on some interesting projects that will unfold this year. Contact us with your marketing goals – we have solutions.

If you’re on Facebook, view past articles, suggest topics and future interviews, and become an EquestriSol fan.

Conversations With Equestrians: John French

Anthem to Zen with John French
By Jackie McFarland

A well-known name in both the hunter and jumper circles, John French is famous for his style in the saddle. Some weeks ago spectators and exhibitors alike were surprised to hear, literally, another side of John when he sang the National Anthem in front of a World Cup Qualifier crowd. Speak softly but carry a big booming singing voice is just one of the interesting aspects to this multi-faceted equestrian.

Certainly successful as a hunter rider, a handful of years ago John also proved he has what it takes to win at the international Grand Prix level. Over a five-year period, John went from Rookie Grand Prix Rider of the Year to qualifying for the World Cup Finals, placing in Britain’s Hickstead Grand Prix and representing the US on Nations Cup Teams in Great Britain, Belgium, Spain and Sweden.

In this conversation we not only wanted to delve into John’s vast equestrian knowledge and experience but also learn a bit more about who he is through a series of questions from A to Z…

Anthem: So Week II of this year’s Desert Circuit you sang the National Anthem in front of hundreds of people. Many questions spring to mind – how long have you had a passion for singing? Do you have any formal training? Have you ever sung the National Anthem in public before? How did it feel? Would you do it again?

John: When I was 10 or 11 yrs old I was one of 400 kids that tried out for this folk ensemble group. We had to sing the National Anthem for the audition. Only ten kids were picked, I was one. We performed all over as a group, I really enjoyed it. My parents didn’t really get involved, so I decided to drop it and focused on riding.

We had a singing coach when I was a part of the ensemble. I remembered learning the National Anthem for the audition, but had not sung it since age 11. I wanted to see if I could do it – so I off-handedly mentioned it to a client that I would like to. Turned out HITS needed someone, the word got out that I would do it and I thought ‘I can’t back out now…’ At least it was in front of friends and people I knew – but I was still super nervous. My mouth was getting so dry while I was standing there waiting.

Sometimes you have to take risks like that – do something beyond your comfort zone, it makes you a stronger person in the end. Next time I’m nervous before a class I will remind myself – ‘John, remember when you sang the National Anthem? Can’t be that bad.’

Favorites: Do you have a favorite memory from the show ring? A memorable ride among the thousands you’ve ridden?

John: Probably my most memorable ride was in 1985 at the Washington International Horse Show – I was riding a horse named Ice Palace in the Regular Working Hunter Handy class at night. I had gone back to the hotel to change, it was rainy, there was traffic and I missed my place in the order. When I finally got to the ring, there were only five rounds left. It got worse, I had forgotten my hat, so I had to run up and get it. The horse’s owner was angry, it was a mess. On top of that, the course was challenging, full of twists and turns. So I ran up to the stands to watch a few horses. Jumped two jumps in the schooling area and then had to go in the ring. I didn’t have time to be nervous; I was trying to remember the course, going from jump to turn to jump to turn… It was amazing – everything fell into place. Rodney Jenkins had the leading score and he was standing at the back gate. When the crowd cheered after my last jump, he mumbled, ‘Sh–.’

I had won! Rodney was 2nd, Katie Monahan was 3rd, Charlie Weaver was 4th. There has not been a bigger win in the hunter ring than that one for me.

Finesse in the Saddle: An avid performer, you’ve won in the hunter ring on both coasts, at all the top horse shows on a number of different horses. What advice can you give to a hunter rider on how to achieve that winning round? Tips to finesse the ride?

John: You have to go in and be confident. Pick up the pace right away – don’t doubt yourself. To have a winning ride, you can’t think ‘am I going to find the distance’ you have to let that go. When you are tentative it interrupts the flow. Let the doubts go out of your mind – that’s when you ride the best. Take risks – believe in the ride.

In the show ring you do want to finesse the ride – try to get relaxed in your body – relaxing your muscles will carry over to your mind. If your body is relaxed your mind will follow – so if you choose to be relaxed and breathe, that will in turn finesse the ride.

Idols: Whom do you consider your idol – equestrian and non-equestrian?

John: Idol – let’s see… my equestrian idols would probably be… ones that are no longer riding. The one I have the most respect for on the ground and as a rider is Bernie Traurig. He is so insightful. Also Patricia Heuckeroth – she is such a horsewoman. And another is Kathy Kusner – not only as a horsewoman but also because of what she’s doing now with Horses in the Hood*. She’s giving back and I have a lot of respect for her. [*a non-profit organization that offers 5-day riding camps to inner-city children in Los Angeles, learn more at horsesinthehood.org]

Non-equestrian idols – Jack Kornfield* – do you know who that is? He’s a spiritual teacher. And the Dalai Lama. [*A practitioner for over 40 years, one of the leading Buddhist teachers in America. Author of many books and CDs, he is also the founder of The Spirit Rock Center in Woodacre, CA.].

Nerves: Do you ever get nervous? Any advice for dealing with nerves?

John: Oh yeah – I always get nervous. When I do there are certain things I do to un-nerve myself. One is to remember to enjoy the process – have fun. Smile and think how lucky I am to do this. Mistakes are not the end of the world – it’s a horse show! Another is I remind myself that it doesn’t help to be nervous about something I can’t control – a ride happening in the future – so I let go and focus on what I can control which is being in the present during the ride. Yet another is I pretend no one is watching, that I am just schooling. I don’t go out thinking that I am going to win – or that I need to beat somebody else. Just do the best I can – ride better than the last time.

Sometimes when I’m on a really good horse, I’ll go in and pretend I’m somebody else on a different horse – depending on how the horse needs to be ridden, then I’m not nervous because I’m not John French, I’m somebody else!

I rode in the clinic with McLain – he definitely taught me a few things. So when I went in the jumper ring after that, I pretended I was McLain. It went well, first class on a horse I hadn’t really shown before I won, beat Richard. Then I only had the last jump down in the Futures.

Relaxing: Since you spend a majority of your time riding and competing – when you do have spare time what do you like to do? How do you relax?

John: I live in a really super quiet place – an old western mission town – San Juan Bautista, population about 1,700. Walking down Main Street, you would think there is going to be a shoot out in one of the saloons. I can relax, no hustle, bustle of a big city. I don’t get a lot of free time – when I do I go on retreats. I’ve been on four retreats.

Winning: What’s your approach to winning? Losing?

John: I’ve learned to get perspective – center myself – which can be difficult when you are always competing. A few years ago I was winning but not happy. I would win this big class or award but I felt nothing. I was essentially depressed. I wasn’t certain if I wanted to keep riding.

I went to a retreat. I learned that I wasn’t alone feeling this way – it’s not you alone against the whole world – but everyone is connected in feeling and wanting the same thing. To be happy. But that has to come from within. So I gained perspective.

It is so easy to get caught in that winning cycle. But the winning can’t be the only reason. You can’t be happy – achieve true happiness just from that. When I put it in perspective I let go of the winning as the reward. I remembered that I ride because it’s my passion, I love it. That is happiness.

Zen*: The path of enlightenment… Can you tell us about your interest in Buddhism and how that helps you? [*school of Mahayana Buddhism asserting that enlightenment can come through meditation and intuition rather than faith]

John: That’s a hard question. In the big picture, so many other religions tell you what you can and can’t do. But Buddhism is about a state of consciousness, seeking that greater interconnectedness, it’s a way of thinking. Things happen for a reason. Buddhism helps you learn about these lessons presented to you and to seek the path of enlightenment.

In order to achieve that state of consciousness, I practice the ability to acknowledge the nerves, the stress and then let go. Sometimes I meditate before a special class, when there are too many things going on in my head. I try to do some yoga and meditation in the morning in order to clear my mind.

Highlights Oaks Blenheim June 13, 2008

Oaks Blenheim June Classic I Grand Prix:

The Linda Allen course for last week’s $30,000 Oaks Classic Grand Prix was ‘tight’. With almost a third of the 31 riders garnering time faults and a handful struggling to fit in a snug seven strides to the last oxer after the water jump, it was aptly described by rider Guy Thomas as “technical and challenging yet not killer.”

Of the five that made the jump-off, four went clean and fast. Second-in proved best as Guy Thomas and Peterbilt stopped the clock at 43.094, edging out Susan Artes and Presto B by just over a second. The three other contenders – Kona with Francie Steinwedell-Carvin, Cassiato ridden by Harley Brown and last Peter Breakwell on Lucas – tried but didn’t succeed in catching those two top rides.

Thomas was proud of his homebred Peterbilt. “I’ve got a diamond in this horse,” he beamed. “He just keeps getting better and better.” The pair head to Spruce Meadows with his family’s Willow Tree Farm later this week for a month of shows in Calgary.

Young Riders Team (pictured top row, l-r): Karl Cook, Hannah Selleck, Haley Roberson, Paige Dotson, Sophie Benjamin (alt)
Junior Team (pictured bottom row, l-r): Lucy Davis, Alec Lawler, Savannah Carr, Annie Laurie Cook, Shelby Wakeman (alt)

Young Riders Selected:

The Zone 10 results are in for the North American Junior and Young Rider Teams. Bringing in their two top scores from the six trials, the competitors had a tough week of classes not only resulting in two solid teams but also preparing these riders for the upcoming FEI North American Junior and Young Rider Championships presented by CN. Heading to Colorado Horse Park in late July, Zone 10 will be defending their title from 2007 where both the ‘A’ and ‘B’ Teams won the gold.

The only competition of its kind, the NAJYRC invites riders ages 14-21 from the US, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Bermuda and the Caribbean Islands to test their skills under FEI rules.

Good luck to our Zone 10 teams.

$10,000 Hunter Derby:

2008 marks the year of the hunter derby and as we’ve learned, it’s only the beginning. True to derby regulations, the $10,000 Hunter Derby at Oaks Blenheim took place on the Grand Prix field filled with natural obstacles. John French held the lead in both rounds aboard Jenny Van Konyenburg’s Type Cast and also garnered second aboard Aura. Once again there was a variety of entrants – juniors, amateurs and professionals – where hunters as well as equitation horses had the chance to hunt derby style.

Highlights From HITS Thermal March 2008

Sunday, March 16th
On a cool, breezy Sunday the HITS DC Championship Week comes to an exciting close with six horses racing against the clock in the jump-off, including Guillermo Obligado on Suleyman de Wulf Selection, World Cup contender Keri Potter on her mount Rockford I, Master of Faster Richard Spooner riding Cristallo, veteran Eddie Macken aboard Tedechine Sept, Canadian Jill Henselwood on Special Ed and Olympic hopeful Will Simpson on El Campeon’s Tosca, in the $200,000 HITS Desert Circuit Invitational Grand Prix. Only two managed to go double clear and we congratulate Richard Spooner and Cristallo on their victory.

Saturday, March 15th / Sunday, March 16th

The west coast was honored to host the R.W. “Ronnie” Mutch Equitation Classic. Challenging by design, junior riders were on their own for every aspect of the class – walking the course, preparing their horse and making decisions about the ride – plus the track included some technical adjustments and stride options. On top of all that, the class went at night under the lights in the Grand Prix arena and the weather was windy to say the least. The wind picked up towards the end of the second round, leading to management deciding to complete the class on Sunday morning. Congratulations to Carly Anthony riding the beautiful Vogue to the win, just one point ahead of Shelby Wakeman on San Francisco.

Friday, March 14th

Congratulations also to Tache Rouge and John French on their win in the $10,000 ASG Software Solutions/USHJA International Hunter Derby Classic topping a talented field of handy hunters. Held under the lights in the Grand Prix arena, professionals, amateurs and juniors competed in this special class. Under the scrutiny of four judges, the top 12 horses hunted around two rounds of courses that included a snake option jump, liverpool, trot fence and the anticipated long gallop to the last oxer.

All three of the highlighted events drew a great crowd. No matter what the weather, spectators had fun and participated in cheering on hunters, jumpers and eq horses.

To view all of the HITS Thermal press releases, please click here.

We’ve listed the Desert Circuit Champions and Reserve Champions by division below – congratulations to all the exhibitors and we wish you continued success throughout the 2008 show season.