NRM-sponsored rider Vanessa Way is making the big trip from her home town of Oakura, New Zealand, to London as part of her campaign for the upcoming Olympic Games.

Way and her 14-year-old New Zealand-bred Hanoverian, KH Arvan, had a successful year in 2011, claiming Horse of The Year in Hastings in March and competing in Sydney later in the year to successfully qualify a New Zealand team for London.

The final team will be selected in June. At present, Way is one of the top contenders for a position and is determined to make it a reality. Often called one of the hardest-working people in New Zealand dressage, Way is using all her savings and taking a job in England so she can be trained by Carl Hester.

Hester is sponsored by Saracen Feeds, a Kentucky Equine Research (KER) Team Member in the U.K. Way will be based at his yard in Gloucester and will ride his horses in return for personal dressage training from the elite rider. She will train with Hester right up to the 2012 Olympic Games. KER wishes Way and KH Arvan the best of luck in their campaign.  

Mary Jordan, a dressage rider, is a member of the United States Para-Equestrian Team that is heading to the 2011 CPEDI*** competition in Melbourne, Australia. The event, to be held in Werribee, Victoria, will consist of team, individual, and freestyle dressage competitions.

The U.S. Para-Equestrian Team brought home team gold medals from CPEDI*** competitions in September and November of 2011, and the riders are hoping to follow that example in Australia where they will compete against para-equestrians from Australia, New Zealand, and Japan. Experience in international competition helps to prepare the equestrians for the upcoming Paralympics to be held in London, England, in 2012.

Mary knows how important it is to meet riders from other countries in top competitions. She commented, "Riding in Australia is an incredible opportunity to once again ride in front of top international judges and build competitive mileage. I find competing overseas in challenging pressure situations and unusual circumstances an invaluable tool as it builds competitive experience, seasoning, and confidence."

The competition in Australia will be somewhat more challenging because the U.S. riders will be performing on borrowed Australian horses, due to the expense of flying equines to international events. When she's training and competing at home, Mary depends on Kentucky Equine Research products such as Restore, RiteTrac, KER-Flex, and EO-3 to keep her horses performing at their best while guarding against joint damage and gastrointestinal upsets.

Dressage teams from Australia and New Zealand have secured a start at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Shiwon Green and Gosh

Qualification was a two-part process, with the first leg held in Sydney on 28 October and the final leg in Ermelo on the 2 November.

Teams from Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa competed for the two slots.

The Australian team, consisting of Rachael Sanna and Jaybee Alabaster; Chantal Wigan and Ferero; Lyndal Oatley and Potifar; and Mary Hanna and Sancette, scored an average of 69.25%, which put the team in first place.

Team New Zealand, which was composed of Louisa Hill and Bates Antonello; Vanessa Way and KH Arvan; Nicky Pope and Fabarchie; and Shiwon Green and Gosh, finished second with an average team score of 64.92%. Team South Africa was a close third with an average score of 63.00%.

Both Vanessa Way and Shiwon Green are sponsored by KER's New Zealand Team Member NRM. While competing in Australia, KER and Australian Team Member Barastoc assisted these riders in formulating diets for their horses, and the horses were fuelled on Barastoc feeds while competing in Australia.  

Elly Schobel rode her Andalusian stallion Oyente to multiple wins at the Andalusian Championships in Fort Worth, Texas in early October. Schobel, who is sponsored by Kentucky Equine Research (KER), collected blue-ribbon honors in three divisions. She and Oyente were proclaimed national champions for their efforts.

Elly Schobel and Oyente

Oyente's honors came in classes for Spanish Stallion 7 Years & Over, FEI Prix St. Georges Through Grand Prix, and Musical Kur FEI I & Grand Prix. Competition at this high level of dressage requires the horse to perform a series of difficult movements while maintaining rhythm, obedience, and forward impulsion. Great muscular strength and endurance are important, as is a horse's willingness to obey a rider's cues instantly throughout a long dressage test. 

To reach the show location, Schobel prepared Oyente for more than 24 hours in a trailer by following a good nutritional program supplemented with KER's Bio-Bloom and a double dose of Hemabuild. She was amazed at how well he handled the trip, saying that he had great energy and was ready to do his job in the top classes in which he was entered.

Hemabuild is formulated for use in horses under the rigors of training, racing, or competition. It is particularly suited to help horses maintain health and energy as they are being transported. Bio-Bloom's ingredients support healthy hoof growth and maintenance, aiding soundness in horses that train and perform at the elite level.

Dressage rider Vanessa Way and KH Arvan headed off the best of the New South Wales Grand Prix dressage competitors at a pre-Olympic Qualifier event at Clarendon near Sydney with a winning score of 67.8%. Way is from Oakura in Taranaki, New Zealand, and is sponsored by Kentucky Equine Research Team Member NRM.

The event, held October 10, was a warm-up for the Australian Dressage Nationals and Olympic Qualifier to be held at the Horsley Park Sydney Olympic venue at the end of October. Way is one of a five-strong NZL team, including fellow NRM-sponsored rider Shiwon Green.

Riding her gray Andalusian stallion Oyente, Elly Schobel claimed a first-place finish in her FEI Freestyle competition and a fifth-place ribbon for her Grand Prix ride at Camden Dressage. Schobel is sponsored by Kentucky Equine Research (KER).

Oyente, a breeding stallion, is a magnificent horse, but Schobel commented on the downside of owning a gray. "Right now, the biggest part of my day is taken up by washing this horse in preparation for weekend shows."  Her next competition is the Andalusian Championships in Fort Worth, Texas.

Schobel keeps Oyente on a strict conditioning program that is similar to an event horse's routine, and she likes to allow her horses to live outside as much as possible in good weather. She feels this type of program, in combination with the KER supplements, keeps her horses feeling and looking great.

Mary Jordan, a para-equestrian sponsored by Kentucky Equine Research (KER), placed third and fifth on two new horses at the 2011 USEF Para-Equestrian Dressage National Championships and CPEDI*** at the 2011 NEDA Fall Festival of Dressage.

Jordan scored a competitive 64.219% aboard Sebastian and 62.552% on P. Sparrow Socks. The selection trials for the 2012 Paralympics will take place next year.

Jordan last represented the United States on the Para-Equestrian Dressage Team for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games with her homebred mare, Paxton Abbey. KER was the official sponsor of the team, hosting the riders and their horses at its Versailles, Ky., research and training facility before the event.

Jordan utilizes KER products, including:

• Bio-Bloom hoof and coat conditioner,
• B-Quiet thiamine powder,
• Preserve vitamin E and selenium,
• Restore electrolyte,
• EO•3 omega-3 fatty acids,
• KER•Flex oral joint supplement,
• Nano•E nanodispersed natural-source vitamin E,
• RiteTrac total digestive tract support,
• Synovate HA liquid sodium hyaluronate.

She also works as a sales manager for KER Team Member Pennfield Equine Feed Technologies.

Shiwon and Gosh taking part in a demonstration at Equitana 2010.

Shiwon Green and her mount Gosh have been selected as part of a New Zealand Team that will head to Sydney to contest the Group F & G Olympic Group Team Qualifier. The test will take place on Friday, October 28, at the venue for the 2000 Olympic Games Equestrian events.

Shiwon is sponsored by KER New Zealand Team Member NRM, the largest, most experienced stock feed manufacturer in New Zealand. KER works with NRM to design diets, provide consultancy services, and deliver educational seminars.

Brazilian Lusitano breeders Manuel and Thereza Almeida, owners of Rocas do Vouga Stud in Itu, Sao Paulo, Brazil, were named Best Breeder and Best Exhibitor at the Lusitano International Show in Sao Paulo, last May.

Among the horses who contributed to the result were D'Accord do Mito, Grand Champion Young Male, and Excelente do Vouga, Grand Champion Young Female.

The breeding farm also accumulated points both in conformation and functional classes, which included dressage.

This was the second consecutive year in which the breeders conquered these titles, due in large measure to their high commitment to the breed and Brazilian equestrian sport. Luiza Almeida, daughter of Manuel and Thereza, has competed at the Olympics, Pan-American Games, and World Equestrian Games in dressage.

Rocas do Vouga Stud uses Legacy Geração, Legacy Compete, and Equimix Reforce, all products from Kentucky Equine Research (KER) Team Member Equimix.

The Dressage Association of Western Australia (DAWA) held its Gala Dressage Day on May 29 at Darling Range, Forrestfield. The Official and Associate Dressage Days ran concurrently, along with the final of the Europa Saddlery Freestyle Series. The event was very well attended and received some extremely positive feedback from competitors regarding the temporary grounds and new competition format.  

Kentucky Equine Research (KER) sponsored the Associate classes, providing prizes and KER vouchers from first to third place in each class, along with a luxurious inscribed woollen rug for the highest overall percentage.

Results for all events can be accessed on the DAWA web site.