Laurels at Landhope Combined Driving Event
Sept. 5-7, 2008

Laurels At Landhope - Sunday
Lisa Singer won her eighth National Pairs Championship Sunday at The Laurels at Landhope. Singer had the lead after dressage, but was passed by Keady Cadwell who turned in a collection of fast times in the hazards on a rained soaked Saturday.

With less than two points between Singer and Cadwell, Singer had a good drive on the challenging cones course, knocking down two cones and going over the time allowed for 4.27 time penalties and a total score of 145.96.

Singer liked the cones course even though it was not the best layout for her horses, "There was nowhere to really run - I like to run. I didn't mind going up over the bridge," Singer said.

Cadwell could not capitalize on the opportunity, taking down five cones plus time penalties, which dropped her back to second place with a score of 151.32. Cadwell had elected to put a young horse into the pair for the final day. "I took my five year old because he needs experience and this was terrific for him," she said. "It was hard because he doesn't quite know how to canter yet."

Getting the experience for her horses was more important to Cadwell at this stage in their training than winning a trophy. "This isn't our end goal. Our end goal is the next world championships."

Larry Poulin, who had been very close to Singer after dressage, finished out the cones course even though he had been eliminated on the marathon for taking one of the hazards out of order. "It was a combination of everything - between the weather and the course was very confusing," Poulin said.

Poulin was the 2007 National Pair Horse Champion, and had hoped to repeat that title this year, as a match for the region 8 dressage championship where the horses are qualified. "I was hoping to combine (the championship) but this won't happen now, at least not this year," he said.

The Laurels at Landhope was also the site for all of this year's National Pony Championships.

Tracy Morgan won the Pair Pony title uncontested, while Lisa Stroud defeated Elizabeth Keathley to repeat her title as National Pony Four in Hand Champion. "It means a great deal to me. I think it's pretty important that we have our National Championship. The sport as a whole needs a national championship," Stroud said.

Stroud would like to see more people tackle the pony team's events at the advanced level, and is sad to see that Boots Wright has decided to leave the four in hand ranks in favor of pairs competition. "I'm very upset that Boots has moved back to a pair. She’s been my terrific co-rival in the sport, ... Hopefully Elizabeth will give me a good run for my money."

Stroud is aiming for the next Pony Worlds, and believes that America has a good chance to assemble a winning pony team. "I'm really hopeful we'll make it to Germany. I think we're really in a medal position this year."

The largest field in competition for a championship was the Advanced Single Ponies, where there were ten solid entries Suzy Stafford took a ten-point lead after dressage, and hung on to it through the marathon.

Miranda Cadwell was within striking distance, just six points back going into cones, but she had two balls down and time penalties giving Stafford a cushion when she came onto the course.

“I felt a double clear. I guess I was wrong,” Stafford said after completing the course in time with just one knockdown to win the championship. “She was really good, forward and listening. I always want a double clear.”

Stafford made it through the marathon well in spite of the rough weather. “I let her take it easy. I didn’t push,” she said. “It was hard. The carriage weighed nearly twice what it did by the end.”

This is the second time Stafford has won the championship with “Courage to Lead”. The first victory came in 2004 before the Morgan mare suffered a hip muscle injury, followed by a chipped splint bone. From here Stafford plans to do Lexington. “Then we’ll try out for the World Championships,” she said.
 

Laurels at Landhope CDE Combines International Competition and Family Fun
Sept. 5-7, 2008

Date: May 9, 2008
Contact: Stephanie Shertzer Lawson
(717) 509-9800 / (717) 203-5525 cell
steph@paequestrian.com

 WEST GROVE, Pa.– The Laurels At Landhope International Combined Driving Event, the most prestigious event of its kind held in the US, will be held in West Grove, Chester County, PA September 5-7, 2008. Combining family fun with international equestrian competition in a beautiful country setting just 40 miles from Philadelphia, the event hosts the best drivers from Canada, Mexico and the United States, who compete in a series of three events with combinations from single horses and ponies to four-in-hands.  It features the US Equestrian Federation (USEF) National Pairs Championships and the US Equestrian Federation National Pony Championships as well as competition in Preliminary, Intermediate and Advanced Divisions.  Recognized by the Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI), it is a selection trial for the World Championships to be held in Europe in August, 2009.

   Combined driving requires a unique partnership between horse or pony and driver that relies on training and trust. An offshoot of ridden three-day eventing, it features the elegance of dressage, the excitement of cross-country and a cones course, an intricate test of skill and precision. The competition begins at 8 am each day.  Dressage is held Friday, Marathon on Saturday, and Cones on Sunday.

   Though The Laurels At Landhope show grounds cover 44 acres, the two competition arenas, extremely popular trade fair, exhibition area with two restaurants, and the Patron Tent all adjoin one another.  The marathon hazards, the highlight of the event, are adjacent and easily visible to spectators.

   Kids Corner, with games, face painting and crafts, runs Saturday and Sunday from 11 am to 4 pm.  The Trade Fair features a variety of vendors offering jewelry, art, antiques, collectibles, equine/canine inspired giftware, equine and equestrian equipment, elegant country-style apparel, farm equipment, carriages, and carriage appointments.

   Sunday's activities include Jack Russell terrier races and a parade and display of antique coaches pulled by four in hands.  The Barbone Street Jazz Band plays throughout the day Saturday and Sunday.  Members of the Chester County Antique Car Club will display their vintage automobiles both days.

   For more information and tickets, visit the website, www.laurelscde.com or phone (610) 486-0710.

The Laurels at Landhope Combined Driving Event, Sept. 7-9, 2007

Sunday - September 9, 2007

CHESTER WEBER COASTS TO HIS FIFTH CONSECUTIVE USEF TITLE

 WEST GROVE, Pa.–There have been other drivers who have won five USEF National Four-in-Hand titles including Tucker Johnson and Jimmy Fairclough who both challenged Chester Weber for that award at The Laurels at Landhope today, but Weber is the only one to ever win it in five consecutive years. Leading by a comfortable margin, 23.49 points going into cones, Weber attacked the course and in the end, two balls down and six points in penalties did no damage.

   The general impression of today’s course was that it was wide open and flowing, deceptively so, as only one of 20 drivers in the advanced division made it through clean and clear, Jennifer Matheson of Aiken, SC and her pony Dannyloo.

   Scott Monroe, winner of the Advanced Single Horse class had two balls down in the final phase and agreed that the course was trickier that it looked. “It’s always harder when a course is wide open,” he said. “You tend to not stay focused.”

   Weber, who felt that both the marathon course and the cones might have been a bit more challenging had they been more technical, was still delighted with his win. “There are only two shows in the United States capable of hosting this championship and that’s here and Live Oak. I’m very happy to have won the title,” said Weber. “To win was my goal for the year and I achieved my goal.”

   Fairclough finished as the Reserve, a spot he said he’s had maybe 18 times but who’s counting. He was pleased with how well his horses did in the cones with only one ball down and 2.77 time penalties. “I got the team around in a way I wanted to test them a little bit, and it was good.”

   Johnson had one ball down and no time penalties and was pleased with how well his leader, the 5-year-old Oldenburg, Frisky, handled the big arena. “He was a little unsure going through the third facing the cones pushers in front of the sixth hazard,” said Johnson. “That was one of the places he spooked yesterday. But he did very well.”

   Other winners include Stacie Hoffman of Patchogue, NY, in Preliminary Pony A; Kylie MacGillivray of Ontario, Canada, Preliminary Pony B; Wendy O’Brien of Wassaic, NY, Preliminary Pair Pony; Katherine Prestero of Andover, MA, Preliminary Single Horse A; Ellen Epstein, Ocala, FL, Preliminary Single Horse B; Peter Harding, Ontario, Canada, Preliminary Pair Horse; Andrea Friedman, Ontario, Canada, Intermediate Single Pony; Paul Martin, New Holland, PA, Intermediate Pair Pony; Kim Stover of Smyrna, DE, Intermediate Single Horse and Newt Brosius, West Grove, PA, Intermediate Pair Horse.

Saturday - September 8, 2007

CHESTER WEBER EXTENDS HIS LEAD AFTER FLAWLESS CROSS COUNTRY TRIP TO ZERO IN ON USEF TITLE

 WEST GROVE, Pa.–All Chester Weber needs to do on Sunday, the final day in the USEF National four-in-Hand Championship class at the Laurels at Landhope, is drive a conservative cones course to wrap up his fifth National title in a row, a feat that has never been done before. Weber’s horses ticked off one hazard after another on the course, exhibiting precision and speed. “I felt really good about the way my horses went today,” said Weber.

   According to Weber, one of the reasons that he did so well is that he had some serious help from Koos De Ronde, a member of the Dutch team. “He’s a marathon specialist and he’s been able to help me on some routes and things like that. We’ve been working together since November of last year.”

   Unless Weber makes a monumental mistake in the cones, he’s got a virtual lock on first place. Weber’s score, 116.59 is 23 points ahead of Jimmy Fairclough’s second place score of 140.06.

   Fairclough, who underwent shoulder replacement surgery in October of 2006, is less than a year into a recovery that his surgeon said would take a full 18 months. “I had to get grafted and have seven anchors put it,” said Fairclough. “I drove at the World Games with a four and one half centimeter tear. I knew it was torn. It was my second time in that shoulder.”

   Even so, Fairclough said his marathon went well. “I did have problems in number two and again in number three. And there was the heat. My horses came in physically well but they were hot. ”

   To minimize stress to the horses, Laurels organizers modified the course by adding two minutes to the walk section, five minutes to the vet check and by eliminating the fifth hazard that was on a slight hill.

   The real contest in the Championship is for reserve with Tucker Johnson trailing Fairclough by only 3.16 points. Johnson’s new leader, Frisky, had some issues that needed to be addressed during the marathon. “It was difficult to get the bit adjusted just right,” said Johnson. “If I adjusted it sharply he sort of wanted to buck around a little bit. And if I had it too loose he wanted to take me for a ride. So we were negotiating.” Johnson said he stopped seven or eight time to make changes. “That’s normal when you don’t know the horse. He’s a five year old and this is the first marathon he’s done in the lead of a team.”

   In the preliminary divisions, Stacie Hoffman is leading in Preliminary Pony A, Kylie McGilliray, is heading up Preliminary Pony B. Wendy O’Brien is ahead in the Preliminary Pair Pony class and Katharine Prestero is up in Preliminary Single Horse A. Preliminary Single Horse B, Ellen Epstein and Preliminary Pair Horse, Peter Harding.

   In the Intermediate classes, Andrea Friedman is leading in Single Pony, Paul Martin in Pair Pony, Kim Stover in Single Horse, and Newt Brosius, Pair Horse.

   Leaders in Advanced are Jennifer Matheson, Single Pony, Allison Stroud, Pony fours, Scott Monroe, Single Horse and Alan Aulson, Pair Horse.

 For more information, call Mary O’Rourke, 610-486-6484, 610-268-8230