The 2006 Wellpride American Eventing Championships will be remembered as a year of records, and a year of firsts and lasts.  A record 496 competitors representing a record 35 states traveled either just up the road or all the way across the country to the Carolina Horse Park in Raeford, North Carolina September 20-24.  Their goal?  To compete in championship divisions from beginner novice to advanced for a chance to earn their share of two more records:  a $52,500 purse, and more than $100,000 in prizes.  

The firsts?  The event, now in its third year, found the perfect fit in title sponsor, Wellpride.  An Omega-3 fish oil supplement for horses, the folks from Wellpride generously made their presence known at the event, providing not only prizes to all of the winners, but also grooming caddies for every competitor, stuffed full of samples and coupons from many of the event's sponsors. 

In addition the Beginner Novice division made its Wellpride AEC debut—a very successful one—with 50 entries and the support of division sponsor, The Fork Stables. 

The last?  After three years at the Carolina Horse Park, the Wellpride AEC will move to Lamplight Equestrian Center in Wayne, Illinois (a Chicago suburb) for 2007-2009.  For more information on the new site, visit www.aecatlamplight.org.  The Carolina Horse Park staff and volunteers made their last event a memorable one, with beautifully decorated courses, an event that ran like clockwork, and social activities each evening, including the USEA-sponsored party Friday night, with Tug-of-War (complete with mud pit for the losers) that included rivalries such as pros against amateurs, competitors versus grooms, and guys against girls, led by longtime sponsor John Nunn, owner of Bit of Britain and Nunn Finer.  The Carolina Horse Park held their signature barbecue on Saturday night, sponsored by International Truck and Engine, featuring a rock band, and dunk tank, where for a small donation you could take a shot at your favorite—or not so favorite—official, organizer, or fellow competitor.

Not enough can be said to thank the Carolina Horse Park staff, board of directors, and volunteers for making the AEC a reality.  Without them this event would be just another good idea.  And while the USEA held to the vision that the Championships would move to a new host location every three years, when it comes to the Carolina Horse Park, out of sight is not out of mind.  Who knows where the event might find itself, come 2010!

For all the Wellpride AEC action, including daily reports from the event, photos, audio archive of the cross-country competition, and video footage of cross-country and show jumping, visit the Wellpride AEC page of the USEA website by clicking on the Wellpride AEC logo on the home page.

 
The Wellpride AEC Goes to the Dogs
Contact:  Amy J. Daum, (703) 779-0440 ext. 3017

Go to just about any horse trials in the country and you can expect to see more dogs on the grounds than horses.  The Wellpride AEC is no different, which is why the USEA launched the AEC Dog Show at the 2005 Championships.  After that strictly for-fun dog show became the sleeper hit of the weekend, plans were quickly underway for an even bigger and better sophomore event in 2006.

Thanks to sponsors Saratoga Horseworks, SmartPak Canine, and Merial, the top three finishers in each class at this year’s show took home prizes as well as some well-deserved recognition for talents such as waggiest tail and best vocal performance.  The prizes included:  a cooling vest from Saratoga Horseworks for first, SmartPak Canine gift certificate for second, and stuffed toy and clock from Merial for third.  In addition dog treats from SmartPak Canine were available for all the competitors.

We thank the more than 65 dogs and their owners, representing 14 states, for participating, and our sponsors for their support, and look forward to next year’s Wellpride AEC Dog Show at its new venue, Lamplight Equestrian Center!

Results

Terrific Pet Tricks
1        Molly (mixed breed) / Leslie Chelstrom, Bluemont, VA 2        Chaos (Jack Russell Terrier) / Nancy Bounds, Berlin, MD 3        Max (German Shepherd) /  Shannon Cain, West Chester, PA
Costume Class
1        Annie (Mini Dachshund) / Dawn & Joel Scholz, Knightdale, NC 2        Dillon (Golden Retriever) / Lynn Coates-Holmes , Williston, SC 3T      Brutus, (Puggle) / Terry Lockhart, Bristow, VA 3T      Bella (Samoyed/Boston Terrier/Beagle) / Jessica Moore , Topsfield, MA 3T      Topsy (Irish Jack Russell Terrier) / Anne Wilson, Columbia, SC 3T      Buc (Lab Mix) / Zoe DiGiovianni, Pinehurst, NC
Biggest Dog
1        Lola (Great Dane) / Samantha Barber , Norwood, NC 2        Marty (Gordon Setter)  / Peetie Miller 3        Zack (Bernese Mountain Dog) / Annie Kauffman
Best Vocal Performance
1        Spirit (Corgi) / Morgan Ludlow 2        Pepper Jack (Australian Shepherd) / Julie Ennis, Queenstown, MD 3        Zeena  (Mixed Breed) / Mike Dickhart, Aiken, SC
Waggiest Tail
1        Tucker (American Bulldog) / Kandi Kline, Holly Springs, NC 2        Pepper Jack (Australian Shepherd) / Julia Ennis, Queenstown, MD 3        Dillon (Golden Retriever) / Lynn Coates-Holmes, Bristow, VA
Most Adorable
1        Chance (Mixed) / Eric Kramer, Round Hill, VA 2        Daisy May (Border Collie) /  Rylee Gailey, Covington, GA 3        Frost (Mixed) / Trey Brignac, Raleigh, NC
Smallest Dog
1        Chrissy (Chihuahua) / Pat Belskie 2        Tinkerbell (Mini-Dachshund) /           Dawn & Joel Scholz, Knightdale, NC 3        Sir Reginald Puff n Stuff (Pomeranian) /           Denise Phillips, Ohio
Most Mysterious Heritage
1        Bentley (Bassett Mix/Bull Mastiff) /           Leslie Chelstrom, Bluemont, VA 2        Quigly (Beagle/Dalmatian/Pit bull /           Stafford) / Molly Rosin, Madera, CA 3        Suzie (Bengie/Terrier Mix) /           Louise Quella, Jackson Springs, NC
Best Rescue
1        Jasper (Greyhound) / Holly Johnson, Metamora, MI 2        Crosby (Mix) / Katie Saunders, Falls Church, VA 3        Sophie (Mix) / Daniel Rose, Summersfield, NC

For more information on the Wellpride American Eventing Championships, including complete results of the equine competition, visit the USEA website at www.useventing.com and click on the Wellpride AEC logo. Photos by Robert Winter.

2006 Wellpride American Eventing Championships Wrap-Up
By Amber Heintzberger; September 24, 2006
Contact: Amy J. Daum, (703) 779-0440 ext. 3017

Kristin Bachman almost met her goal of a clear show jumping round today at the 2006 Wellpride American Eventing Championships at the Carolina Horse Park in Raeford, North Carolina. But even with one rail down, she and Gryffindor finished on 37.3 penalties, well ahead of Mara Dean on Nicki Henley with 51.60, to win the 2006 Wellpride AEC Advanced division.  Bachman took home practically a trailer full of prizes, including $4,000 in prize money from the USEA, an additional $1,000 Suncoast Bonus from Suncoast Bedding, an Amerigo saddle, a $600 gift certificate and cooler from Saratoga Horseworks, a Mountain Horse jacket, pair of Maui Jim sunglasses, Adequan, $300 Bit of Britain gift certificate, pair of SSG Gloves, jump standards from Hi-Tech Horse Jumps, a grooming tote with Wellpride and Omega Cure from title sponsor Wellpride, an UlcerGard 4-pack, and a pair of Blundstone boots for her groom.  

“There were some big fences out there,” she said. “You had to think about the course and really ride it.”

Bachman, 34, relocated from Redmond, Washington to The Plains, Virginia earlier this year to train with Jan Byyny and Mara Dean. Her win validates her choice and proves that she is making progress in her riding. “This obviously means we’re going in the right direction and putting it all together,” she said. It should give her a big confidence boost as she prepares to compete at the CCI*** at Fair Hill later this fall.

Young Rider Loreen Kay placed third overall and Emma Winter of Newnan, Georgia placed fourth on Mahogany Chief.

It is an ongoing concern in eventing that the lower levels be challenging enough in the jumping phases that it doesn’t become a dressage competition. Marc Donovan’s show jumping course consisted of a lot of related distances and lacked the technical, twisting style of many of today’s courses. It didn’t cause a lot of problems for competitors, but in the end it was influential in the final placings.

In the Open Training division the win came down to a rail, and since the leaders were tied, Susan Wainwright’s clear round really put the pressure on Susan Reynolds to leave all the rails in their cups. In the end Reynolds knocked the front rail off an oxer and Wainwright, from Pike Road, Alabama, was victorious.

Riding a homebred Irish Sport Horse named Hunter, Wainwright finished on her dressage score of 29.2. A former advanced level competitor, she has taken time off from the upper levels to focus on raising her 16-year-old son Sam with her husband, Sam Sr.

Coming into show jumping today, Reynolds commented, “I asked God to just give me peace and let me do my best – now that it’s over, I can’t stop shaking! I am so overwhelmed.” Reynolds said that she couldn’t have done it without the support of her barn manager and husband.

The Training Horse division in particular kept the crowd on the edge of their seats. About a third of the division had rails down, and with all the placings separated by fractions of a point, those rails could be expensive. Kelli Temple and Karen Mahaffey found out just how expensive, in fact, when they each had one rail down, altering their placings.

Local trainer Holly Hepp of Southern Pines benefited from the leaders’ errors and won the Training Horse division riding her own eight-year-old Thoroughbred Ladyslipper, a sale project that she purchased a year ago. An unraced Thoroughbred by Mohiba out of a Babamist mare, Ladyslipper had already won three training level events this year.

“She’s a quirky mare and I’ve figured out how to get the best out of her,” said Hepp. “Now she has a lot of mileage and is ready to go to a good Amateur or Young Rider.”

“This park is fantastic,” said Hepp, who added that she liked the changes to this year’s cross-country course. “The course had skinnies and corners and turning questions,” she explained. “I think the direct lines in show jumping were good practice for the eventers too – it made you come in and sit still.”

Hepp also placed second in the Novice Horse division on Icewine, a horse that also placed second in that division last year with Bobby Stevenson in the irons.

The weather was again quite hot today, but dark clouds hung over the Horse Park. The short downpour held off until the end of the Training Junior/Young Rider division awards ceremony, sending riders back to the barn happily clutching their new ribbons.

In the Training Junior/Young Rider division 15-year-old Brook Harlow of Concord, Massachusetts kept her cool as she piloted Fibber Magee around to finish on their dressage score of 32.6. Thirteen-year-old Retsy Holliday, one of the youngest competitors at the Wellpride AEC, finished second, less than two points behind, while Kaitlin Spurlock moved up from sixth to finish third.

Harlow bought the Fibber Magee from Jessica Moore in February and they have moved up to Preliminary already, which she said gave her a lot of confidence competing at the Training championships.

Harlow’s parents flew down today to watch her compete, but didn’t tell their daughter that they were at the Horse Park because she gets nervous when they watch her compete. They were there to congratulate her when she walked out of the ring.

“My heart was in my throat watching her, but we wouldn’t have missed it for the world,” said her mom, Amy Harlow.

“Brooke’s worked hard and followed the program,” said coach Karen Lorenzo. “She’s had a great season.”


PHOTO CAPTION:  Kristin Bachman and Gryffindor pose with from left to right: Dr. Anne-Marie Chalmers, co-owner of Wellpride, the AEC’s new title sponsor; USEA Chairman of the Board, Kyra Stuart; Shealagh Costello of the U.S. Equestrian Federation, Event organizer Lefreda Williams; Clark Davis from longtime sponsor, Amerigo Saddles; USEA CEO, Jo Whitehouse; Arete trophy presenter, Colleen Hofstetter; and Dean Hill of Suncoast Bedding.  Photo Credit:  Amber Heintzberger.

Three Phases, Twelve Divisions Run On Day Three of the Wellpride AEC
By Amber Heintzberger; September 22, 2006
Contact:  Amy J. Daum, (703) 779-0440 ext. 3017

California native Molly Rosin made the 3,000 trek worthwhile, jumping around clear aboard Havarah’s Charly to become the 2006 Open Preliminary champions at the Wellpride American Eventing Championships at the Carolina Horse Park in Raeford, North Carolina. Finishing on their dressage score of 29.4, the pair dominated the division of 44 entries. Allison Springer and Arthur, who led after dressage, finished in second place overall, followed by Lynn Coates-Holmes on Pistolero.

Past Olympian Karen O’Connor of The Plains, Virginia won the Preliminary Horse Debroke division with Joan Goswell’s Mandiba, followed by Emily Beshear on Baileywick and Caroline Dowd on Raw Deal.

Fourteen-year-old Callie Judy of Columbia, Missouri kept all the rails in their cups to win the Preliminary Junior/Young Rider division riding Kilkenny Castle, an Irish Sport Horse gelding. “Area IV has very flat terrain and I liked the rolling hills here,” Judy said. “Cross-country was very challenging.” She added that she wanted to thank her parents for supporting her, and Cathy Wieschhoff for coaching her during the competition.  Second place went to Laura Sappenfield on Derrik and third place to Kirsten Selwig on Rude de Guerre.

The inaugural Beginner Novice division, presented by The Fork Stables, also saw its finale today in the show jumping arena. Mary McKeon finished the competition with a clear round on Carol Bank’s Cleveland Bay cross, Idlehour’s McHenry, to win the division. Margaret Simak on Cappuccino and Fred McCashin on Private Pilot also went clear to place second and third, respectively.

Intermediate and Novice cross-country also took place today. Only one rider, Canadian Mike Winter, completed the Intermediate cross-country course with a double clear round. Overnight leader Lauren Kieffer dropped to 11th place after two stops on course. Emily Beshear had a clean round and took the lead on Acorn Hill Farm’s New Zealand Thoroughbred gelding Woodburn. She also placed second in the Preliminary Horse division on Baileywick.

Three Training level divisions began today.  There is a tie between Susan Reynolds and Dominick and Susan Wainwright and Hunter in the Open Division, with Andrew Palmer on Stilletto in third. In the Training Horse division Karen Mahaffey on Westmoreland is in the lead, followed by Kelli Temple on Moneymaker and Holly Hepp on Ladyslipper, in second and third respectively. In the Training Junior/Young Rider division, Brooke Harlow on Fibber Magee are followed by Retsy Holliday on Guinness V and Devon Brown on Limerick.

All three very large divisions of Novice spent the day on cross-country, with Sarah Blum hanging on to her lead in the Open Novice on a double clear round. Nancy Covert and Mary Jordan are tied for second less than one point behind Blum, so the pressure is certainly on for tomorrow’s show jumping.

Holly Payne and Fruition’s First took the lead in the Novice Horse division followed by Holly Hepp on Icewine in second and Caroline Dowd on Ripley in third.

In the Novice Junior/Young Rider division Rebecca Preston and Milo moved up from second to first when overnight leader Hannah Owens and Jamberry had a refusal and dropped to 56th place.  Jessica Meckes on Dungavin stands in second place, and there is a tie for third between Shauna Berkner on Curious Cobb and Courtney Bauer on Sheridan Jet Bars.

The Advanced competitors spent the day in the dressage arena.  Mara Dean and her Nicky Henley are in the lead followed by Kristin Bachmann on Gryffindor and Emma Winter on Mahogany Chief. Spectators should have some exciting rides to watch tomorrow when these competitors take to the cross-country course at 9:15 a.m.

The day concluded with the USEA’s competitors’ party that began with the presentation of the Exquisite Equestrian Award to Melissa Jefferson and her horse Triple Twist, aka “Trey.” The Exquisite Equestrian award is given to the person who has succeeded in the face of adversity on their journey to the Wellpride AEC, and Jefferson will receive a custom cooler from Exquisite Equestrian—a completely custom personal shopping service that specializes in outfitting barns, horses, and riders with custom products that reflect the highest possible quality, including Oakcroft Tack Trunks and barn equipment, Vogel custom boots, and commissioned artwork by Tricia Scheele.  Following this award the party kicked off with a lively tug-of-war competition and dancing into the night.

The Wellpride AEC would not be possible without the support of its many sponsors, including new Title Sponsor Wellpride; Presenting Sponsors: Amerigo, Bit of Britain, Nutrena and Saratoga Horseworks; Contributing Sponsors: Cover-All Building Systems, UlcerGard, Adequan, The Fork Stables, Finish Line and Suncoast Bedding; Gold Level Sponsors: Fleeceworks, Maui Jim Sunglasses, Stackhouse Saddle Makers, Practical Horseman, Mountain Horse, Charles Owen, and EquestrianCollections.com; Silver Level:  Likit, Pegasus Design, Joz, Inc., Phoenix Performance Products, Platinum Performance, Flair Nasal Strips, and SSG Gloves; and Bronze Level: 3M, Auburn Laboratories, Mackinnon Ice Horse, Gore Trailers, Hi-Tech Horse Jumps, Spalding Labs, and Rodney Powell Body Armour.  

For complete Wellpride AEC results, visit the Carolina Horse Park website at www.carolinahorsepark.com.

Molly Rosin takes the lead at Wellpride AEC
By Amber Heintzberger; September 21, 2006
Contact:  Amy J. Daum, (703) 779-0440 ext. 3017

California rider Molly Rosin and Havarah’s Charly posted a double clear round on the Open Preliminary division cross-country course Thursday, September 21 at the Wellpride American Eventing Championships at the Carolina Horse Park in Raeford, North Carolina. This moved Rosin into the lead (29.4) after overnight leader Allison Springer, on Arthur, added two time penalties to her dressage score of 28.5. Lynn Coates-Holmes on Pistolero held on to third place (31.5) on a double clear round; she was tied with Lucia Strini, who is now in sixth place (33.5) on Pantalaimon because of 2 time penalties.

In the DeBroke Preliminary Horse division, Karen O’Connor maintained her lead but switched leading horses when Lottery Ticket stopped at fence seven and Mandiba moved into first (29.6). Bonnie Mosser and Magic Carpet (30.6) were tied for third but are now in second after a double clear round; they were tied with Donna Smith and Cicera’s Ice Water but 14.4 time penalties dropped Smith to 12th place. Emily Beshear on Baileywick are placed third (32.3) despite .8 time penalties. Lottery Ticket is now in 16th place (87.7). O’Connor is also in ninth place on Lets Make A Deal in the Intermediate division.

In the Preliminary Junior/Young Rider division, Callie Judy and Kilkenny Castle finished six seconds under optimum time to hold on to their overnight lead (32.9) while Barrett Diehl, who was tied for first, fell to 18th place (75.3) after a stop and the resulting time penalties. Kristen Selvig and Ruse de Guerre moved up from a tie for sixth (35.6) to a tie for second place with Laura Sappenfield on Derrik. Callie Judy was a member of the gold medal winning team in the CIC* at the 2006 NAJYRC.

Lauren Kieffer and Woodrow are leading the Intermediate division after dressage (25.6), followed by Dana Widstrand on Relentless Pursuit (30.6) and Emily Beshear on Woodburn (32.3). Beshear may just be taking home a couple of yellow ribbons from the Wellpride AEC! Tomorrow this division and the Novice championship continue on the cross-country course.

Three divisions of novice dressage also took place today. Sarah Blum on Brilliant Disguise is leading the Open Novice division on a score of 29.5, ahead of 72 other entries in that division. Holly Payne on Fruition’s First have the lead in the Novice Horse championship (29.0). And in another big division of 73 horses, Hanna Owens on Jamberry scored 25.8 to lead the Novice Junior/Young Rider division.

The top three placings did not alter in the Beginner Novice division: Mary McKeon maintained her lead riding Idlehour McHenry (24.80) after a double clear cross-country trip, followed by Margaret Simak on Cappuccino (28) and Fred McCashin on Private Pilot (30.3).

For complete results go to: http://carolinahorsepark.com/aec/results_wed/aec06_results_main.html.

The Title Sponsor of the AEC is Wellpride; Presenting Sponsors are Amerigo Saddlery, Bit of Britain, Nutrena and Saratoga Horseworks; Contributing Sponsors are Cover-All, UlcerGard, Adequan i.m., The Fork Stables,  Finish Line and Suncoast Bedding; Gold Level Sponsors include Fleeceworks, Maui Jim Sunglasses, Stackhouse Saddle Makers, Practical Horseman, Mountain Horse, Charles Owen, and EquestrianCollections.com.

The competition continues tomorrow with beginner novice and preliminary show jumping, novice and intermediate cross-country and training and advanced level dressage.

Opening Day at the 2006 Wellpride American Eventing Championships
By Amber Heintzberger; September 20, 2006
Contact:  Amy J. Daum, (703) 779-0440 ext. 3017

The 2006 Wellpride American Eventing Championships began today at the Carolina Horse Park in Raeford, NC. Riders from across the country have traveled here to compete in championship divisions from beginner novice to advanced, for a chance to compete for a $50,000 purse, trophies and more than $100,000 in prizes.

Fifty horses are entered in the inaugural Beginner novice Championship. Mary McKeon, 35, of Kirtland, Ohio is in the lead with a dressage score of 24.80, riding Cindy Bank’s 11-year-old Cleveland Bay gelding, Idlehour McHenry. She is followed by Margaret Simak on Cappuccino (28.0) and Fred McCashin on Private Pilot (30.3).

McKeon attended the 2004 AEC and says that it was the best horseshow experience she’s had so far. “I look forward to sharing the same experience with my new event horse and his owner,” she said.

A longtime dressage horse, “Henry” began eventing in May of this year at the Kentucky Horse Park. “It was his first time and he loved it,” said McKeon. “I’m proud of how well he’s progressing and adjusting to his new career.”

Allison Springer of Middleburg, Virginia and her own six-year-old Irish cross Arthur have the lead in the Open Preliminary on a score of 28.5, just ahead of Molly Rosin on Havarah’s Charly (29.4) and a tie for third between Lynn Coates-Holmes on Pistolero and Lucia Strini on Pantalaimon for third (31.5).

Springer, who won the Novice Horse division at last year’s AEC, said that Arthur was tense in dressage today but performed a clean test. He also led after dressage last year, but his spookiness caused problems on cross-country. She is hoping that he will be more focused tomorrow. Springer is also in 23^rd place on Miss Varga, a Thoroughbred mare owned by Colleen and Noel Hersson.

In the Preliminary Horse DeBroke Championship Karen O’Connor, of The Plains, Virginia is in first and second places on Lottery Ticket and Mandiba, respectively. Lottery Ticket is owned by Maria Brazil, who won the Open Training division last year on Gadget des Brumes. This year Brazil and Gadget are competing in the Open Preliminary division, and are currently tied for 12^th place.

Brazil, an anesthesiologist from Missouri, also rides Lottery Ticket but asked O’Connor to move him up to intermediate over the winter. She competed him over the summer, but asked O’Connor to take the ride for the championships.

“I know him well,” said O’Connor, who has only been riding the gelding again for the past week, but has so much experience in the sport that she takes it in stride. “He’s a lovely horse.”

Mandiba, owned by Joan Goswell of Valencia, Pennsylvania – also the owner of former advanced level horse Worth the Trust – won the Training Horse division at last year’s AEC. She recently placed at Poplar Place Farm Horse Trials in Hamilton, Georgia in their first time at Intermediate. O’Connor hopes to compete in the two-star at Radnor with her.

There is a tie for the lead in the Preliminary Junior/Young Rider division between Callie Judy on Kilkenny Castle and Barrett Diehl on Dawn’s Peak (32.9). Andrea Leatherman on Mensa is in third place with 33.3 penalties.

There are many special stories behind the competitors at the Wellpride AEC. Competitors not only had to qualify, but many overcame difficult challenges to get to the event: lameness, rider injury, financial hardships and many other obstacles. But the draw of competing against their peers and alongside the best in the sport drew amateurs and professionals alike, locally and from great distances.

Many riders from the southeast, whether they had competed at the Wellpride AEC before or not, felt that they couldn’t pass up the opportunity to compete in the championships’ last year in North Carolina, before moving to Lamplight Equestrian Center in Wayne, Illinois in 2007.

Allison Springer said that Barrington Hills, Illinois is her hometown, so she will definitely be going to the championships after they move to Lamplight next year. “I go to the Maui Jim Wayne Horse Trials every year,” she said. “It’s a fabulous event.”

Tomorrow the competition continues with Intermediate and Novice dressage and Preliminary and Beginner Novice cross-country.

Make sure to visit www.useventing.com for live audio streaming of the cross-country action.  Archived video footage will also be available throughout the weekend.

The Wellpride AEC would not be possible without the support of an impressive list of sponsors, which include brand new title sponsor Wellpride; Presenting Sponsors: Amerigo, Bit of Britain,  Nutrena, and Saratoga Horseworks; and Contributing Sponsors:  Adequan, Cover-All Building Systems, The Fork Stables, Finish Line, and UlcerGard; and Platinum Sponsor:  Suncoast Bedding.

Additional Wellpride AEC sponsors include Gold Level: International Truck and Engine, John Deere, Charles Owen, Fleeceworks, Maui Jim Sunglasses, Mountain Horse, Practical Horseman, Stackhouse Saddles, Rouncy.com, and Equestrian Collections.com; Silver Level:  Likit, Pegasus Design, Joz, Inc., Phoenix Performance Products, Platinum Performance, Flair Nasal Strips, and SSG Gloves;  Bronze Level: 3M, Auburn Laboratories, Mackinnon Ice Horse, Gore Trailers, Hi-Tech Horse Jumps, Spalding Labs, and Rodney Powell Body Armour. 

Wellpride Becomes Title Sponsor for American Eventing Championships
Amy J. Daum; amy@useventing.com; August 8, 2006

Wellpride Omega-3 for Horses® and the United States Eventing Association are pleased to announce a corporate partnership and title sponsorship of one of its biggest productions, the American Eventing Championships, effective immediately.

Dr. Bo Martinsen, co-founder of Wellpride, said, “With the extraordinary success of stakes-grade race horses on Wellpride, we felt that the stamina and speed aspect of eventing made it a natural next step. We are proud to become the title sponsor for the American Eventing Championships.”

The newly monikered Wellpride American Eventing Championships is the U.S. Eventing Association’s national championships, this year held September 20-24 at the Carolina Horse Park in Raeford, North Carolina. Competitors from all six levels of recognized competition, beginner novice through advanced, will compete for $50,000 in prize money, more than $100,000 in prizes, and bragging rights.

A successful launch to the sport horse world at the 2006 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event set the stage for the expansion of eventing support. Both Wellpride, “The Cure for the Common Supplement™”, and its sister product for humans, Omega Cure®, proved to be immensely popular with the eventing crowd, selling out quickly.

The secret to the popularity of both products among eventers is twofold: first, it’s a tough sport for both horse and human, causing aches and pains and testing competitors’ limits. Known as ‘nature’s best inflammation fighter’, omega-3 is a superb aid to joint health and provides an extraordinary level of pain relief when an adequate daily dose is taken. Second, Wellpride and Omega Cure tap into the widening belief that modern technology and methods have created as many problems as have been solved. Thus, a solution that corrects a modern imbalance rather than band-aiding it has been welcomed.

“The USEA is delighted that the folks at Wellpride made the decision to expand to the eventing world, and that they chose the American Eventing Championships as the venue to make their presence known,” said Jo Whitehouse, CEO of the U.S. Eventing Association. “I cannot think of a better fit than for the top horses and riders in the country to come together to compete at a national championships sponsored by a company dedicated to giving our horses, and even riders, the edge they need to stay healthy and perform at their best.”

Dr. Anne-Marie Chalmers, co-founder of Wellpride said, “At Rolex, I saw that eventers are very savvy about both horse care and nutrition in general. They saw right away the benefits of correcting the modern-day gross imbalance of omega-3s to omega-6s with the most powerful broad-spectrum omega-3 there is, fish oil.”

Amy Daum, the USEA’s Director of Communications, discovered Omega Cure at Rolex and quickly became a fan. “I was drawn in by the science behind the product, but couldn’t believe that fish oil wouldn’t have at least some fishy flavor. I tried a shot of Omega Cure in orange juice, and all I tasted was the juice. So after doing some more research, I signed on for a first shipment and have been taking it with my OJ every morning since. When Wellpride approached me about the AEC title sponsorship I was thrilled, since I knew firsthand the benefits of their product, at least from the human side.”

Wellpride’s form of omega-3 is a purified all-natural human-grade fish oil, with an added light citrus flavor horses love. Unlike other marine-source omega-3 products, it contains the full spectrum of EPA/DHA omega-3, harnessing nature’s powerful synergy so that every system is positively affected – including nervous, dermal (skin, coat and hooves), digestive, muscular, cardiovascular, skeletal and reproductive. Unlike vegetable sources of omega-3 such as flax, which must go through a bio-conversion that wastes, on average, 90%+ of the product, Wellpride’s omega-3 is instantly 100% usable by the body, ensuring that your horse benefits from the supplement. Just one ounce daily for the average horse (two ounces for oversized horses or those with significant issues) puts the body back into a state of natural cellular health last seen in the 1950s.

For more information on Wellpride, please call 866-414-0188, or visit wellpride.com. For more information on the Wellpride American Eventing Championships, visit www.useventing.com, or call Amy Daum at 703-779-0440 ext. 3017.

About Wellpride

Wellpride is a physician-owned company based in metro Sarasota, Florida. Founded by Bo Martinsen, MD, a native Norwegian, and Anne-Marie Chalmers, MD, an American who has studied and lived in Norway, Wellpride and its sister company Ambo Health imports purified top-quality Norwegian fish oil for the equine and human markets, respectively.

Both Omega Cure, the human product, and Wellpride, the equine product, offer pure, natural, EPA/DHA omega-3 support, carefully purified to remove all heavy metals and toxins, with a light fruity taste added. To ensure freshness, Omega Cure and Wellpride are sold directly to consumers by monthly home delivery.

Lindroth Stars at Lumber River Trials
By Sue Smithson; The Pilot; June 18, 2006