The Standings Get a Shake Up At The Close Of Day 2

Style, grace, and artistry were front and center in today's day of freestyle in both the CVI* and CVI** competitions. Competitors fought to hold their positions as they presented their own unique routines choreographed to music of their choice. Spectators were entertained by performances from the Men, Women and Teams that ranged from classical to pop and everything in between.

Megan Benjamin moved into the top spot after putting in a smooth and elegant freestyle showcasing her strong artistic style. Mary McCormick had a tough go having had to make a horse change at the very last minute and struggled to find her usual rhythm, she stayed in medal contention taking the second place. Anna VanVranken moved onto the podium in third with her graceful performance.

In the One Star Women's Competition Rachel Bublitz moved into first place after delivering a solid go. Kathryn Jaggers moved up three places, from fifth to second, and Kyra McCarty dropped to third.

The Men managed to hold their places after the compulsory round, in the CVI** Kenny Geisler still leads, with Kristian Roberts in second and Mikkel Vandrup moving into third. The performances may have ranged from epic scores to pop tributes to a political statement, but across the board the audiences were entertained.

In the One Star Men's Competition, the standings remain the same. George Joseph Gadd increased his lead on second place Shawn Ricci by delivering a strong, clean freestyle round. Both Ricci and third place Clay Thomas had unfortunate falls within their routines.

The Team competitions continue to impress the spectators. The Mt. Eden Eclipse team continues to lead the CVI* competition with Woodside Vaulters second. In the CVI** Woodside won the freestyle with a solid performance and the Mt. Eden Sun Team came into second. Both Two Star teams had last minute horse changes which made for an interesting competition as both made adjustments to acclimate to their new teammates. Overall, Mt. Eden continues to lead the team competition after the first round.

In the CVI** competition Marisa Hamar and Cassidy Palmer, the competitions sole pairs competitors, displayed a fun and energetic routine that got the audience up and dancin!

For full competition results check out the "results" page.

Vaulters And Their Horses Applaud The Footing

The quote heard round the new indoor is that the footing is GREAT! So what exactly makes this the perfect surface for vaulting? The vaulters love that it is wonderful for their horses, very supportive with a touch of spring. These are exactly the same qualities that make it great for them as well, hard enough to get a great spring out of for mounts but soft enough to make for safe landings. Mary McCormick said, "This is the same footing that they have in Aachen, I love it. I'm so glad that it is what we're vaulting on here at the Kentucky Vaulting Cup." The Ottosport footing is a special mixture of three types of local sand and a felt textile imported from Germany.

Solid Compulsory Tests Spring McCormick and Geisler into the lead

After a tough round of compulsory competition, Mary McCormick of Mt. Eden Vaulters takes the lead in the Women's Individual CVI** competition with a 7.826. In a close second, Megan Benjamin also of Mt. Eden Vaulters, scored a 7.781 and Shannon Poer of Woodside Vaulters came in third with a 7.463. In the Women's Individual CVI* Competition Kyra McCarty won with a 6.3.

In the Men's Individual CVI** compulsory competition, Kenny Geisler of Mt. Eden Vaulters scored the top spot with a 6.644. Kristian Roberts of Half Moon Bay Vaulters came in second with a 6.4 and Erik Martonovitch of Big Horse Productions was third with a 6.244. In the Men's Individual CVI* George Joseph Gadd took the lead with a 5.878.

In the CVI* team competition, Mt. Eden's Eclipse Team took first with a 6.252 average and in the CVI** team competition Mt. Eden's Sun team won with a 6.143.

Check back tomorrow for the results of the exciting freestyle competition!

Vaulters LOVE The New Arena!

Vaulters from around the world agree that the new indoor arena at the Kentucky Horse Park is just amazing. They can't wait for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.

Laura Loonstein from Italy said, "The new arena is so inspiring, it makes you want to do your best. This competition is exciting, it will be a great venue for WEG in 2010."

Anna VanVranken of the USA exclaimed, "This competition is amazing, it's just like all the competitions I go to in Europe -- so very well organized."

"It's a true honor to be here at an event of this magnitude on our own home turf," Mary McCormick of the USA remarked.

Yang Ling from China told us, "I think it's an amazing competition arena and everyone here has been so nice and welcoming. It has been especially fun meeting all the competitors from other countries, it's a wonderful atmosphere here."

"Very exciting, I definitely love this place," Mikkel Vandrup commented, "I am looking forward to returning for the World Equestrian Games next year."

Kentucky Vaulting Cup Officials Welcomed VIP Style

The Kentucky Vaulting Cup Officials were welcomed to the event with a toast by discipline manager Kersten Klophaus and the WEG Foundation's CEO Jaime Link. They enjoyed some time in one of the indoor arena's new VIP sky boxes complete with a full kitchenette and reserved seating which makes for the best view in the house.

Competitions Director Kate Jackson said, "We are so excited to have you all be the first vaulters be in the new indoor arena."

Only 421 days left till the World Equestrian Games, everyone get ready!

Kentucky Finance Director Drops By To Check Out Some Vaulting

Jonathan Miller, Kentucky Finance Director and World Games Board Member and his daughter Abby are vaulting's newest fans! They dropped by this morning to meet Megan Benjamin, 2006 World Equestrian Games Individual Women's Champion and Ali Divita, 2008/2009 US Women's Individual Champion, and learn more about our incredible sport. They were very impressed with the training going on in the main arena and Mr. Miller even asked if he could try it out sometime.

A Little Kentucky Rain On The Vet Check

When does a little rain ever stop vaulters? Definitely not today, the vet check was moved indoors and ran smoothly. Horses warmed up and stayed dry in the indoor warm up before proceeding to the vet check area.

Sue Detol, President of the Ground Jury said, "I was impressed, everyone did a great job presenting the horses. We're looking forward to a great event."

Vaulters Arrive Onsite at Kentucky Horse Park

The excitement is starting to build for the Kentucky Vaulting Cup as the vaulters and their horses arrive and load into the barn. Stay tuned for more updates to come!

Equestrian Vaulters Dazzle Crowds at the 2009 Adequan FEI North American Junior/Young Rider Championships Presented By Gotham North

Lexington, KY. July 27, 2009. Spectators were treated to a spectacular display of harmony between athlete and rider with a one day equestrian vaulting demonstration competition during the 2009 Adequan FEI North American Junior/Young Rider Championsip Presented by Gotham North. Top Equestrian Vaulters from the US and Canada competed for honors with their Freestyle and Technical routines in the Van Lennep Indoor Arena at the Kentucky Horse Park. This marks the first time that Equestrian Vaulting was included in the Championships.

Megan Benjamin, 2006 World Equestrian Games Women’s Individual World Champion, vaulted her way to victory in the CVI** Women’s event with a flawless technical test together with her equine partner Sonny Boy, a 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood, owned and lunged by Emma Garrod Seely. She solidified her lead with stunning artistry and powerful gymnastics moves in the freestyle test. She is coached by Emma Garrod Seely, and is a member of the Mt. Eden Vaulting Club in Saratoga, Calif.

“I’m excited that vaulting is a part of Young Riders this year; it was an honor to win the inaugural presentation of our sport at such a prestigious show,“ Megan Benjamin said. “During the past five days I’ve been in equestrian heaven, and I am in awe of all the young talent across the disciplines.”

The CVI** Men’s event title went to Patrick Stevens vaulting with Caspar lunged by Julie Divita. Patrick’s display of strength and harmony with his horse, a nine-year-old Hanoverian, won him high marks from the judges in both his technical and freestyle tests. He is coached by Jennifer Lauzze, and is a member of the Woodside Vaulting Club in Woodside, Calif.

In the CVI* event Yvonne Greenen of Woodside Vaulters and Joey Gadd of Mt. Eden Vaulters each claimed gold in the women’s and men’s classes respectivly. Greenen performed with Pepperjack, a 15-year-old Thoroughbred/Percheron, lunged by Julie Divita. She is a member of the Woodside Vaulting Club in Woodside, Calif and is coached by Jennifer Lauzze. Gadd is a member of the Mt. Eden Vaulting Club in Saratoga, Calif. and is coached by Emma Garrod Seely. He vaulted with Sir James, a six-year-old Thoroughbred/Percheron lunged by Olivia Swan.

About Vaulting

Vaulting is both a recreational activity and a competitive discipline where both gymnastic and dance elements are combined and performed to music on a walking, trotting or cantering horse. It requires a harmonious relationship with the horse and outstanding physical condition from the vaulter.

An FEI recognized discipline since 1983, vaulting competitions are held regionally, nationally and worldwide and individuals, pairs and teams all compete in separate events. This variety creates an engaging experience for spectators as they watch athletes of all ages perform breathtaking routines that include artistic mounts and dismounts, shoulder stands and handstands on the horse, carrying or lifting another vaulter, and kneeling and standing exercises.

Vaulting is a unique and growing sport with a rich heritage traced back to the ancient Minoans and later to Roman soldiers. It was featured in the 1920 Olympic Games in Antwerp as Artistic Riding and has since evolved into the sport it is today. Vaulting is a wonderful way to develop coordination, balance, strength, and creativity while working in harmony with the horse; it is used around the globe as an introduction to the equestrian world and is recognized as a technique for developing strong riders in all disciplines.

About the American Vaulting Association

The American Vaulting Association, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, is dedicated to growing vaulting in the United States through educational programs, activities and competitions. This year the AVA celebrated its 40^th anniversary; it has hundreds of vaulting clubs around the nation, and hosts dozens of activities and competitions annually.

The World Games 2010 Foundation Announces Competitors for Kentucky Cup Vaulting Test Event

Eight countries will go head to head at the Kentucky Horse Park to compete in Kentucky Cup Vaulting, the official test event of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.

The CVI 1* and 2* events will feature vaulters from Canada, Denmark, Italy, South Africa, Australia, Argentina, China and the United States. The vaulters will compete individually and in teams and will complete compulsory and freestyle rounds. Many of the athletes participating in the test event have also competed in previous World Equestrian Games as well as National and World Championships. Notables include:

· Ali Divita: 2008/2009 US National Champion - USA

· Megan Benjamin: 2006 WEG Gold Medalist - USA

· Mary McCormick: 2007 US National Champion - USA

· Annalise VanVranken: 2006 WEG Team Silver Medalist, 2008 World Championships Team Bronze Medalist - USA

· Kenny Geisler and Eric Martonovitch: US National Men’s Individual Team Members - USA

· Colin Schmidt - CAN

· Mikkel Vandrup - DEN

· Ling Yang - CHN

The Kentucky Cup Vaulting test event will be held July 30 through August 2 in the new indoor arena at the Kentucky Horse Park. Competition will begin daily at 8 a.m. and will resume in the afternoon at 1 p.m. Admission is free to the public, and parking is $3 during the day and $5 after 5 p.m. Doors will open one hour prior to competition.

About the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games

The Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games are the world championships of eight equestrian disciplines recognized by the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI). Her Royal Highness Princess Haya is the current president of the FEI. The Games are held every four years and this will be the first occurrence in the United States.

The Games will be broadcast on NBC Sports, which has marked the largest commitment to network coverage of equestrian sport in U.S. television history. The 2010 Games are expected to have a statewide economic impact of $150 million, and current sponsors include Alltech, Rolex, John Deere, Ariat International, Inc and Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital.

Kentucky Horse Park Gears Up For More Vaulting

The Kentucky Horse Park is preparing the the 2009 Adequan FEI North American Junior/Young Rider Championships presented by Gotham North; in which Vaulting will be featured as a demonstration discipline for the first time in the history of the event.

In the past, a prestigious group of vaulters, known as the 'Friendship Team' have come together and put on entertaining displays during competitor parties and dinners at the Championships, however this marks an entirely new opportunity for the sport of equestrian vaulting.

The FEI North American Junior/Young Rider Championships have hosted a unique series of championships for an array of International competitors for many years; often featuring athletes that go on to represent their countries in the Olympic games. 

Although vaulting will only be featured as a demonstration sport, the event will be judged and subject to many rules and organizational outlines of the Championships, as well as benefiting from the same venue and timeframe. 

The Young Riders organizational staff have been adamant about promoting other disciplines in equestrian sport, and have stated a goal of adding an additional discipline at some level each year. 

Two Weeks Left; New Indoor Arena Opens!

Less than two weeks till the opening ceremonies of the vaulting test event for the 2010 World Equestrian Games.  

The new $45 million indoor arena at the Kentucky Horse Park is finally open; promises spot among world's leading equestrian venues.