Articles: Horse News
Vaulters Take Center Stage in Lexington, KY as Ten National Titles are Awarded
Mary McCormick, winner of the Gold Individual Female Championships
(Lynne Owens/VaultingPhotos.com)
Contact:
United States Equestrian Federation, Inc.
4047 Iron Works Parkway
Lexington, KY 40511-8483
Tel: (859) 258-2472
Fax (859) 231-6662
Web site: www.usef.org
NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 6, 2012
From the USEF Communications Department
Lexington, KY - Top vaulters from throughout the U.S. flocked to the Alltech
Arena at the Kentucky Horse Park to stake their claim on 2012 USEF/AVA
National Vaulting Championship honors, August 2-5, 2012. A total of 10
national titles were on the line, as Gold, Silver and Bronze sections were
held in Individual Female and Male Championships. Additionally, National
Championship competition was contested in A, B and C Team sections and Pas
de Deux. The USEF/AVA National Vaulting Championships were held in
conjunction with the National Festival hosting 291 vaulters from 21 states
and 3 countries. Adding excitement to the weekend, the rising stars of the
sport had the opportunity to vault alongside the best in the game.
Individual Female Championships
For a third consecutive year Mary McCormick claimed top honors in the Gold
Individual Female Championship. A longtime member of the Mt. Eden Vaulters,
McCormick (Woodside, CA) is one of the most respected and decorated vaulters
in the United States. In Lexington, Carolyn Bland once again served as her
lungeur as she vaulted to a final score of 8.123 on Cheval.
"I felt pretty satisfied about my rounds at Nationals. I had a few mistakes
but also had some personal bests," Said McCormick. "It was really fun to win
with Cheval. It was also fun to win another Nationals with my lungeur,
Carolyn Bland."
In the Silver competition, Grace Robinson of Pacific Coast Vaulters claimed
topped honors on a score of 7.183. Robinson (Palo Alto, CA) was also lunged
by Bland on Cheval.
Janie Salisbury (Atherton, CA) vaulted to national title honors in the
Bronze Individual Female Championship. Salisbury, who vaults as part of the
Woodside Vaulters, claimed the 2012 Championship aboard Kasper 128 lunged by
Krista Mack.
Individual Male Championships
In the Gold Individual Male Championship Kristian Roberts returned to the
venue where he represented the U.S. at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian
Games to claim top honors. Roberts (Moss Beach, CA) scored an overall 7.646
on Highwater Bay. The Half Moon Bay Vaulters' member was another athlete
successfully lunged by Bland.
Geoffrey Woolson, of Los Angeles Equestrian Vaulting Club, vaulted to
national title honors after scoring an overall 6.716 in the Silver
competition. Woolson (Tujunga, CA) was lunged on Dublin by Jake Fluekiger.
In the Bronze championship, Fluekiger and Dublin were again part of the
winning effort as Jonathan Baird staked his claim on the crown, the
Highland, UT native finished on a championship score of 6.321.
Team Championships
In the A Team Championships, the Mt. Eden Sun Team of Saratoga, California
claimed the top spot utilizing Urfreund Rosengaard with a score of
7.600. The team lunged by Emma Seely was composed of Alexandra Thrasher
(Menlo Park, CA) , Elizabeth Ioannou (Saratoga, CA), Tasha Thorner (Aptos,
CA), Florence Rubinger (Santa Rosa, CA), Bodhi Hall (Santa Rosa, CA) and
Michelle Guo (Palo Alto, CA).
The Vaulting Visions Team Genesis from Swedesboro, New Jersey claimed
championship honors in the B Team Championship on Janyck, lunged by Alison
Gieschen. The team of Kristina Koen (Sewell, NJ), Jessie Price (Claymont,
DE), Katie Gieschen (Swedesboro, NJ), Jessica Weiland (Woolwhich Township,
NJ), Miranda Marcantuno (Swedesboro, NJ) and Kate Appleby-Wineberg
(Glassboro, NJ) finished on a score of 6.476.
The C Team title was claimed by the Woodside, CA based Woodside Vaulters
with a score of 6.275. The team of Ellie Gifford (Woodside, CA), Sarah Dunn
(Palo Alto, CA), Christine Herrmann (Burlingame, CA), Rachel Polati (Redwood
City, CA), Holly Kuhn (San Mateo, CA) and Kristen Kuhn (San Mateo, CA)
vaulted on Pepper Jack lunged by Kalyn Geisler.
Pas de Deux Championship
The final championship of the weekend belonged to Megan Benjamin (Saratoga,
CA) and Blake Dahlgren (Santa Clarita, CA), who claimed top honors in Pas de
Deux competition. The pair, who both represented the U.S. at the 2010
Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, scored a 7.611 on Sampson, who was
lunged by Jodi Rinard.
"This year, the National Championships were a stepping stone on our way to
the World Championships. It was great physical and mental conditioning to be
under pressure to perform in the Alltech Arena," said Benjamin a former
U.S. and World Champion. "Winning a National Championship is always an
honor; it never gets old."
McCormick, Roberts and Pas de Duex winner's Benjamin and Dahlgren will head
to Le Mans, France to compete for the U.S. at the FEI World Vaulting
Championships, August 13-19, 2012.
ENDS
Learn more about the FEI World Vaulting Championships and the
U.S. representatives here;
http://www.usefnetwork.com/news/8947/2012/8/1/usef_names_team_for_fei_world_vault.aspx
For more information about USEF/AVA National Vaulting Championships visit;
http://www.americanvaulting.org/Nationals2012/
Follow the 2012 U.S. Vaulting Team here.
The vision of the United States Equestrian Federation is to provide
leadership
for equestrian sport in the United States of America by promoting the
pursuit
of excellence from the grassroots to the Olympic Games, based on a
foundation of fair, safe competition and the welfare
of its human and equine athletes
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