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Rafalca Stays Focused Despite Adverse Conditions in Pennsylvania Moorpark, CA. October 2, 2008. Jan Ebeling and the 11 year-old Oldenburg mare, Rafalca, produced high marks at Dressage at Devon this past weekend to finish fourth and fifth respectively in the Grand Prix (65.83%) and Grand Prix Freestyle (70.90%) despite a rain soaked arena. Their performances were recognized with some good comments from the judges and Jan was very happy with the results. "It was very exciting to be back at Devon which is always a wonderful show and it's good to compete in front of such a large and knowledgeable crowd. It was a very exciting atmosphere, which is quite an experience and sometimes hard for a horse but she dealt with it quite well; she was very focused," said Jan of Rafalca, who is jointly owned by Ann Romney, Beth Meyer, Pat Crow and Amy Ebeling. "We had some very good comments from the judges on the pirouettes, piaffe and passage, which is very important to me."

"We're on the right track," Jan added, who was particularly pleased to have his trainer, Wolfram Wittig, on hand at Devon. "We had a week's worth of fantastic training and he was quite happy with the results." Jan will return to the West Coast this week to prepare for his next show with Rafalca at Del Mar, California, November 7-9th.

Jan's goal is to make it to the 2009 World Cup Finals in Las Vegas and then secure a place on the U.S. squad to Europe for the Aachen CHIO in June 2009. To view Jan's Grand Prix Freestyle video, go to www.dressageclinic.com [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001k5xzHr8pEGEEtRuhodh6rZRjA-UAoFrP4xln_kJV15GLbQiG0nnRIDF6JbuZjEHr1aWeTdLEnhs4Od1WvuHo-u6rx2czrfQrAfwI-qMBvtMR3-BV26aZhA==].

Dressage at Devon Results:
Grand Prix - 4th - 65.83%
E: 65.625%; H: 63.125%; C: 67.500%; M: 65.417%; 67.500%
Grand Prix Freestyle - 5th - 70.90%
E: 74.20%; H: 70.500%; C: 69.500%; M: 68.750%; B: 71.500%

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JAN EBELING

German born, Jan Ebeling, 50, is an international dressage rider based in Moorpark, California. Before coming to the United States in 1984, Ebeling worked as an apprentice under Herbert Rehbein and earned his bereiter, a German license to train horses. In 1984, he moved to the United States to work with U.S. Olympian Robert Dover Jan has represented the United States at the 2003 Pan American Games in Santo Domingo where he was the highest ranking U.S. rider and helped win the gold medal for the U.S. team as well as finishing 5th individually on the stallion Feleciano. Jan's other mount, Liberte, was also selected for the U.S. squad.

Jan Ebeling has been a force to be reckoned with at the Intermediaire I National Championship since 1998, when he began riding as a United States citizen. In 1998, aboard Gucci, Ebeling finished as Reserve Champion at the Intermediaire I Championship held in Gladstone, NJ as part of the Bayer/USET Festival of Champions. In 2000, Jan found his way back to the winner's circle in Gladstone. This time aboard Ricardo, Jan topped the field of the nation's top Intermediaire I horse-and-rider combinations to win the Intermediaire I Championship. In 2002, he earned Reserve Championship honors aboard the grey gelding Liberte.

No stranger to the winner's circle at the Intermediaire I Championship, Jan achieved success again in 2003 at the Festival where he posted a third and fourth place finish aboard Feleciano and Liberte respectively. Jan's 2003 finishes in Gladstone earned him the right to represent the United States at the 2003 Pan American Games. In 2004, Barbara McLean purchased the talented stallion, Louis Ferdinand, from Germany for Jan. The nine-year-old Louis Ferdinand qualified for the 2008 U.S. Dressage Federation Developing Horse Championship and will compete at I-2 this year. Liberte was sold in 2006 to one of Jan's most talented Young Riders, Amanda Harlan.

He has since become very successful on the Young Rider tour. The combination won individual silver at the 2006 YR Championships and team gold at the 2007 YR Championships. Jan performed a dressage exhibition at the 2002 XIX Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, Utah. Jan and his wife, Amy, own and operate their own training facility, The Acres, in California.

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RAFALCA

Rafalca is an 11 year-old [1997] Oldenburg mare by Argentinius (Absatz) out of Ratine (Rubinstein I) bred in Germany by Erwin Risch.

Her first owner-trainer was Melanie Sandig who trained with Isabell Werth's trainer, Wolfram Wittig, and won several Prix St. George classes in Germany. Jan's business partner, Christian Heinrich, scouted the horse in 2006 and facilitated the sale. Jan subsequently developed a relationship with Wolfram Wittig.

Rafalca was purchased for Jan by Rob-Rom Enterprises, LLC., which comprises; Ann Romney, Beth Meyer, Pat Crow and Amy Ebeling. Rafalca performed her first Grand Prix with Jan in a demonstration at the 2007 World Cup Finals in Las Vegas, which won them a standing ovation.

Rafalca was 3rd in the Intermediaire 1 at the 2007 National Championships at Galdstone, NJ. In 2007, she also made her debut at I-2 [ Intermediaire II ] and won all of her classes. She was later selected for the Developing Horse Training Grant and went to Germany in October 2007 to train with U.S. Chef d'Equipe, Klaus Balkenhol. A minor injury while in Germany prevented her from competing there and she started training again in February 2008.

She took part in her first selection in April 2008 and finished 13th to go to the Grand Prix Selection Trials.

Winner - 2007 & 2008 Pebble Beach CDI-W Grand Prix and Grand Prix Freestyle (72%).

Winner - 2008 Saugerties CDI-W Grand Prix and Grand Prix Freestyle (71.70%)

4th - 2008 Dressage at Devon - Grand Prix (65.83%)

5th - 2008 Dressage at Devon - Grand Prix Freestyle (70.90%)

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