Meredith Darst and Forte compete in the pony hunters.

Pony hunter kids... There's nothing like some free time between classes to bond with friends.

Posted in Bigeq The Pony Zone ,

It's here! Bigeq.com is proud to announce the 2010 Bigeq.com Equitation Index! So who's the hottest rider in 2010? Read on...

We are so excited to be offering our eleventh Bigeq.com Equitation Index! It's been a great barometer of the equitation divisions for the last 10+ years, and we're proud of our mathematical formula for predicting finals winners... no politics - just straight numbers based on the results of a six-week window of shows each winter.

2010 looks like an interesting year for the equitation divisions. There is a strong group of front runners who are experienced and ready to claim victory in the fall. The Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, Fl., was the toughest circuit to compete on, achieving a difficulty rating of 10 out of 10. HITS Thermal in California ranked with a 7.5 difficulty rating, followed by HITS Ocala, Fl., at 6.82.

Interestingly, we had more riders than ever competing on multiple circuits. Five of the top twenty-five riders rode at more than one circuit. The second circuit attended was always Wellington, leading us to believe these riders purposely go to Wellington to compete against the very best, as it consistently scores as the most difficult circuit to compete at. In our ten years of creating the Index, only once has any circuit been more difficult than WEF. In the early 2000s, Indio consistently ranked in the 9's, and was the most difficult circuit in 2002. Since then, however, WEF has remained the toughest. You know what they say... to win you've gotta compete with the best.

And the best is...

2010 BIGEQ.COM EQUITATION INDEX

Posted in Bigeq

Ivy and Laura Pfeiffer, Winter Equestrian Festival 2010

We were deeply saddened to hear that the great Ivy has passed away. He was an amazing equitation horse. Watching his expression as he galloped around a course, it seemed as though there wasn't a more cheerful or happy creature to be jumping around a course. It made watching him so enjoyable.

He's a tremendous favorite at Bigeq.com. He shot onto the equitation scene in 1999, when Missy Clark's working student Kristin Mauks spent the season training him. We, of course, started our website the same year. Back then we did a lot of photos and interviews, and Ivy was a frequent photo subject through the years.

Back when Bigeq was just a fledgling little site, Ivy was a precocious five year-old competing at his first equitation finals. As a youngster, Ivy placed in two finals with Mauks. He went on to great success with Vanessa Haas, Charlie Jayne, Haylie Jayne, and Zazou Hoffman. The latter rode him to the ASPCA Maclay title last year, a fitting climax to a long and successful career.

In honor of him, we put together a little slide show and posted it on YouTube. It contains our favorite photos of him, dating back to Devon in 2000. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXX7-CxMXTw

We also had posted a video of him last summer, taken from the early 2000s with Charlie Jayne. Here's that link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBG9IJaW-oc

RIP Ivy!!

Posted in Bigeq Bigeq Classic , Show Shots ,

We're very excited that the 2010 Bigeq.com Equitation Index will shortly be posted. In honor of that, here are two big eq riders, Lucille Oken and Stallone VDL looking sharp in a medal class.

Originally, we thought the second photo was of Olivia Champ, but we're told it's not. Anyone know who this is?

Addendum: we're told it's Leah Chenelle! Thanks for your comments in helping us ID this rider. :)

Lucille Oken and Stallone VDL

Leah Chenelle

Posted in Bigeq Show Shots ,

Sara Ketcham and Annismindes Caesar float over a fence in the junior jumpers. Caesar is a 10 year-old Danish Warmblood by Caletto. The pair are based out of North Carolina.

Posted in Show Shots

Jane Gaston and Lumiere make a striking pair in the Amateur-Owner Hunters. The judges agree, as they were recently awarded the 36 & over championship at WEF. It's hard to take your eyes off the gorgeous chestnut. We've seldom seen a horse where every photo we took was a beauty, but he's quite photogenic! Gaston and Lumiere are from Virginia. Lumiere is an Oldenburg gelding, standing 16.2 1/4 hands. We also want to wish Lumiere a happy birthday. His 9th birthday is March 15!

Posted in Awesome Amateurs Bigeq ,

It's off to the jumper ring this time around...

Unica Van De Roshoeve and Angela Covert-Lawrence competing in the CN Palm Beach Jumping Derby. Love the blue jacket and the gray horse. Such a nice color combination.

Pablo Barrios is all smiles... he'd just won the 30k WEF Challenge Cup/Week VI!

Another winner: Santo's Utopia & David Arcand, he won the Young Rider's Grand Prix, a class offered to riders 16-21 years of age. Santo's Utopia is an 11 year-old Dutch Warmblood that Arcand has brought along over the last five years.

Posted in Bigeq Show Shots ,

Two charming pony hunters for your entertainment. SO CUTE.

What a color! Masquerade and Eve Gleeson in the medium pony hunters. Masquerade is owned by Christina Firestone of Wellington, Florida. The Australian bred mare stands 12.3 1/2 and is sure not to be missed the moment she enters the ring!

Weebiscuit and Vanessa Mazzoli, hailing from Rockford, Michigan, competing in the small pony hunters. The adorable pony is Welsh-bred and stands 12.1 1/2 hands, and will soon be celebrating his 10th birthday in April. We're wondering if Vanessa and Weebiscuit are around the same age? Cute!

Posted in Bigeq The Pony Zone ,

For those of us with a strong affinity for the "pony horse" and pretty hunters, then here's a droolworthy example. This lovely mare is Star Quest's Serenade owned by Deborah Brenner. She is ridden by Amy Momrow in the green conformation hunters. Gorgeous!

Posted in Bigeq Show Shots ,

by Horse Lover

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Posted in Bigeq