Dressage News Notes - Brought to you by Mary Phelps, a Markel Equine Insurance Specialist

Sophie Christiansen was the Golden Girl of the Grade 1a division (Photo: Lindsay Y McCall)

This week's News Notes are brought to you by Mary Phelps, a Markel Equine Insurance Specialist. Well the London Games are offically over for the equestrian competition for both the Olympics and and Paralympic competitors. Great Britain reigned supreme once again winning 11 medals total in Para-Dressage with golden girl Sophie Christiansen taking all three golds in the Grade 1a division! The USEF has elected a new President who will take over the reins of the USEF from President David O'Connor in 2013. Germany has elected a new German team trainer and you will not believe who they picked (hint - its the first ever woman in the role)! In a horse health update - the veterinarians at the Palm Beach Equine Center have been using a new tequnique in the treatment of ligaments and tendons and it shows promise to reduce recovery time - some as short as three months!

Wow how time flies! I cannot believe that this weekend kicks off the beginning of the USDF Regional Championships! Region 4 starts the Championships with the USDF Region 4 Championships & Midwest Regional Championship and Open Show in Mason City, IA! In the south, we have the Cool Down Dressage in Pinehurst, NC, the MSEDA Dressage at the Park I and II in Lexington, KY, the Dressage At Greystone in Lynnville, TN and the Poplar Place Farm September Dressage in Hamilton, GA. Heading out across the country we have the San Antonio Fall Dressage I and II in San Antonio, TX and the Grand Valley Fall Show in Grand Junction, CO. On the west coast we have the Oregon Dressage Society Open and Championship in Sherwood, OR, the Dressage Derby V in Vacaville, CA and the 15th Annual DASC Championship Show in Sylmar, CA. Last and certainly not least, we have the Aloha State Dressage Society (ASDS) VII and VIII in Waimanalo, HI.

The 2012 London Paralympic Games is a wrap and it has been called by several sources as the "best" Para-Equestrian Dressage competition of all time! The quality of horse/rider combinations was outstanding and truly inspirational. Just as in the able bodied Olympic Games, Great Britain had a record haul! The hometown team raked in 11 medals (five gold, five silver and 1 bronze). Second in the medal tally was Germany who brought home 7 medals (two gold, three silver and two bronze). Whether you were following the Olympic Games and/or the Para-Dressage Competition, it goes without saying that Greenwich Park rose to the occasion of being an incredible venue for all the athletes and their partners! Follow Para-Dressage coverage at DressageDaily.com (check in as new content will be added)!

Sophie Christiansen was the Golden Girl of the Para-Dressage Competition at the London Games with three gold medals to her name! The Grade 1a rider finished the freestyle competition winning by a full 5 points! This wrapped her triple gold medal feat after winning the top spot in both the individual and team medal. Sophie competes in Grade 1a which is the division for the most disabled. Born pre mature she contracted cerebral palsy as a baby and on the advice of her Doctor began riding and baby, look at her now!

The United States Equestrian Federation has a new President after the Board of Directors met in Lexington, KY for the mid-year meeting. David O'Connor has served in the role from 2004-present and was one of only 12 people to serve in the role since 1917. Chrystine J. Tauber was elected after an uncontested nomination and will serve a four year term beginning in January 2013. Chrystine has been in the equine industry for over 50 year. Tauber stated "Over the years, the guiding principles for all our breeds and disciplines remain that of putting the love of the sport and the welfare of the horse at the fore. We must never lose sight of that." Read more about the new President here!

It's a first for Germany but beginning October 1, 2012 Monica Theodorescu will take over the reins as the new German team trainer! Johnny Hilberath, who stepped in after the passing of former team trainer Holger Schmezer, has decided to dedicate time to his own training business and therefore not continue in the role. While Monica's international riding career can no longer continue she states that "I'm very much looking forward to this new challenge and I'm aware of the responsibilities,". Check out the full story at Eurodressage.com!

Veterinarians at the Palm Beach Equine Clinic in Weelington, FL have been performing a new procedure for ligament and tendon injuries using stem cell therapy. While the traditional therapy used stem cells derived from bone marrow which had a lengthy recovery time, this new therapy gets its stem cells from fat over the horses rump. The procedure, which has been in use for the past nine months, shows great promise with horses recovering in as little as 3 months. While new the vets at PBEC are optimistic! Read more about this exciting study here!

Mary Phelps (mary@horsesdaily.com) is a Markel Equine Insurance Specialist and CSR Tracey Scharf (tracey@horsesdaily.com) provide the personal attention needed to help make the lives of their clients smooth and easy when it comes to the process of insuring your Farm, business and equine mortality needs. While Mary travels to the shows and barns, you can count on Tracey in the office to be available to answer questions and manage the details with ease. 1-800-572-3286.