NEWS  ITEMS

 RTE Sport  

The Irish sport horse Flexible, at 16 years of age the oldest horse at the 2012 Rolex FEI World Cup Final, pulled off a spectacular victory when beating the 11-year-old French bred gelding Nino Des Buissonnets in a jump-off in the Netherlands this Sunday.

Bred by Ireland's Edward and Catherine Doyle, Flexible is an approved Irish sport horse stallion, and was ridden to victory by the 52-year-old American Rich Fellers after three days of intensive competition at 's-Hertogenbosch.

With just one penalty point apiece on their cards after the first two legs of the final, Fellers and Swiss rider Steve Guerdat both finished Sunday's two-round competition on a zero score, and Guerdat again went clear in the jump-off, with victory now seeming assured.
But Fellers and Flexible not only left all the poles standing, but shaved just under two thirds of a second off the younger horse's time to take home the 2012 Rolex Trophy.

Horse sport Ireland chairman Joe Walsh said immediately after the competition: "This is a tremendous boost for the Irish sport horse.
“To win the world's most testing indoor competition is an amazing tribute to the quality of Irish breeding and I want to congratulate the breeders Edward and Catherine Doyle and of course the American rider Rich Fellers for his tremendous skill today.

"I believe it is also a testament to the soundness and longevity of the Irish sport horse that a horse like Flexible can not only continue to compete at the age of 16, but also beat the world's best in the very toughest of competitions."

4/22/2012

CHRONICLE OF THE HORSE 

Dutch fans gave Rich Fellers an emotional standing ovation as he walked back into the ring for the last time to claim his prize. His right to lift the historic cup aloft in front of thousands of applauding fans was hard-fought; after three days of intense jumping, the title came down to a gripping jump-off between Fellers and Swiss rider Steve Guerdat. And in the end, Flexible was just a little bit faster.

“It’s difficult to describe. It’s a unique, very special feeling,” Fellers said after his win. Over 10 years together, Fellers and Flexible, 16-year-old stallion, have forged an incredible partnership. Fellers puts it in the simplest terms. “I love him and he loves me,” he said. “We have a great relationship and we know each other very well.”

4/22/2012

SPORTHORSE MARKING New Letter

Dear Friends,

  I'm delighted to share with you the news that Oregon's own Rich Fellers and Harry and Mollie Chapman's Irish stallion FLEXIBLE have indeed WON THE WORLD CUP JUMPING CHAMPIONSHIPS!!!

  In 's-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands, the Dutch fans gave Rich and Flexible a standing ovation for the long time pair after an edge of their seat jump off with the Swiss rider Steve Guerdat and his mount Niño des Buissonnets. Guerdat and Fellers went into the final round with 1 fault each and as Feller's stole a look at Niño des Buissonnets ride time of 26.61 he knew Flexible could also do the same eight strides to the last jump but thought his horse could do it faster and still be safe.  Flexible crossed the finish line at a thrilling 25.97 seconds.

  This is the first time in 25 years that an American has won the Rolex World Cup Championships and the success is in no smart part is due to the unique partnership between Rich and Flexible.

It's rare to have a horse come back from the serious injuries Flexible has had but his fans can tell you it's the friendship and love between Fellers and the 16 year old stallion that has brought Flexible back and he's better than ever. In this exciting world of international show jumping it's easy to get wrapped up in the intense competition but Rich and Owners Harry and Mollie Chapman, have always believed in treating Flexible as a best friend and honored member of the family. Rich simply states, " I love him and he loves me." It's a bond that was obvious even to their newest fans, the Dutch crowd  who had thrown in their support for the American rider and his Irish import and helped Rich and Flexible celebrate a dream come true.

  Carol is looking forward to helping US breeders with building their own dreams on the offspring of one of the worlds most loved show jumpers, Flexible. We are all thrilled to congratulate Harry and Mollie Chapman as well as Rich and Flexible. 

This is Carol's second involvement with a World Cup Winner. For decades Carol Ives represented and promoted Gauguin de Lully, the fabled Olympic and World Dressage Stallion.

 Onward Flexibe.

Spread the word !!!  Breeding Information

Michelle Ives-Purdy 

 4/22/2012