Santa Barbara, Calif., August 4, 2010 — The 2010 U.S. Equestrian Federation/American Vaulting Association (USEF/AVA) National Vaulting Championship was a showcase for the USEF Selection Trial for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.
Winning four specific team competitions for a spot on the U.S. squad, the F.A.C.E. (Free Artists Creative Equestrians) Team continued its dominance of the division. As the 2010 National Champions, Devon Maitozo, Rosalind Ross, Annalise VanVranken, Mary Garrett, Mari Inouye, Emily Addison Hogye and Karly Frankel-Newman reached deep and gained the top spot on the podium. The F.A.C.E. team took top honors in both the Compulsory phase and the Freestyle on Palatine.
With the 2010 USEF/AVA Men’s Individual Gold Championship as well as the A Team medal in hand, Maitozo’s dramatic performances and deliberate conscious choreography, combined with high compulsory scores secured another star in his crown. That crown includes a medal that no one else can claim–the first ever United States gold medal (in any discipline) won at a World Equestrian Games in Rome, Italy (1998 on Whiskey).
Since 2006, Mary McCormick has been occupying the podium for gold individual women in one position or another. She has continued this trend throughout all of the 2010 USEF Recognized Selection Competitions to maintain her top position on this year’s Gold Ranking List for consideration for the U.S. World Equestrian Games.
Certainly McCormick’s win at this year’s National Championship is no exemption to her exemplary career. She credits her lunger, Poppy Coulter, citing this committed equestrian with the excellent conditioning and training of Van Dyke.
