U.S Brings Determined Group to 2016 FEI World Vaulting Championships for Seniors
By Dana Rossmeier
Lexington, Ky. – The artistry and talent of U.S. vaulting will be showcased this week at the 2016 FEI World Vaulting Championships for Seniors. Running from August 18-21, 2016, in Le Mans, France, the U.S. brings a contingent of 13 vaulters competing for titles in the Individual Female, Individual Male, Pas de Deux, and Squad Championships. Chef d’Equipe Craig Coburn and Assistant Chef d’Equipe Mary McCormick will guide the U.S. vaulters.
FEI Individual Female World Championship
Michelle Guo (Palo Alto, Calif.) and Emily Rose (Santa Cruz, Calif.) will make their first appearances at a senior world championship. They will be joined by Elizabeth Osborn (Menlo Park, Calif.). Guo placed third at the 2015 USEF/AVA National Vaulting Championship and competed at the 2015 FEI Junior World Vaulting Championships where she won the Pas de Deux title with Bodhi Hall. She will vault on RVC Gilching e.V.’s Donatelli 11, a 2004 Bayerischer gelding, and be assisted by Lunger Julia Handel.
Osborn and Rose arrive in these championships having competed at CVIO4* Aachen in the Individual Female division in July. Osborn will make her third world championship apperance after competing as an individual at the 2006 FEI World Equestrian Games. In 2008 she competed at the World Vaulting Championships where she placed eighth in the Individual Female division. She was also a member of the U.S. Bronze medal squad. Following the 2008 World Championships, she took a hiatus from vaulting to attend college. Retuning to competition in 2016, she placed third at the 2016 Pacific Cup CVI3*this past spring. She will vault on Voltigeklubben Thommysminde’s Ghost Alfarvad Z, a 2000 Zangersheide gelding, and be assisted by Lunger Lasse Kristensen. Rose will vault on RVC Gilching e.V.’s Diva 506, a 2003 Oldenbug mare, and be assisted by Lunger Carolyn Bland.
FEI Individual Male World Championship
Colton Palmer (Half Moon Bay, Calif.), Kaleb Patterson (Stanwood, Wash.), and the 2011 and 2012 USEF/AVA National Vaulting Champion Geoffrey Woolson (Tujunga, Calif.) will represent the U.S. in the Individual Male World Championship. All three vaulters competed at the Canada Cup CVI3* in May where Palmer and Woolson earned first and second place honors, respectively. During these championships, Palmer will vault on KCM Vaultinghorses’ Lord, a 2007 gelding of unknown breeding, and be assisted by Lunger Andrea Bicova. Woolson will vault on RVC Gilching e.V. & Annabella Röhl’s Clay’s Power Boy, a 2005 Westphalian stallion, and be assisted by Lunger Julia Handel.
Patterson had great success competing as a junior in 2015. He won the Individual Junior Male divisions at the Pacific Cup CVIJ2* and the Canada Cup CVIJ2*. He will vault on Diva 506 and be assisted by Bland during these championships.
FEI Pas de Deux World Championship
After earning the Bronze medal at the FEI World Cup™ Vaulting Final in March, sisters Cassidy Palmer (Half Moon Bay, Calif.) and Kimberly Palmer (Half Moon Bay, Calif.) will look to add to their successful string of accolades in the FEI Pas de Deux World Championship. Since the World Cup Final, they won the pas de deux divisions at the Pacific Cup CVI3* and CVI3* Pezinok, Slovakia. They will vault on Wolfgang Renz’s Leon 364, a 1998 Wurttemberger gelding, and be assisted by Lunger Wolfgang Renz.
Joining the Palmers in the pas de deux world championship will be Carlee Heger (Fort Collins, Colo.) and Haley Smith (Parker, Colo.). The women have been partnering for over a year and will vault on Donatelli 11 and be assisted by Lunger Bettina Gross.
FEI Squad Championship
The U.S. squad of Kalyn Geisler (Redwood City, Calif.), Guo, Heger, Devon Maitozo (Calabasas, Calif.), Mattea Petry (Portola Valley, Calif.), and Woolson will compete against 11 nations in the FEI Squad Championship. Guo, Heger, and Petry were part of the winning P.I.E. Squad at the 2016 Pacific Cup CVI3* in May. Geisler, member of the U.S. squad at the 2012 FEI World Vaulting Championships, and Maitozo, member of the Silver and Gold medal-winning U.S. squads at the 2006 FEI World Equestrian Games and 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, respectively, will join the squad, along with Woolson. They will vault on RVC Gilching e.V.’s Amontillado 9 and be assisted by Lunger Bland.
Competition gets underway tomorrow with the first round of the Individual Female, Male, and Squad divisions beginning at 2:00 a.m. EST. Watch live on the FEI YouTube page. FEI TV will live-stream the second round of the Individual Female, Individual Male, Pas De Deux, and Squad divisions on Sunday, August 21 beginning at 4:30 a.m. EST.
Find out more about the 2016 FEI World Vaulting Championships for Seniors.
The USEF International High Performance Programs are generously supported by the USET Foundation, USOC, and USEF Sponsors and Members.
