Source:  News Release/Kathleen Landwehr

Benjamin and Dahlgren Sit in Third in Pas de Deux Championship
at the FEI World Vaulting Championship

Megan Benjamin and Blake Dahlgren are currently in third place in the Pas de Deux Championship (www.barny-th.de)

Le Mans, France - The third day of competition at the FEI World Vaulting Championship was a full day of world-class vaulting as all four Championship divisions competed. In the Pas de Deux Championship, Megan Benjamin (Saratoga, CA) and Blake Dahlgren (Santa Clarita, CA) had a very impressive first round Free Test performance, putting them in Bronze medal position with a score of 8.549. The pair vaulted on Jarl, lunged by Lasse Kristensen.   

Benjamin and Dahlgren agreed, "Our Freestyle with Jarl gets better and better each time we do it. We're looking forward to our round tomorrow."  

Not far behind in the Pas de Deux Championship were Devon Maitozo (Palmdale, CA) and Rosalind Ross (Venice, CA). The pair's solid performance aboard Escetelli 2 lunged by Kurt Isensee earned them a score of 8.421 putting them in sixth place. After another Free Test round tomorrow, the medal winners in the Pas de Deux Championship will be determined. With Benjamin and Dahlgren already in position to receive a medal and Maitozo and Ross not far behind them, the conclusion of the Pas de Deux Championship is sure to be an exciting one.   

In the Team Championship, the Woodside Vaulters of Woodside, CA performed an impressive Free Test with Stanford, lunged by Julie Divita. The efforts of Tessa Divita (Emerald Hills, CA), Kalyn Geisler (Redwood City, CA), Kathryn Jaggers (Portola Valley, CA), Siddartha Kreaden (Sunnyvale, CA), Samantha Matson (Los Gatos, CA), and Katherine Salisbury (Atherton, CA) were rewarded, earning them a total score of 7.593 and putting them in fifth place.  

The Individual Male Championship continued with second round Technical Tests today. Gabe Aniello (Redwood City, CA) sits in ninth place after earning 6.828 for his Technical Test with Forrest Cump and lunger Agnes Forst. Also paired with Forrest Cump and lunger Forst, Kristian Roberts (Moss Beach, CA) earned a 6.446 putting him in tenth place. Patrick Stevens (Martinez, CA) sits in 15th place after scoring a 4.781 while vaulting on Maxwell lunged by Anouk Dory.   

Alicen Divita (Redwood City, CA) remains the top U.S. vaulter in the Individual Female Championship. In her second round Technical Test, Divita scored a 7.488 with Pino del Rio and lunger Elke Schep-Lansing, putting her in 14th place. Mary McCormick (Woodside, CA) sits right behind Divita with a score of 7.254 after vaulting on Anyway 54 lunged by Kristensen.   

Competition wraps up Sunday with second round Free Tests for all the World 

Championship divisions. The Individual Females start the day off at 10:00am local time followed by the Individual Males at 11:45am. The Pas de Deux pairs begin at 2:15pm and the day finishes with the Teams at 3:45pm. A Prize-giving Ceremony will take place at 6:00pm presenting the new World Champions with their medals.   

Aniello Sits in Ninth Place in the Individual Male Championship after Day 2 at the FEI World Vaulting Championship

Gabe Aniello performing his Free Test at the 2012 World Vaulting Championship (Barny Thierolf) Le Mans, France - On the second day of competition at the FEI World Vaulting Championship, the U.S. vaulters had a day of strong performances. Gabe Aniello (Redwood City, CA) leads the U.S. vaulters in the Individual Male Championships, currently sitting in ninth place with a total score of 7.277. Aniello partnered with Forrest Cump and lunger Agnes Forst.   "I had a rough beginning but I pulled it together at the end," Aniello commented on his performance. "It is very humbling to compete at the World Championship and I am learning a lot from the experience. We all are so appreciative of the great horses that we have and of the owners who have loaned them to us. Many, many, many thanks!"     Kristian Roberts (Moss Beach, CA) has a total score of 6.991, putting him in 12th place. Vaulting on Forrest Cump and lunged by Forst, Roberts put forth a strong effort in his Free Test performance today. Patrick Stevens (Martinez, CA) sits in 13th place with a total score of 6.988, after vaulting on Maxwell and being lunged by Anouk Dory.   In the Individual Female Championship, Alicen Divita (Redwood City, CA) sits in 12th place overall with a total score of 7.765 after yesterday's Compulsories and today's Free Test. Vaulting on Pino del Rio and lunged by Elke Schlep-Lansing, Divita had an impressive Free Test performance.      Divita was thrilled with her performance saying, "It was so much fun, it was so much fun! My goal was to have the audience understand the story I was telling and I truly felt part of the music."      Mary McCormick (Woodside, CA) is currently in 14th place overall with a total score of 7.721, after her Free Test with Anyway 54 and lunger Lasse Kristensen. Katharine Wick (Hillsborough, CA) is in 20th place overall with a total score of 7.392. Vaulting on Luk and lunged by Rita Bileske, Wick had a solid first round Free Test at her first World Championship.      After the first round Team Compulsories, the Woodside Vaulters of Woodside, CA currently sit in fifth place with a score of 6.942. Vaulting on Stanford lunged by Julie Divita, the team of Tessa Divita (Emerald Hills, CA), Kalyn Geisler (Redwood City, CA), Kathryn Jaggers (Portola Valley, CA), Siddartha Kreaden (Sunnyvale, CA), Samantha Matson (Los Gatos, CA), and Katherine Salisbury (Atherton, CA) put together a solid first round Compulsory.     Competition continues tomorrow with the Technical Test for the Individual Females at 10:30am local time and for the Individual Males at 12:00pm. The first round Free Test for the Pas de Deux division begins at 2:30pm and the first round Free Test for the Team division starts at 3:45pm.     FEI TV will be providing a live broadcast of the FEI World Vaulting Championship on their website. To see the broadcast schedule and watch, click here:http://www.feitv.org/page/Live      For start lists and results, click here.      Follow the 2012 U.S. Vaulting Team here:http://www.usefnetwork.com/featured/2012Vaulting/

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