Je t'Aime La Baule (Almost as Much as McLain Ward)
Oh, La Baule, I love you so much. Jumping International de La Baule in La Baule, France is a perfect horse show. There is one ring, one beautiful grass ring. Everything happens for four days once a year in this ring. And what happens there is show jumping, our favorite sport. There is nothing else. […]
Jumping International de La Baule in La Baule, France is a perfect horse show. There is one ring, one beautiful grass ring. Everything happens for four days once a year in this ring. And what happens there is show jumping, our favorite sport. There is nothing else.
And that’s the way a lot of us in this game live our lives, like there’s nothing else. It’s nice to be in a place that gets that.
Equestrian events have taken place in La Baule since the turn of the century, and the first CSIO was in 1960, making this the 64th edition. (I believe we lost a year to Covid.) It is an event that is so important to the local community that the town itself, along with the gracious sponsorship of Rolex as part of their Equestrian Series, contributes a large part of the funding.
And the spectators, gifted with free admission, flood in and fill the stands.
Sunday held the most perfect class of the most perfect horse show: the $500k 5* Grand Prix.
As far as viewing opportunities, I was flush with them. First, I had admission to a VIP suite via my membership in the FEI Jumping Owners Club (pass). Next, I had a gracious invite to a pricey table in the “public restaurant.” (No thanks). Then I was credentialed as an owner so I had access to the Rider’s Restaurant. (Nah). What I chose was the Press Terrace, a lovely, roomy space at the top of the stands.
I’m sorry—I wanted absolutely nothing to distract me from the sport. No sea bass swimming in a delicate broth. (I went without eating until 7pm.) No chatter, no french-style cheek-to-cheek kissing, just—HORSES. Just—SPORT.
And I was kinda in love with the course. It was designed by Frenchman Gregory Bodo, who worked on both the Tokyo and Paris Olympic games. As an example of some of the obstacles, we had the usual water jump to the super-high (and plank-topped!) vertical, which then bent to an audience-adjacent, solid-red (horses can’t see red, to them it’s a mucky green that blends into the grass) skinny vertical. This rolled back viciously to a super-big, airy green oxer (another visual difficulty) with an enormous liverpool beneath it.
And then you turned to the last line, which was, like the red skinny, up against the crowd and consisted of a triple bar going into the iconic Rolex green triple. Triple to a triple!
It really was a fantastic course, exciting and challenging all around. And we had SEVEN of the world’s top ten there to contest it!
Of course we had our new World Number One Kent Farrington, last year’s winner, and we had Henrik von Eckermann and McLain Ward, we had Steve Guerdat (La Suisse!) and Cian O’Connor, and also Kevin Staut and Richard Vogel!
And let us not forget world number 16, that riding phenom Daniel Deusser, our eventual winner.
Contesting the course were 50 horse-and-rider combinations. In the end, eight made it through. But let me take a minute to speak of horses.
First, let us note that delightful little mare Hello Folie ridden by Scott Brash (they took fifth). Folie means madness in french and honestly, I think this little thing is well-named. Oh, this one inspires some lust in a horse owner! Who wouldn’t want to see a little chestnut mare throwing herself, all heart, over lofty fences, displaying athleticism and courage in equal measure? Hello Folie is a ten-year-old Luidam out of a Diamant mare and is the full sister of Candy de Nantuel, a stallion that’s breeding like crazy all over France and even has a baby in my own stable!
Now let’s say something about Imperial HBF, that unbelievable hottie, that new horse of McLain Ward, the eventual third-place finisher. This horse (by VDL Glasgow vh Merelsnest) scoots around a course like he’s in a training round, all the more remarkable as the partnership with McLain is so new. Oh, and he’s just gorgeous! It is easy to see why former rider Tim Gredley called selling him one of the hardest decisions of his life, but also a privilege, as his opportunities with McLain are seemingly endless.
Londina! This horse rode to second place in a jump off performance that had the crowd absolutely screaming its head off. This is because Colombian rider Rene Lopez Lizarazo has made his home in France for decades and is now an adopted son. What he does not know is that several years ago when his connections were bidding on Londina in the 2021 Performance Sales International Auction, the famous show jumping and dressage auction founded by Paul Schockemöhle and Ullrich Kasselmann, another horse owner with a stable in Wellington, Florida was bidding against him. That person is this author.
That year, Londina (London x Chacco Blue) was the most expensive horse in the auction, selling for 1,950,000 euro. Ok, so yeah—I was knocked out early. Instead, I purchased an embryo by London out of Gregory Wathelet’s former mount, the 1.60-jumping mare Oh D’Eole, a now-two-year-old I named Loon after those aquatic birds whose beautiful, eery cries entrance me as they echo across the water of our northerly lakes in my home state of Minnesota.
One can only hope for similar performances and results in the future.
But here we were, at the jump off. Ward had put in a spectacular performance, which we all thought was the winner. Then came Lopez Lizarazo, stunning us all with an even faster time. Last to go was Deusser, on Otello de Guldenboom.
Otello is an eleven-year-old Tobago Z by Caretino stallion and wouldn’t you know—Deusser also rode the daddy, a stallion owned by Scuderia 1918 and whose semen, based on what I’ve seen of his production, is something we should all be eager to acquire for our breeding programs. What I saw was an agile, little cat-like thing arcing over the jumps, but in the press conference we were assured the rides are very different, Tobago being a small horse and Otello being “very big.”
But I am told every horse has a tendency to look small with the long-legged Deusser.
Long legs, but short jump off time—Deusser allowed Lopez Lizarazo only 30 seconds of ecstatic joy before he trounced him by shaving more than a second off his time.
“I had never prayed harder for someone to get a rail,” Lopez admitted laughingly in the press conference (translated from the french). I guess God wasn’t listening.
Now comes the best part.
Not one person moved out of their seat, except to stand up, encouraged by a man with a microphone in a green suit who flung himself jubilantly around the grass field for the prize giving. We began rhythmically clapping in time to happy music pouring out of the perfect sound system. You see, at Jumping International de La Baule, we the audience, we the passionate spectators, are unified in our love of sport, and we aren’t leaving until we get the chance to make our throats scratchy from screaming, our hands bruised from clapping, our feet sore from stomping!
We got Rosie the Rolex Series mascot, we had champagne showers, with Deusser absolutely drenching his friend Lopez Lizarazo who then pretended to ask for a drink, only to turn the bottle around for some sneaky revenge. (Ward had exited stage left to save himself.)
And in a masterful end to the ceremony, the dedicated jump crew, numbering nearly one hundred persons, kidnapped their boss and tossed him bodily into the derby water obstacle in the center of the field.
THE Pasig City government on Saturday opened the Pasiglympics 2025, a monthlong sports tournament to select delegates for the Batang Pinoy National Games. Running from June 28 to July 20, the Pasiglympics features competitions across 27 sports disciplines and is open to Pasigueño youth athletes ages 9 to 17 who are residents or currently enrolled […]
THE Pasig City government on Saturday opened the Pasiglympics 2025, a monthlong sports tournament to select delegates for the Batang Pinoy National Games.
Running from June 28 to July 20, the Pasiglympics features competitions across 27 sports disciplines and is open to Pasigueño youth athletes ages 9 to 17 who are residents or currently enrolled in schools within Pasig City.
This year’s tournament coincides with the celebration of Araw ng Pasig.
According to the Pasig City Sports Office, the tournament serves as the city’s official selection trials for the national youth competition.
“The Pasiglympics 2025 serves as the official tryouts for all 27 sports for the Batang Pinoy National Championships,” Pasig City Sports confirmed in a statement sent to The Manila Times.
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The opening day events include athletics at the PhilSports Complex Track Oval, sepak takraw at Rizal High School’s Batibot Ground and wushu at the same school’s SHS Building.
Pencak silat, wrestling and gymnastics (July 12–13), aquatics, boxing, chess, Muay Thai and weightlifting (July 19), karatedo (July 26) and lawn tennis (schedule to be announced).
Registration for the tournament took place from June 13 to June 20, with walk-in participants not permitted. Only those who successfully registered online will receive email confirmations from the organizing committee.
The Pasig City Sports Office encouraged residents to support the athletes: “Let us support our young athletes as they showcase their talent, discipline and sportsmanship in this celebration of youth and excellence.”
. The best of St. Lucia’s track athletes will be on show this weekend at the Soufriere Mini Stadium. This weekend the St. Lucia Athletics Association {SLAA} is hosting its annual National Individual Track and Field Championships. The 2025 edition is sponsored by the St. Lucia Olympic Committee {SLOC} and will feature […]
The best of St. Lucia’s track athletes will be on show this weekend at the Soufriere Mini Stadium.
This weekend the St. Lucia Athletics Association {SLAA} is hosting its annual National Individual Track and Field Championships. The 2025 edition is sponsored by the St. Lucia Olympic Committee {SLOC} and will feature two days of competition in various divisions.
The June 28th and 29th championships is scheduled to commence each day at 10am
This premier national event is expected to attract Saint Lucia’s finest and most promising athletes in a weekend of spirited competition and national pride. Participants will compete in the Under-18, Under-20, and Open categories.
The championship will feature a full slate of sprints, middle-distance, long-distance, and relay events, providing a platform for seasoned athletes and emerging talents to showcase their strength, speed, and strategy. This celebration of athletic excellence underscores the Association’s continued commitment to youth development, competitive excellence, and national unity through sport.
As The SLAA prepare to welcome athletes, coaches, officials, and supporters to the Championship, the organization has thanked its partners and athletics stakeholders for their continued support in helping us deliver a championship of the highest standard.
Vote for Register-Guard high school girls Athlete of the Year
What’s on the track at Hayward Field in 2025? Hayward Field will play host to a wide variety of track and field events in 2025. The 2024-25 high school sports season is in the books, and athletes from the Eugene-Springfield area delivered no shortage of electric performances throughout the year. Now, we want you to […]
Hayward Field will play host to a wide variety of track and field events in 2025.
The 2024-25 high school sports season is in the books, and athletes from the Eugene-Springfield area delivered no shortage of electric performances throughout the year.
Now, we want you to decide which local star was the best of the bunch.
Nominees for Register-Guard girls Athlete of the Year are:
Brooklyn Anderson, Thurston track and field
Payton Buschelman, North Eugene soccer
Claire Crawford, Pleasant Hill volleyball and basketball
Madelyn Del Castillo, Thurston swimming
Giana Elgarico, Marist Catholic volleyball
Syren Ferguson, Thurston softball
Eva Kato, South Eugene soccer
Vanessa Keller, Oakridge wrestling
Addison Kleinke, Churchill track and field
Libby McLaughlin, Marist Catholic soccer
Nyah Mitchell, Churchill volleyball
Chantell Noffsinger, Creswell wrestling
Cricket Phipps, North Eugene track and field
Kendall Quinney, Sheldon soccer
Brynn Smith, Willamette basketball
Francesca Tomp, North Eugene golf
Information about each nominee is listed below. Vote for the athlete you think is most deserving at registerguard.com/sports. The poll closes at 11 a.m. Friday, July 4.
Brooklyn Anderson, Thurston track and field
Anderson won the 5A 100-meter hurdles state title in thrilling fashion and clocked a personal-best time of 14.40 seconds during the season. She also placed third at state in the long jump (17 feet, 7 inches) and fourth in the 100 (12.37).
Payton Buschelman, North Eugene soccer
Buschelman, a sophomore for the Highlanders, earned 5A first-team all-state honors and was named the Midwestern Conference player of the year while helping lead North Eugene to the second round of the state playoffs.
Claire Crawford, Pleasant Hill volleyball and basketball
The Billies senior earned 3A first-team all-state honors after helping lead the school’s volleyball team to the state semifinals. Crawford also earned third-team all-state basketball honors.
Madelyn Del Castillo, Thurston swimming
The Colts’ freshman won the 5A title in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:52.91 at the OSAA state championships at Tualatin Hills Aquatic Center. Del Castillo also placed third in the 100 breaststroke with a personal-best time of 1:05.5.
Giana Elgarico, Marist Catholic volleyball
The Spartans senior earned 4A first-team all-state honors after helping lead Marist Catholic to the state title game. Elgarico has signed to play beach volleyball at the University of Oregon.
Syren Ferguson, Thurston softball
The Colts junior outfielder earned 5A first-team all-state honors after helping lead the Colts to the state title game.
Eva Kato, South Eugene soccer
The Axe junior earned 6A first-team all-state honors and was named the Southwest Conference co-player of the year while helping lead South Eugene to the first round of the state playoffs.
Vanessa Keller, Oakridge wrestling
The Warriors’ junior captured her third consecutive 4A/3A/2A/1A state title, this time claiming the 110-pound crown at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland.
Addison Kleinke, Churchill track and field
The Lancers junior won her third consecutive 5A pole vault title, and also captured the long jump title at the OSAA state meet. Kleinke’s personal-best mark of 14 feet, 3/4 inch at the May 9 Oregon Twilight was a new state record, breaking her own mark, and the third-best vault in the nation this season among high school athletes.
She went on to finish third at the USATF U20 National Championships at Hayward Field on June 19.
Libby McLaughlin, Marist soccer
The Spartans sophomore was named 4A player of the year and earned first-team all-state honors after leading Marist Catholic to the state title.
Nyah Mitchell, Churchill volleyball
The Lancers’ senior earned 5A first-team all-state honors and helped lead Churchill to a third-place state finish. There, she earned first-team all-tournament honors. Mitchell has committed to compete at the University of Portland next season.
Chantell Noffsinger, Creswell wrestling
The Bulldogs senior won the 4A/3A/2A/1A 145-pound state title at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland.
Cricket Phipps, North Eugene track and field
The Highlanders’ junior won the 5A state title in the 1,500 with a personal-best time of 4 minutes, 33.23 seconds at the OSAA state championships. She also took seventh in the 800 (2:19.71).
At the state cross-country championships last fall, Phipps was 22nd (19:21.1).
Kendall Quinney, Sheldon soccer
The Irish junior earned 6A first-team all-state honors and was named the Southwest Conference co-player of the year while helping lead Sheldon to the state quarterfinals.
Brynn Smith, Willamette basketball
The Wolverines senior earned 6A second-team all-state recognition and helped lead Willamette to fifth place at the state tournament. Smith is a University of Portland signee.
Francesca Tomp, North Eugene golf
The Highlanders senior won her fourth consecutive Class 5A state title when she took first with a two-day score of 149 at the state championship tournament at Emerald Valley Golf Club.
Tomp is just the second girls golfer in state history to win four state titles, joining Summit’s Madison Odiorne (2012-15). She is a Portland State signee.
Jarrid Denney is a sports reporter for The Register-Guard. He can be reached at jdenney@gannett.comor on X @jarrid_denney
Mirror Boys Volleyball All-Stars | News, Sports, Jobs
FIRST TEAM Bryson Brooks, sr., Central: Altoona Mirror first-team all star as a junior. … Team captain had 150 kills and 148 digs this season for the District 6 Class 2A runner-up. … Two-time All-District 6 and Mid State Boys Volleyball League all-star. Christian Heuston, jr., Central: Altoona Mirror second-team all star as a junior. […]
Bryson Brooks, sr., Central: Altoona Mirror first-team all star as a junior. … Team captain had 150 kills and 148 digs this season for the District 6 Class 2A runner-up. … Two-time All-District 6 and Mid State Boys Volleyball League all-star.
Christian Heuston, jr., Central: Altoona Mirror second-team all star as a junior. … Finished with 140 kills, 100 digs and 51 total blocks for the District 6 Class 2A runner-up. … All-District 6 selection and two-time Mid State Boys League all-star.
Caleb Terza, jr., Altoona: PVCA All-District 6 selection. … Had 498 assists. … Added 85 service points, 134 digs and 23 aces. … Selected as team MVP and captain and also had 31 blocks.
Lukas Weathersbee, sr., Altoona: Altoona Mirror second-team all star as a junior. … PVCA All-District 6 selection. … Second-team Mid Penn Commonwealth Division all star. … Finished with 282 kills, 171 digs, 28 blocks and 24 aces. … Will continue volleyball career at Penn State Altoona.
Saturnino Yohn, sr., Altoona: Altoona Mirror second-team all star as a junior. … PVCA All-District 6 selection. … Tabbed the best defensive player for Altoona. … Finished with 433 digs this season and ended his career with 826 digs, third most in Altoona history. … Had 84 service points and 11 aces and a 2.19 serve-receive passer rating.
SECOND TEAM
Logan Caldwell, so., Altoona
Logan Hummel, sr., Central
Luke Mitchell, sr., Altoona
Hayden Smith, sr., Central
Brenden Young, so., Bishop Guilfoyle
HONORABLE MENTION
Braydon Gregg, sr., Central
Justin Jiang, jr., Bishop Guilfoyle
Kallen Plunkett, sr., Altoona
Blake Reynolds, jr., Central
Karter Shall, fr., Bishop Guilfoyle
Mike Madden and Tom Farrell posted back-to-back scores of 64 to win the Park Hills Member/Member Tournament net …
Bishop McCort’s Bo Bassett, the No. 1 wrestling recruit in the nation in the class of 2026, decommitted from Iowa …
FIRST TEAM
Bryson Brooks, sr., Central: Altoona Mirror first-team all star as a junior. … Team captain had 150 …
FIRST TEAM
Garrett Bouchard, jr., Hollidaysburg: Two-time Mirror first-team all-star … No. 1 singles player for …
Riverview’s Katerina Tsambis named Valley News Dispatch girls athlete of the year
By: Matthew Purucker Saturday, June 28, 2025 | 4:41 PM Jeff Helsel | Mon Valley Independent Riverview’s Katerina Tsambis dribbles against Monessen during the WPIAL playoffs Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024. Courtesy of Palma Ostrowski The Riverview girls 1,600 relay of, from left, coach Barbara Stewart, Blake Huffman, Lily Bauer, Katerina Tsambis, and Cailey Trosch pose […]
Riverview’s Katerina Tsambis dribbles against Monessen during the WPIAL playoffs Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024.
Courtesy of Palma Ostrowski
The Riverview girls 1,600 relay of, from left, coach Barbara Stewart, Blake Huffman, Lily Bauer, Katerina Tsambis, and Cailey Trosch pose at the PIAA championships May 24, 2025, in Shippensburg.
Riverview’s Katerina Tsambis defends on Springdale’s Hailey Marchlewski on Sept. 11, 2024 at Springdale High School.
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In April, the Valley News Dispatch recognized Katerina Tsambis as its girls basketball player of the year. Because of her additional excellence in soccer and track and field, she has earned the Valley News Dispatch’s Girls Athlete of the Year honor.
To Tsambis, sports are not just a hobby. They have been and will continue to be a major part of her life.
“Basketball has been my favorite forever. I have played basketball and AAU for years,” Tsambis said. “I played soccer just in high school (but) we had so many good memories going to championships. Same thing with track. I just love to compete.”
Tsambis shined on the basketball court, averaging 18.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 3.5 steals per game in her senior season to lead Riverview to a WPIAL Class 2A playoff berth. She was dedicated to the game, encouraging her teammates and playing her hardest every day, her coach said.
“One is her reliability. You knew what you were going to get every day. And the goal of a team is to win, and it didn’t matter how the win came,” former Riverview girls basketball coach Jill Catanzaro said. “Whether she scored five points or 20 points, she didn’t have to have the spotlight. She just did it. That makes her a very humble person.”
Although her best sport was basketball, her soccer career contributed to her achievement on the hardwood.
“I was always the main defender for basketball,” Tsambis said. “The technique is similar, so, yeah, I felt those two definitely correlated together.”
The Riverview girls soccer team enjoyed great success with the athleticism of Tsambis as a defender. Despite missing her freshman season because of injury and not playing in junior high because of a conflict with basketball, Tsambis helped Riverview reach the 2023 WPIAL and PIAA finals in Class A. Individually, she also received second-team Valley News Dispatch and all-WPIAL honors.
“Every year, she got better and better and became a staple in our defense,” former Riverview girls soccer coach Sean Abraham said. “She would take charge of the defense and lead it, trying to shut down everything that she could.”
In the spring, Tsambis took her talents to the track, where she specialized in the sprints. She competed in the 100, 200 and 400 meters and was a crucial member of the Riverview 1,600-meter relay team.
During her junior year, the relay team broke the school record that had stood since 1980 with a time of 4 minutes, 12.20 seconds. Then, it broke that record this season by running a 4:03.95. The unit placed third at the WPIAL Class 2A championships and eighth at the PIAA meet this spring.
“She’ll be truly missed next year. … Her leadership has made the girls’ team the last four years a remarkable contender,” Riverview track coach Dave Ilnicki said. “I’m glad she’s being recognized because she truly deserves it.”
Tsambis was a four-year letterwinner and was on girls track teams that had a 22-8 overall record and won two undefeated section titles in 2022 and 2023.
“She is an outstanding student-athlete. She excels in the classroom as well as the field, court or track,” Ilnicki said. “Whatever surface that she is playing on, she’s super. She’s been the heart and soul of the team.”
This fall, Tsambis will be attending Penn State to pursue a degree in kinesiology, the study of human movement, turning her passion for sports into a career.
“I’m gonna miss my friends for sure. I’m gonna miss my basketball coaches. They were the best,” Tsambis said. “Specifically, coach Jill Catanzaro. I had her seventh through 12th grade, so I’m gonna miss her a lot. Also, being a competitor on a team, I’m gonna miss that.”
Superday 2025 filled with sports of running, pickleball, volleyball and cornhole | Sports
CHEYENNE, Wyo. – For the 2025 edition of Cheyenne’s Superday, Lions Park was filled with different sports. From an early morning 5K fun run and walk to a cornhole tournament that went until the end of the celebration. Superday is a celebration to kick off National Parks and Recreation month in July, as well as […]
CHEYENNE, Wyo. – For the 2025 edition of Cheyenne’s Superday, Lions Park was filled with different sports. From an early morning 5K fun run and walk to a cornhole tournament that went until the end of the celebration.
Superday is a celebration to kick off National Parks and Recreation month in July, as well as promote the local recreational activities that Cheyenne has to offer.
Across Lions Park, it’s filled with amusement park rides and inflatables for kids and countless shopping and food vendors line the roads of the park.
For the sports, the Superday 5K fun run and walk took runners around Lions, doing two laps circling Sloans Lake for the 3.1 mile course. The winner of the race was Xavier Murdy while not too far behind was Abi Bever, the winner of the women’s race.
Both of the race winners commented on the heat they had to run in, but were glad to be outside along with their community.
“I think it’s fun, just get people out, get people seeing,” Bever said. “I know a lot of businesses come and have booths set up and I think it’s just fun to see familiar faces and see the community out.”
For Murdy, Superday and the people were the reason he chose to come out.
“I just love to be out in nature, to be out in what God’s given us, and to do it with people,” Murdy said. “I definitely wouldn’t have ran this 5K by myself, on a Saturday morning, heck no. So, I just love doing it, it means a lot.”
In the outfield of the Lions Park Softball field, a grass volleyball tournament put four teams against each other in a double-elimination bracket. The team named The Grasshoppers came out victorious, not losing a single match on the day.
Just down the road, Corn Bags and Brews hosted the cornhole tournament that hosted 16 games at once in the southeast corner of the park. The competition also had $2,440 up for grabs in the top-three placers for upper and lower brackets.
The team named Fran Jam would win the upper division, claiming $858 for the team, or $429 per player. Through $1,000 of sponsorship money, plus registration fees, the money pool was created.
Lastly, one of the longer events of the day was the pickleball tournament.
In the mixed division, Sarah and Matt Stephan would win the upper division. For the lower bracket, Marianne and Francis Shenefelt came out as winners. The Shenefelts, a very experienced pickleball couple, believe a day like Superday brings many different people together outside, especially in the sport of pickleball.
“I think it includes a lot of people, as you well saw, young people too and something to do,” Marianne said. “I saw a lot of cornhole going on and we like to do that too.”
“It’s just great to see the people of Cheyenne together as a community, it’s important,” Francis said.
For the men’s and women’s brackets of the pickleball tournament, Sarah Stephan would get another medal with her partner Mary Parsons, while they win the upper division. The men’s side allowed the youth of the tournament to shine as Isaiah Rigg and Jackson Cook went up with the first place medals.
