Bicton, Great Britain – The Defender U.S. Eventing Team secured a well-earned podium finish in the FEI Eventing Nations Cup CCIO4*-S hosted in Bicton, Great Britain. The team completed the weekend on a team total of 132.9, with Jenny Caras and Sommersby finishing as the highest placed U.S. combination individually in 10th on a 39.4. The team was led by Chef d’Equipe Karyn Shuter and Team Leader Gemma Stobbs. Great Britain finished on top of the leaderboard on a final total of 87.8,...

In today’s equestrian sport landscape, emerging athletes are driven by passion and dedication in the pursuit of developing their skills, as competitors and horsemen and -women. Along the way, they are often met with pressures from coaches, parents, social media, fans, and even themselves. To explore how pressure and mental health challenges are prevalent in the sport, we talked with several promising young athletes, inviting them to discuss their experiences and explain how they balance...

The podium at the 2024 USEF Eventing Young Rider National Championships (©Avery Wallace/US Equestrian) Lexington, Ky. - US Equestrian is pleased to announce that the Maryland International and Horse Trials at Loch Moy Farm in Adamstown, Md. has been chosen as the host of the 2026-2027 USEF Eventing Young Rider Championships (CCIJ1*-Intro, CCIYJ2*-S, CCIU253*-S). The championships will be held on June 25-28, 2026, and June 24-27, 2027. “I’m delighted that the USEF Eventing Young...

The word ‘steward’ gets used a lot in connection with equestrian competitions: ring stewards, in-gate stewards, phase stewards. The Oxford Dictionary defines the noun, “steward” as, “one who supervises arrangements or keeps order.” ©Shannon Brinkman In the spring of 2013, I was on my way to a cross-country warmup when a friend mentioned he was headed to Kentucky to take a course to become an FEI Steward. “You should sign up – you’d be...

Starting with a young horse and bringing it up the levels can be such a rewarding journey. The youngest horse I have bought was less than a day old and the oldest was 9. I would say the newborn was an impulse buy because his full brother, Dream Boy, that I own was running his first 5* that very day, but all the other horses I have purchased have been with patience. After looking for over a year, I bought two horses within a few days of each other this year. Rather than buying trips, I enjoy...

Lexington, Ky. – US Equestrian is pleased to announce the athlete-and-horse combinations selected for the 2025 U.S. Eventing European Development Tour, including those selected to represent the Defender U.S. Eventing Team in the FEI Eventing Nations Cup Bicton CCIO4*-NC-S, held at Bicton Arena in Devon, England from May 22-25. The objective of the annual tour is to provide athletes with the opportunity to gain international experience, achieve results at European Nations Cups and...

Lexington, Ky. – For the first time ever, three U.S. athletes occupy the number one spot in their respective discipline world rankings, with Kent Farrington moving into number one on the Longines FEI Jumping World Ranking List, and Boyd Martin earning the number one position on the FEI Eventing World Ranking List for the first time in his career. Fiona Howard still holds her position as the number one athlete in the world in the FEI Para Dressage Rankings. Farrington last held the honor...

Lexington, Ky. — The thrilling show jumping phase brought the 2025 Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by MARS Equestrian™ to a close on Sunday with Michael Jung (GER) and fischerChipmunk FRH finishing atop the podium for the CCI5*-L. Boyd Martin and Commando 3 completed the weekend as the top U.S. combination on the leaderboard, taking home the Defender/USEF CCI5*-L Eventing National Championship presented by MARS Equestrian™. The Cosequin Lexington CCI4*-S also...

Lexington, Ky. — Cross-country got underway with a chilly start on Saturday morning at the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by MARS Equestrian (K3DE). Michael Jung (GER) and fischerChipmunk FRH continue to hold their lead in the CCI5*-L after a near flawless trip around the track, while Boyd Martin and Commando 3 remain in the lead of the Defender/USEF CCI5*-L Eventing National Championship presented by MARS Equestrian. In the Cosequin Lexington CCI4*-S, William Coleman and Off...

Lexington, Ky. – Dressage competition concluded on Friday at the 2025 Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by MARS Equestrian. Michael Jung (GER) and fischerChipmunk FRH remain in the lead in the CCI*5-L division on an impressive 18.6, while the competition ahead will be increasingly dynamic as combinations head out on cross-country tomorrow. Boyd Martin and Commando 3 are the top U.S. pair on the CCI*5-L leaderboard in second place. In the Cosequin Lexington CCI4*-S, a notable...

Lexington, Ky. — The 2025 Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by MARS Equestrian (K3DE) started on a cloudy and mild Kentucky morning for the first day of dressage competition. Michael Jung and fischerChipmunk FRH led the CCI5*-L competition after a record-breaking test in the first phase. The top American combination on the leaderboard in the CCI5*-L, Boyd Martin and Fedarman B, lead in the Defender/USEF CCI5*-L Eventing National Championship presented by MARS Equestrian. The...

Lexington, Ky. – The Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by MARS Equestrian™ (K3DE) is set to begin following the completion of the first horse inspection. A field of 34 horse-and-athlete combinations from six countries are competing for the top title in the CCI5*-L. The event will also play host to the Defender/USEF CCI5*-L Eventing National Championship presented by MARS Equestrian™. The highest-placed U.S. combination in the CCI5*-L will win the national champion...