Oklahoma City, OK – Some of the top youth reiners in the country traveled to the Oklahoma State Fair Park to compete in three age divisions for the title of 2008 United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) National Youth Reining Championship. Asa Peeples won the 13 and under age division; Jason Kvols won the 14-18 age division; and Lacey Vernon won the 19-21 age division. The USEF National Youth Reining Championship was part of the six-day National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) Derby. Asa...

Peters and Ravel (Amy McCool) San Juan Capistrano, CA – Steffen Peters and Ravel were crowned Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF National Grand Prix Dressage Champions and won the USEF Selection Trials for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team in dressage with a spectacular performance in today’s grand prix freestyle. The pair finished with a remarkable score of 79.500%. Peters, Debbie McDonald and Courtney King-Dye finished in the top three places to represent the U.S. at the 2008 Olympic Games in...

Steffen Peters and Ravel (Amy McCool) San Juan Capistrano, CA – There was no one busier than Steffen Peters at the Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Dressage Festival of Champions today and he saved his best performance for last. Peters rode Ravel to another win in the third leg of the USEF National Grand Prix Dressage Championship (which also serves as the USEF Selection Trial for Dressage) with a score of 75.25%. The 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding continues to impress everyone on hand at...

Michelle Gibson and Don Angelo (Amy McCool) San Juan Capistrano, CA – The first day of the USEF National Intermediaire Dressage Championship showcased the top horse/rider combinations in the country at the fiercely competitive Intermediaire level. Some of the most exciting up-and-coming horses performed the Prix St. Georges test in the arena at The Oaks Blenheim facility this afternoon. Two riders, who duel on a regular basis, ended the day separated by only four-tenths of a percent. Last...

Lexington, KY - Due to a veterinary issue, Phillip Dutton has withdrawn Anne Jones' The Foreman from the 2008 USEF Eventing Short List/Nominated Entry for the 2008 Olympic Games. The Foreman has a reoccurring splint injury but Dutton looks forward to him making a full recovery for 2009. Following the Selection Procedures, the USEF has approved the addition of Merloch and Bonnie Mosser to the USEF Eventing Short List/Nominated Entry for the 2008 Olympic Games in Hong Kong, August 8-24, 2008....

Dressage trainer Elizabeth Niemi won the grand prix on Sunday at the Windy Hollow Hunt Dressage Show in New Jersey. Niemi rode Stan and Vivian Picheny’s strapping dark bay gelding Wholio to a score of 65.625% for the win. Following a torrential downpour the night before, the show opened on Sunday to a crystal clear day that provided perfect footing for the competitors. After competing in torrid heat Saturday, Wholio gave Niemi a relaxed and focused ride, coasting into the Grand Prix victory on...

At the Lucky Sevens Welcome Stake, which kicked off week II of the Atlanta Summer Classic, the crowd was left singing the praises of Troubadour. With the Leary, GA, based Mariano Bedoya Guido at the controls, the young gelding bested the field of 28, including eleven in the jump-off round, with two clear rounds and a sizzling jump-off time of 30.33 seconds. “I liked this course very much, it looked not too big, but it was very technical,” said Guido of the Allen Rheinheimer designed challenge....

The Gold Coast 4 hunter/jumper show (June 13-15) marks the halfway point in Langer Equestrian Group’s (LEG) Gold Coast Series, which consists of seven United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) "B" rated shows at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center. Markel Insurance is the sponsor the 2008 series awards. The Gold Coast Shows offer a three day, six ring format. There are a wide variety of classes suitable for many levels of horses and riders from green horses and short stirrup riders, to 1.40...

Spectators holding Olympic Games tickets for the cross-country test of eventing competition on August 11, 2008 (Session EQ-04), can take part in a public course inspection on August 8, 2008, at the Beas River venue. You must register online to participate in this course inspection. Due to preparation work on the course, visitor numbers will be limited to 2,000 on a first-come-first-serve basis. There will be no horse activity during the public course inspection. The online registration system...

The facilities for providing first-rate care of horses brought to Hong Kong for the Olympic Games in August have been given the thumbs-up by members of the Animal Welfare Advisory Group (AWAG) who visited the two equestrian venues. “I think the welfare of the horses is being very well taken care of,” said Chan Pui-tin, after he and five colleagues inspected the venues on June 24.. “We have asked a lot of questions on a range of topics, big and small, such as whether the horses will suffer from...