Aachen, Germany – The United States Equestrian Federation® announces the team that will travel to Canada and compete at the 2006 CSIO Spruce Meadows, September 6-10. Selection was based on the ranking of the July 28, 2006 USEF Computer List. The riders and their horses are as follows: 1. Margie Engle of Wellington, FL and Hidden Creek’s Wapino, an 11-year-old Westphalian gelding, owned by Hidden Creek Farm 2. Molly Ashe of Wellington, FL, and Neuville, an 11-year-old Warmblood gelding, owned by...

The U.S. show jumping team shows off their Silver medals from the team competition at the WEG. (l-r) Chef d'Equipe George Morris, McLain Ward, Margie Engle, Beezie Madden and Laura Kraut. (Bob Langrish) It was a late start for the show jumpers on Thursday at the 2006 FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG), but it is better late than never. The Main Stadium was once again packed to the rafters, full of fans cheering the competitors and witnessing the contest of the team medal in Aachen. Earlier in the...

Aachen, Germany – The United States Equestrian Federation® has announced the five riders that will compete in the eighth and final show in the Samsung Super League tour CSIO Barcelona, Spain (September 14-17). In Barcelona, all team points accumulated will count for double. The riders and their horses are: 1. Margie Engle of Wellington, FL, and Hidden Creek’s Quervo Gold, a 13-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding, owned by Hidden Creek Farm 2. McLain Ward of Brewster, NY, and Sapphire, an...

The 2006 American Hunter Pony Classic Auction, held during the USEF Pony Finals National Championships, posted major increases in nearly every category. Statistically, the 2006 sale ranks as the best American Hunter Pony Classic ever and possibly the best pony auction ever held in North America. “This was a great auction. The buyers were active from beginning to end,” said Tim Jennings, Marketing Director of Professional Auction Services, Inc. “The catalog included the best group of ponies the...

The 60th annual Buffalo International Horse Show (BIHS) will host yet another year of top hunter and jumper competition in the Northwest in 2006. Held at the Buffalo Equestrian Center (BEC), which is formerly known as the Buffalo Saddle and Bridle Club, the horse show has a long tradition of excellence and has seen some of the nation’s best equestrians compete in its hallowed indoor arena. The show will be held September 13-17 and will benefit the Buffalo Therapeutic Riding Center (BTRC)....

It was hot in St. Louis on August 2-5 for the American Shetland Pony Club (ASPC) National Shetland Pony Congress, but the ponies who came to compete were even hotter. Some 480 ponies trekked to the new show site, the National Equestrian Center in Lake St. Louis. After almost a decade of hosting the show in Rantoul, IL, show officials were very pleased with the number of entries the new show location attracted. “With a new location, soaring gasoline prices and record temperatures, we were...

By Bob Langrish (Beezie Madden and Authentic are leading all show jumpers at the WEG for two days in a row.) It’s double duty again at the 2006 World Equestrian Games (WEG) in Aachen, Germany, as two disciplines played out simultaneously – one of them in the Main Stadium (show jumping) and the other having its first-day opener in Stadium 2 (four-in-hand driving). Both of the disciplines have fans running back and forth to take in the action. In show jumping, it’s Day One of a...

By Bob Langrish (Beezie Madden and Authentic in the Main Stadium in Aachen, Germany.) (Aachen, Germany)— The 16 efforts put in front of the 116 show jumpers going round during the 1st qualifier and speed class for the individual and team FEI World Championships in Aachen were a bit more than a few could handle. And for Team USA, there were few bumps along the road translating into less than a handful of downed rails in a windy Main Stadium. Over the day, six horses were eliminated, and...

Bob Langrish (Vaulter Megan Benjamin won an Individual Gold medal.) (Aachen, Germany) – It all came down to one minute. It was years in the making, but it came down to one minute in Aachen, Germany, and when that one minute was over, 18-year-old Megan Benjamin of Saratoga, CA, was the first female American vaulter ever to take a world championship. For the past 20 years, a German woman has always held the title of World Champion, and Germany has also won 23 of the last 30 world championships....

Steffen Peters finished fourth yesterday in the grand prix special with a 75.200%, just out of the medals. They finished sixth tonight in the musical freestyle on a score of 78.600%. (Bob Langrish) Crowds were spilling out of the 2006 World Equestrian Games on Saturday, with record crowds jamming not only the dressage freestyle, but the cross-country course, as well as the show grounds. Across the day, more than 44,000 fans of eventing were on-hand; 40,000 tickets were sold (and 60,000 were on...