Exciting Five-Gaited American Saddlebred action at last year’s Mane Event Horse Show (Shiflet) Springifeld, Ill. - If you’re curious about high-stepping American Saddlebred horses and Hackney ponies, watch them compete on the free live webcast of the Mid-America Mane Event Show this Thursday through Sunday on the USEF Network. You’ll see top horses and riders compete in five gaited, three gaited and harness performance and pleasure classes. Mane Event also hosts three national...

Welcome to the fourth installment of a different kind of blog from WDAA! The purpose of this post is to allow the reader "into the heads" of both a trainer/judge/competitor, Karen Abbattista and her student, Deborah Herbert, a Florida WDAA member. We would like to share with you some moments in Deb's journey as she pursues her riding goals with her AQHA mare "GenuineArcticSpring", barn name "Belle". Please enjoy as you follow along with these posts that we consider interesting or...

Eduardo Menezes & La Fleur 4 (Captured Moment Photography) Del Mar, Calif. - Del Mar Welcome Week comes to a close today, and we've had gorgeous weather, exciting competition and some truly memorable moments. Now, riders, horses, trainers and show staff are looking ahead to World Cup Week, which will feature the Grand Prix Hunter Derby Final, the Rancho Valencia World Cup Grand Prix of Del Mar and our spectacular (spooktacular!) Halloween celebration as well as many other special...

Elkton, Md. - The Dutta Corp Fair Hill International came to an exciting conclusion on Sunday with two and three star competitors navigating Sally Ike’s scopey show jumping tracks. At the end of The Dutta Corp/USEF Three-Star Eventing National Championship, Jan Byyny and Inmidair proved to be deserving and popular winners as they claimed their first National Title. While in the morning session Allie Blyskal-Sacksen and Sparrow’s Nio held their nerve to rise one place and claim the...

Rich Fellers and HTH Crazy for Crown leading team Power Puffs (Captured Moment Photography) Del Mar, Calif . - Saturday saw exciting competition in the Lewis Circle of Horses Prix de Nations, as Team Power Puffs captured the lead, closely followed by Team Ham and Team Mercedes Benz. As Team Captain and anchor rider for the Power Puffs, Rich Fellers secured the team's win with two clear rounds. Congratulations to Kimber Evers, Hallie Miller, Madeline Bergman and Rich Fellers! In the Open...

Conor Swail and GAME READY (photo © AlCookPhoto.com) Harrisburg, Pa. - It was a thrilling finale on the last night of the Pennsylvania National Horse Show as many of the world's top riders competed in the $85,000 FEI World Cup Grand Prix De Penn National. You could hear the crowd collectively hold its breath as each horse sped around the course, but it was Irish rider Conor Swail and GAME READY who pulled out all the stops to clinch the win. Twenty four competitors attempted course designer...

Cathleen Driscoll and FOREVER BLUE (AlCookPhoto.com) Harrisburg, Pa . - Cathleen Driscoll, of Elk Mills, MD, and FOREVER BLUE, won the $10,000 North American League (NAL) Adult Jumper Final, presented by SmartPak, today at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show. Only nine competitors made it through to the jump-off out of 28 starters, and Driscoll and her 7 year old mare were the only pair to produce a second clear round, stopping the clock in 33.707 seconds. Ericka Caslin and her own RIOLETTO,...

Giavanna Rinaldi and JULIETTE receive their awards from Siri Dupont-Hurley of EquiFit and Annette Longenecker of the NAL (AlCookPhoto.com) Harrisburg, Pa. - October 19, 2013 - Giavanna Rinaldi, of Wayne, Illinois, and her own JULIETTE, won the $10,000 North American League (NAL) Children's Jumper Final, presented by EquiFit, today at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show. This was the 14 year old's second NAL victory this week - yesterday she won the NAL Low Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper...

Kelsey Thatcher and ATHENA receive their awards (AlCookPhoto.com) Harrisburg, Pa. - October 19, 2013 - Kelsey Thatcher, of Bluffdale, UT, had an amazing day at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show, winning the $15,000 Show Jumping Hall of Fame Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic and earning the division Championship with ATHENA, and also placing second and taking the Reserve Championship with EVERYTHING. Thatcher, who is trained by Alex and Maggie Jayne, was also named the horse show's Leading...

Elkton, Md.- Clear rounds were at a premium over Derek di Grazia’s testing cross country tracks on Saturday at The Dutta Corp Fair Hill International on a day that saw skilled and efficient riding rewarded. Jan Byyny with Inmidair and Sharon White with Under Suspection cruised around the scopey and technical CCI3* and CCI2* courses to fly into the lead of The Dutta Corp/USEF Three-Star Eventing National Championship and the USEF National Two Star Championship, respectively. The Dutta...