Pau, France - The 2013 FEI Pony World Driving Championships kicked off Thursday with the first of two days of driven dressage. Pair Pony and Pony Team drivers took their first steps toward world titles as they performed their tests in front of the Ground Jury composed of Klaus Christ, Anne-Marie Turbe, Jennifer Matheson (Mary Phelps-phelpsphotos.com) Diana Brownlie, and Dot Wilcoxson. U.S. competitors got off to a strong start with all four drivers cruising into the top 12 in their respective...

Kent Farrington and Blue Angel (Shawn McMillen Photography) Washington, D.C. - The 2013 Washington International Horse Show (WIHS) continued on Thursday with the first day of classes for the Junior Hunters and several International Open Jumper and Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper classes at Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. The International Open Jumpers had two classes with a win for Kent Farrington (USA) and Robin Parksy's Blue Angel in the $33,000 International Open Jumper Welcome Stake. Top...

VALENTINE and Jaime Auletto receive their award (AlCookPhoto.com) Harrisburg, PA - Jaime Auletto, from Tabernackle, NJ, and her own bay mare VALENTINE were crowned Amateur Owner Hunter 3'3" Grand Hunter Champion this morning at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show. Auletto really didn't think they would win, but decided to 'just keep her braided'. "I'm very surprised!" said Auletto. "That division is SO tough - Jane [Gaston] and Daryl [Portela] are both amazing". Auletto...

Grand Green Working Hunter Champion BACARDI and Havens Schatt (AlCookPhoto.com) Harrisburg, PA - The stunning 7 year old grey gelding BACARDI, owned by Caroline Moran and ridden by Havens Schatt, won the prestigious Grand Green Working Hunter Championship tuesday at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show. "He's the horse of a lifetime", said a teary-eyed Schatt when she came out of the ring. "He's done everything I've ever asked him to do. I'm just so proud of him", she beamed....

Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping and Reem Acra FEI World Cup™ Dressage Finals Set for April 2015 Las Vegas, NV - The International Equestrian Federation (FEI), the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) and Las Vegas Events, Inc. (LVE) join in announcing that the FEI World Cup™ Finals in both show jumping and dressage will return to Las Vegas in 2015. Las Vegas will host the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Final and the Reem Acra FEI World Cup™ Dressage Final at...

Burbank, CA - Judges Jimmy Torano and Mandy Porter wasted no time posing questions to the 33 riders who tackled the Gymnastics Phase of the Platinum Performance/ USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Finals West. The course started with a canter rail to a vertical with a landing rail, and the rail fell often. Riders then had to trot into a grid comprising a trot rail to a vertical then 23 feet to an oxer followed by 21 feet to another oxer. Hannah Von Heidegger (Will Simpson, trainer) found the best...

John Pearce and Chianto jump to a win in the $50,000 HITS Grand Prix, presented by Zoetis, making it two in a row for Pearce at HITS Saugerties this week (ESI Photography) Saugerties, NY – On the heels of a win in Friday’s $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix with Son of a Gun, John Pearce of Bermuda Dunes, California jumped his way to another blue on Sunday in the $50,000 HITS Grand Prix, presented, by Zoetis, this time aboard Forest View Farm’s Chianto. Celebration, however, soon...

Team Weber on the marathon course at Caen. (Photo courtesy of Madeleine Augustsson) Ocala, FL – Nine-time U.S. national four-in-hand champion Chester Weber remains undefeated in France following his second win there in the CAI-A4 Caen August 23-25, against a field of 12 drivers and 60 horses representing seven nations. Team Weber’s win at the CAI-A4 Caen is especially significant as the competition was the test event for the 2014 World Equestrian Games. In early June, Weber had the...

Todd Minikus and Quality Girl on their way to a win in the $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Zoetis, at HITS Saugerties (ESI Photography) Saugerties, NY - Quality Girl’s feet were lightning fast and her turns were tight as she carried Todd Minikus of Loxahatchee, Florida to a win in the $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Zoetis, Friday at HITS Saugerties. Besting a field of 47, Minikus added another grand prix to a long list of top finishes with his own Quality Girl during...

Jumping at CSIO5* Hickstead started up Thursday with U.S. horses and riders faring well. In the opening speed class, the Royal International Vase, "Master of Faster" Richard Spooner and Oscany Inc's Let's Dance 46 sped to a 2nd place finish with a clear round in 65.58s. Hot on their heels were Reed Kessler and her own Ligist. They also keep the rails in the cups and finished their round in 66.18s. Neither was fast enough to beat the scorching 63.97s effort from Great Britain's own...