Most competitors dread having to be the first rider to enter the arena in any class, let alone the first rider down the centerline on Day One of national championship competition First in the ring, Rachael Hicks & Fabio Bellini set the standard for the rest of the class and won the Intermediate I Adult Amateur Championship. Photo by Susan J. Stickle at the US Dressage Finals presented by Adequan®, a unique national head-to-head competition being for exhibitors of all levels held...

Andres Rodriguez and S.F. Ariantha (Sportfot) Mill Spring, N.C. - Andres Rodriguez (VEN) and the talented grey mare S.F. Ariantha proved too quick to beat in the $127,000 Tryon Estates Grand Prix CSI 3*, the final Grand Prix of the 2015 season at Tryon International Equestrian Center (TIEC). Rodriguez and S.F. Ariantha flew through the timers, securing the fastest double clear effort of the night, finishing with a time of 43.26 seconds. Andrew Kocher (USA), winner of the $34,000 Suncast®...

Paige Johnson and Luke Skywalker 46 (Tryon International Equestrian Center News) Mill Spring, N.C. - Paige Johnson (USA) and Luke Skywalker 46 made a fast move to the top of the leaderboard in the first FEI sanctioned grand prix of the fall season at Tryon International Equestrian Center (TIEC) in the $127,000 Suncast® Grand Prix FEI CSI 3*. Johnson bested the class of 31 international entries with a blazing time of 40.24 seconds in the jump-off to cap their night with a win. Ali Wolff...

McLain Ward and HH Carlos Z, owned by Double H Farm, go clear over a Merial LEGEND jump in the $100,000 ULCERGARD Grand Prix on Sunday at HITS-on-the-Hudson VI. (c) ESI Photography SAUGERTIES, New York - August 3, 2015 - McLain Ward – hot off his gold medal win at the 2015 Pan American Games – and HH Carlos Z, owned by Double H Farm, took first place out of 29 entries in Sunday's $100,000 ULCERGARD Grand Prix at HITS-on-the-Hudson VI. Ward and HH Carlos Z went last in a...

Kimberly Herslow and Rosmarin (SusanJStickle.com) Wellington, Fla. - Kimberly Herslow (USA) and Rosmarin swept the Adequan® Global Dressage Festival Week 7 FEI CDI1* competition presented by Mission Control, handily winning all three classes in the Small Tour. The pair won the FEI Intermediaire 1 Freestyle CDI1* today with a 75.525%. Ayden Uhlir (USA) aboard Sjapoer finished in second with a 71.350%, and Tina Irwin (CAN) and Fancy That placed third receiving a 71.100%. Competition will...

Conor Swail and Martha Louise (Sportfot) Wellington, Fla. - The 2015 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) concluded its second week of competition, sponsored by Wellington Equestrian Realty, on Sunday with a win for Ireland's Conor Swail and Martha Louise in the $34,000 Suncast® 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic. Course designer Luc Musette finished the week with 34 rounds in the 1.50m competition with six to jump-off. Swail and Ariel and Susan Grange's Martha Louise cleared the short...

Long hours in the saddle…….trailering to lessons……..scrimping and saving to pay for show fees………cleaning tack………body clipping……….polishing hooves. The preparation work for the first show of the season is time-consuming and sometimes tedious. But equine enthusiasts around the country could not imagine spending their time doing anything else right now – that show is right around the corner. Besides...

Eiken Sato and Egano van het Slogenhof (Sportfot) Wellington, Fla. - Week nine of the 2014 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF), sponsored by The Bainbridge Companies, concluded on Sunday with a win for Japan's Eiken Sato and Egano van het Slogenhof in the $84,000 Suncast® 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic showing at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington, FL. Alan Wade (IRL) finished the week out with a tough course for 59 entries in the 1.50m...

Darragh Kenny and Quiz (Sportfot) Wellington, Fla. - The $34,000 Suncast® 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic was held on Friday with a win for Darragh Kenny and Spruce Meadow's Quiz. The class saw 23 entries with 5 clear rounds to advance to the jump-off and three double clears. Kenny and Quiz earned top honors in 41.05 seconds. McLain Ward (USA) and Kantunaro, owned by Ellen Holtgers and David Paige, finished second, clearing the course in 41.17 seconds. Alexa Pessoa (USA) and Rodrigo...

Welcome to 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 challenging moments on their journey...