Laura Graves and Verdades Paris, France – In their triumphant return to the FEI World Cup Dressage Final, Laura Graves (Geneva, Fla.) and Verdades claimed victory in the FEI Grand Prix on Friday evening to open the competition. On a grand prix personal best score of 81.413 percent, the powerful combination rode the centerline with poise and grace, showing the world that they arrived to compete. Germany’s Isabell Werth and Weihegold OLD placed second with a score of 78.261 percent,...

Ocala, Fla. – The Live Oak International came to its exciting conclusion on Sunday with all five USEF Combined Driving National Championship divisions completing the cones phase. Chester Weber earned his record 15th USEF Four-In-Hand Combined Driving National Championship title with an overall score of 166.69 penalties, while four combined drivers earned inaugural USEF intermediate national titles. These included: Scott Adcox in the pair horse division with 185.39 penalties; Jennifer...

Wellington, Fla. - The NetJets® U.S. Show Jumping Team of Lillie Keenan on Fibonacci 17, Beezie Madden riding Breitling LS, Adrienne Sternlicht on Cristalline, and Catherine Tyree riding Bokai, finished seventh in the $150,000 FEI Nations Cup™, presented by U.S. Trust/Bank of America Merrill Lynch, at CSIO4* Wellington on Saturday, March 3. The pathfinders for the U.S., Keenan (New York, N.Y.) and Fibonacci 17 owned by Chansonette Farm, LLC, finished the first round with 12 faults for...

During the holiday season, you may be looking for ideas on how to give your horse a special treat to show your appreciation. One idea is treating your horse to a bran mash. We spoke with Dr. Luke Fallon from Hagyard Equine Medical Institute to find out more about bran mashes: why veterinarians recommend them and what ingredients are typically included in them. Bran mashes act as a sort of “comfort food” that horses seem to enjoy when they are feeling under the weather or if it is...

Lexington, Ky. – The United States Equestrian Federation (US Equestrian) is pleased to announce the appointment of Erik Duvander as the new Performance Director for Eventing, effective October 16, 2017. Duvander joins US Equestrian with over 30 years of strategic planning and program development at the high-performance level. Duvander transitioned from a competitive rider into a coaching role after representing Sweden at the World Championship and Olympic level. Since his transition,...

Woodstock, England – Several top international combinations competed at the Ssangyong Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials, September 13-17, but it was U.S. eventer Kim Severson and Cooley Cross Border who finished the competition atop the CCI3* leaderboard. The talented duo led a strong U.S. contingent in the CCI3* with four U.S. combinations finishing in the top 25 out of 84 starters. Severson (Charlottesville, Va.) and The Cross Syndicate’s 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse...

South Jordan, Utah – The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF)/American Vaulting Association (AVA) Vaulting National Championships were held on August 24-27, 2017, at the Salt Lake County Equestrian Park in South Jordan, Utah. Leading the way were U.S. vaulting veterans Mary McCormick and Kristian Roberts, who won the Female Gold and Male Gold divisions, respectively. Individual Competition McCormick, (Cañon City, Colo.), captured an astonishing seventh national championship...

Lexington, Ky. – Tabitha Okitsu and Spoot De La Jourlais completed four perfect rounds to win the 2017 USEF National Pony Jumper Championship on Saturday. The championship, part of the USEF Pony Finals presented by Collecting Gaits Farm, saw 12 combinations advance to the final round. Tabitha Okitsu and Spoot De La Jourlais (Shawn McMillen Photography) Zone 10’s Okitsu (South Pasadena, Calif.) and her own 11-year-old Connemara/Arabian gelding entered the Alltech Arena on Saturday as...

Team Gold at FEI Nations Cup™ CSIO4* Langley (Photo Credit: Rebecca Berry @rebecca_d_berry) Langley, British Columbia – In the third and final leg of the FEI Nations Cup North America, Central America, and Caribbean League, the Hermès U.S. Show Jumping Team bested home team Canada and rivals Mexico and Ireland to secure their qualification for the FEI Nations Cup Jumping Final in Barcelona, Spain, September 28 – October 1. The Canadian team claimed silver on 14 faults,...

McLain Ward and HH Azur (Shannon Brinkman Photo) Whether there is truth to superstitions, many athletes have them and equestrian athletes are no exception. The U.S. athletes at the FEI World Cup™? Finals have various ideas about getting luck on their side. Read on to find out whose superstitions involve boots, back numbers, and more: Kasey Perry-Glass, dressage “I don’t have superstitions. I try to work on my preparation throughout the day so I don’t get as stressed,...