Where there’s a will, there’s a way. Just ask Miami University of Ohio freshman, Tom Schoen, the 2010 recipient of the Jon Conyers Memorial Scholarship. Schoen rides on the Miami University Equestrian Team (MUET), representing his Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) teammates in the Walk Trot division, under coaches Heather Pinnick and Lori Cramer. Remarkably, the English Education major was not a rider before college. But it’s clear after listening to him talk about his passion for...

Tina Konyot and Calecto V (SusanJStickle.com Photo) Gladstone, NJ – Tina Konyot closed out the 2010 Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Grand Prix National Dressage Championship in impressive fashion to sweep the four legs of competition and stamp herself and Calecto V and win her very first National Grand Prix Championship. Konyot (Palm City, FL) and Calecto rocked to music by KT Tunstall and brought the full house down to Black Horse and the Cherry Tree at the USEF Foundation Headquarters. Over four...

Meagan Davis and Bentley (SusanJStickle.com Photo) Gladstone, NJ – The second Saturday of the Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Dressage Festival of Champions proved to be one of the busiest days of the six day championship. Three different USEF National Championships took place in the Dick and Jane Brown Dressage Arena at the USET Foundation Headquarters. The National Young Rider Dressage Championship kicked it off and three superstar Young Riders swept into the top three places after the first half...

Randi Muster (Meredith "Maddy" Darst and Elation.) Lexington, KY - August 13, 2010 - The third day of competition got underway Thursday in the Walnut Arena at the Kentucky Horse Park during the 2010 United States Equestrian Federation Pony Finals National Championships. The event began with the model and under saddle phases for the Medium Pony Hunter division and was followed by the over fences phase for the Small Pony Hunter division to determine the Overall Small Pony Hunter Grand Champion....

Lexington, KY - July 30, 2010 - The show jumping team competition for the USHJA Jumping Championships was held Friday night at the 2010 Adequan FEI North American Junior & Young Rider Championships presented by Gotham North at the beautiful Kentucky Horse Park. After a grueling Nations Cup competition, Team Alberta proved victorious in the Junior Riders section, while Zone 10 took home the Gold medal for the Young Riders division. Olaf Peterson, Jr., designed a demanding test for each group of...

SportFot (Ben Asselin earned the Junior Rider Gold medal at the NAJYRC.) LEXINGTON, KY - AUGUST 1, 2010 - On the final day of competition at the 2010 Adequan FEI North American Junior & Young Rider Championships presented by Gotham North, the jumpers ruled as the USHJA Jumper Championships brought to a close the five-day international event. The Juniors took to the Kentucky Horse Park’s Main Stadium first for the final two rounds of the five-round contest, and when the dust cleared in was Ben...

Photo by Jon Kassel (Kelly Farmer and Listen) Showplace Productions produced a beautiful derby day at Tapestry Farm in Bristol, WI, this weekend following the completion of its Showplace Summertime Horse Show. Tapestry Farm owners Clay and Donna Struve welcomed many of the country's top horses and riders to their scenic farm for a day full of exceptional competition and hospitality for all to benefit the United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) Horseman's Assistance Fund. Professional...

The Interscholastic Equestrian Association (IEA) has officially announced that saddle seat is approved as an emerging discipline of the IEA, and teams are starting to form all over the United States. Hundreds of teams and thousands of members have enjoyed participating in IEA hunt seat and Western competitions for the past eight years, but this will be the first year for the saddle seat offerings. The mission of IEA is to introduce students in private and public middle and secondary schools...

Aachen, Germany - It was a night of great show jumping, and the United States had a solid third place finish in the Mercedes-Benz Preis, part of the Meydan FEI Nations Cup in historic Aachen, Germany. The "all-girls" team and their Chef d'Equipe George H. Morris were pleased with their placing as they finished on a total of 12 penalty points behind Germany with nine and the winners, Ireland, with just four faults. The USA started out strong with a clear round from Lauren Hough of Wellington,...

K.C. Montgomery (Shawn Flarida RC Fancy Step) Oklahoma City, OK – The 2010 Adequan/USEF Open Reining Championships, which also served as the USEF Selection Trial for the Adequan US Reining Team for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, featured fierce competition with a national title and a ticket to the World Equestrian Games on the line. The Oklahoma State Fairgrounds main coliseum was rocking on Saturday night and when the dust settled Shawn Flarida held on to his lead and had the best two...