Calgary, Canada - The United States sent two teams into competition Thursday afternoon in the $100,000 Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup at the CSIO5* Spruce Meadows ‘Continental’ Tournament. Not only was the U.S. eyeing top finishes but qualification for the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping Season Series Final as well as a chance to win the North American, Central America and Caribbean League of Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping Series were all on the line. In its inaugural season...

I guess the beginning is a great place to start. I grew up in Maine, the oldest of five, to a father who was in the military and a mother who was a housewife until the youngest of my siblings was in Junior-High school. We grew up on the other side of middle-class, OK, we were poor. I grew up watching spaghetti westerns in black and white on Saturday afternoons. I always loved the intrigue of being a Cowboy, pushing cattle up the Chisholm Trail, fighting bad guys and Indians. Next to the pony...

Although some of you may think Western Dressage is new; when I discovered the Western Dressage Association of America was formed 2 years ago, my first thought was “there is actually a name for it?” For well over 30 years, I have taught riders the wisdom of dressage to Western riders. Through the years, I have been contacted to resolve issues with horses and riders working on games, pleasure and reining. I have always addressed the issues the same. Learn the basics, understand the...

Beezie Madden & Simon (Rebecca Walton/Phelps Media Group) Gothenburg, Sweden - Speed and efficiency were the order of the day in the Scandinavum Arena as the 2013 Rolex/FEI World Cup Final kicked-off with the first of four rounds of competition. Utilizing the faults converted format competitors were asked to balance forward riding and efficient turns with tidy jumping. A total of 39 combinations lined up to tackle Uliano Vezzani's 13 effort track and for the second year running an...

Lillie Keenan and Clearway (Sportfot) Wellington, FL - Fifteen-year-old Lillie Keenan rode to victory in the 6th Annual George Morris Excellence in Equitation Championship, presented by Alessandro Albanese, during week eleven of the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF). Keenan, of New York City, piloted Heritage Farms' Clearway to a score of 89 during round one before upping the ante in round two with an astounding 98.5. Keenan was in second with a total score of 187.5 going...

The answer to this question is a simple, but detailed one. The Western Dressage Association® of America chose to pursue and become a nonprofit organization for many reasons, including fulfillment of our educational mission, greater opportunities for private funding and benefits of tax exemption… but the primary motivation was for YOU! When an organization applies for nonprofit status it states that it is declaring that its association is motivated by other goals then making a profit....

What is the equestrian demographic in North America? Surveys reveal it consists of women who, after a career, raising children, or both, have either returned to riding or are pursuing it as a life long dream. I fall into this demographic, having returned after both a career and children, and once again after major surgery. But where do we go to find training, a supportive community and a purpose in this endeavor? After much exploration, I was lucky enough to find Western Dressage through the...

Woodside, CA - James Alliston survived a bittersweet day at the Woodside International Horse Trials, presented by Equine Insurance of California and Professional’s Choice. It was a day of both exciting victory and disconcerting defeat for him. Alliston, of Castro Valley, Calif., did win the CIC3*, but with Tivoli (52.6), not with Jumbo’s Jake, the horse who’d been leading after the first day’s dressage and show jumping. And he also won the CIC2* on Mojo. Jolie Wentworth...

Lexington, KY- Pair and Pony drivers completed their first phase of USEF National Championship competition Thursday afternoon under beautiful, sunny skies at the event held in conjunction with the Kentucky Classic CDE. Performing their dressage tests in front of the Ground Jury composed of Klaus Christ, Diana Brownlie and Martha Hanks-Nicoll, 18 American competitors made their first steps toward claiming National Titles. In the USEF National Pairs Championship, Misdee Wrigley-Miller has jumped...

Beezie Madden and Coral Reef Via Volo win 2010 American Gold Cup. (Kenneth Kraus/PhelpsSports.com) North Salem, NY - When the American Gold Cup makes it much anticipated return this year at Old Salem Farm in North Salem NY, it will be a star-studded lineup of world-class show jumpers that will compete for the 2012 title. The show, now just a couple of weeks away, is scheduled for September 12th through the 16th, 2012, with the famed $200,000 American Gold Cup as the highlight event on the final...