Lexington, KY - Sarah Hood is not your typical high school cross country runner. On torrid Georgia afternoons, after classes are over, she joins her teammates for practice and runs for miles. After that, most of her teammates head home. Sarah Hood heads to the barn. "As my teammates and l left every day, drenched in sweat and exhausted," she says, "many complained about being tired and couldn't wait to go home and crash. I just smiled as l left, knowing that I had horses waiting to be...

Devon, PA - A small but mighty field of show jumping horses lined up to tackle the penultimate USEF Observation Event for the U.S. Show Jumping Team for the 2012 Olympic Games. Thirteen combinations from the USEF Show Jumping Long List headlined the field of 16 in the 2012 $100,000 Wells Fargo Grand Prix of Devon. The Dixon Oval always proves a tremendous venue at the Devon Horse Show and with improvements made over the last few years, the storied Antares F and McLain Ward (AK Dragoo...

Lexington, KY- Efficient clear rounds were at a premium as elite horses and riders went to task over Richard Jeffery’s demanding track in the $50,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic. Of the 23 horse and rider pairs to enter the Rolex Stadium, 15 were combinations from the USEF Long List for the U.S. Show Jumping Team for the 2012 Olympic Games. Friday’s feature Grand Prix at the Kentucky Horse Park served as the first of two classes the long listed pairs will contest in the 2012 US Show...

Hillary Dobbs and Marengo (Sportfot) Wellington, FL - Hillary Dobbs, of Sussex, NJ, rode her speedy mount Marengo to victory in Friday morning's $6,000 Spy Coast Farm 1.40m Speed Challenge at the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF). Other top finishers for the day included Ireland's Conor Swail and Donatello, owned by Hara de la Rogue and Normandie Connection, in the $32,000 G&C Farm 1.45m Classic. Laura Chapot (USA) and Umberto won the $6,000 Spy Coast Farm 1.40m...

Alexa Effron Sweeps the Coldwell Banker Children's 14 & Under Hunters Wellington, FL - The second week of the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival came to a close today, and competition in the International Arena was fierce with the $25,000 Suncast® 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic. Marie Hecart (FRA) was the fastest clear round in the jump-off on Ecurie Michel Hecart's Oceane de Nantuel. Second place went to last week's 1.50m winners, Nick Skelton (GBR) and Beverley...

Laura Chapot and Valentia Take Top Prize in World Development Group 1.35m Jumpers Wellington, FL - Forty-one of the nation's top young riders showed in the USEF/Platinum Performance Show Jumping Talent Search in Wellington this morning with a win for Lillie Keenan aboard Chansonette Farm LLC's Monterrey. Riders showed over a course set by Danny Moore, of Spring Hill, FL, and the top twelve were invited to return under saddle. The second week of the FTI WEF runs through Sunday, January...

Cincinnati, OH – For the first time ever, the USEF crowned two horses with its highest honor, one from an International Discipline and one from a National Discipline. Neville Bardos and Sjoerd were named 2011 Horses of the Year at tonight’s USEF annual Horse of the Year celebration. Honored for their accomplishments in 2011 their roads through the last 12 months, while both exceptional, have been very different. Videos of all of the Horses of Honor are available here: https://www....

Lexington, KY - To reach the highest level of excellence in equestrian sport takes talent, perseverance, a tremendous spirit and often, unwavering courage. In 2011, six horses have shown the world those qualities and more. And on January 13, the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) will bestow two of them with the prestigious title of Horse of the Year, the highest honor the USEF awards a horse. This year - a change from years past - both a national and international horse will win. The...

Margie Engle won the $50,000 FEI World Cup Grand Prix with Indigo. ManciniPhotos. Wellington, FL - The $50,000 FEI World Cup Grand Prix was the highlight class of the week at the Holiday and Horses Show, hosted by Equestrian Sport Productions (ESP) at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington, FL. Margie Engle of Wellington, FL, and Indigo were able to secure the victory in the FEI World Cup qualifier, and Engle also finished second with Lord Spezi. The show concludes on...

Upper Marlboro, MD - The Capital Challenge Horse show wrapped up another year of fantastic competition today and finished with younger junior and children's hunters. Victoria Colvin swept the junior hunter awards today by winning all four tricolors. She and Scott Stewart's Ovation were awarded the Grand Junior Hunter Championship sponsored by Lochmoor Stables/Mindy and Greg Darst, while the Grand Children's Hunter Championship went to Rosebud and Audrey Layman. The Capital Challenge...