Welcome to the third installment of 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...

Pablo Barrios and Zara Leandra (Phelps Media Group, Inc. International) Lexington, KY - Venezuelan rider Pablo Barrios is proving to be unstoppable with his talented young mare Zara Leandra. With a speedy double clear during tonight's jump-off, the duo won their third $25,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic. Only four horses advanced to the tiebreaker in the Rolex Stadium during the Kentucky Summer Classic, and Aaron Vale was the only other rider to leave all the fences intact a second time to...

Kennzo and Molly Ashe in the Classic Round (Tricia Booker Photography) Traverse City, MI - Molly Ashe returned to Horse Show by the Bay this year on a mission. After a disappointing performance in last year's $20,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby, she sought redemption. And she got it. Ashe guided Kennzo to victory on July 19, in Traverse City, taking the top call in this year's edition, hosted by The Gochman Family. The two-round hunter competition was Friday evening's featured...

Dressage Young Rider Team Gold Medalists from Region 7: Teresa Adams, Ariel Thomas, Jamie Pestana, and Jaclyn Pepper (SusanJStickle.com) Lexington, KY – The first day of competition at the 2013 Adequan/FEI North American Junior & Young Rider Championships presented by Gotham North (NAJYRC) featured the top up-and-coming talent in the sport of dressage. Team medals were presented in the Junior and Young Rider divisions in the USDF/Platinum Performance North American Junior and Young...

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 her journey...

Kristen VanderVeen and Bull Run's Eternal (Carrie Wirth/Mary Adelaide Brakenridge Phelps Media Group) Parker, CO - Brazilian course designer Anderson Lima built what appeared to be a straightforward course for the $40,000 Holiday Inn of Parker Grand Prix for Summer in the Rockies V, considered the peak week of the summer series at the Colorado Horse Park. But the course was tougher than appearances let on. "I decided to do a more technical course than a really big course, which meant they had...

Caitlin Ziegler and Butragenia (Spruce Meadows Media Services) Calgary, AB – The Spruce Meadows Summer Tournaments continue this week at the 'Canada One,' held June 25-30. Today was full of team competition and camaraderie, with the Paramount Resources Prix des Nations competitions held for junior and amateur riders at levels 1.10m-1.40m. There was also a 1.00m Friends of the Meadows Prix des Nations. Caitlin Ziegler, a member of the 1.40m Prix des Nations winning team who has...

This article has been reprinted with permission of Erin Gilmore. The original article can be found at https://www.proequest.com/news/2013/03/28/a-for-effort-first-usef-town-hall-meeting-on-horse-welfare-is-heavy-on-promises-plan [Wellington, FL] “We have to admit that we know we have a problem.” No, this wasn’t a church basement gathering of recovering addicts, although an atmosphere of “enough is enough” hung heavy in the air. A crowd of 75 trainers, riders and...

Todd Minikus and Quality Girl won the $50,000 CSI2* Live Oak International on Saturday, March 23, at the CSI2* Live Oak International in Ocala, FL. (Mark Astrom) Ocala, FL – Todd Minikus of Wellington, FL, made it three for three, winning the $50,000 CSI2* Live Oak International Grand Prix on Saturday, March 23, in Ocala, FL. The only equestrian event in North America to feature both world-class driving and show jumping, the Live Oak International takes place at Live Oak Plantation from...

Lars Petersen and Mariett Loxahatchee, FL - Lars Petersen of Denmark and Mariett captured the win in the Grand Prix on opening day of the Palm Beach Dressage Derby CDI-W at the International Horse Sport (IHS) Champions Park at Equestrian Estates in Loxahatchee, FL. The pair scored a 72.745%, besting the second place rider by more than three percentage points. Petersen and Mariett, owned by Marcia Pepper and Petersen, tallied up first place wins in both the Grand Prix and the Grand Prix Special...