Greenwich, UK - The Para-Equestrian Dressage competition of the 2012 Paralympic Games kicked-off Thursday with Grade II and Grade 1b riders completing their Team Tests on a day that ran the gamut of English weather. The U.S. sent three representatives into the main arena with Rebecca Hart and Dr. Dale Dedrick competing during the Grade II morning session and Jonathan Wentz competing in afternoon Grade 1b competition. Jonathan Wentz and NTEC Richter Scale (Shannon Brinkman) Riders for Great...

Bridgehampton, NY - McLain Ward, of Brewster, N.Y., won his second jumper class of the 37th annual Hampton Classic Horse Show on Thursday morning, guiding Vocas to the fastest clean jump-off round in the $7,5000 Prudential Douglas Elliman 1.45m Open Jumper class. Riding about halfway through the 35-horse class, Ward and Vocas recorded a faultless first round and then finished the jump-off clean in a time of 34.98 seconds to take the lead. They then withstood the challenges of 13 other horses in...

Para-equestrian drivers and their supporters enjoyed some time off and toured the Hague on Monday. They got an up-close look at Queen Beatrix's Golden Coach Breda, The Netherlands - International para-equestrian drivers are in Breda, The Netherlands right now ready to compete at the 2012 FEI World Para-Equestrian Driving Championships for Singles. The first vet check took place Wednesday and the three horses that will be driven by Americans passed with ease. Athletes schooled in dressage today...

Major equestrian competitions attended by U.S. athletes, both domestic and overseas, are listed in this weekly preview. Please look below to find competition listings by discipline* and breed. We hope you will follow the competitions that most interest you, but check Equestrian Weekly on Monday for a report of any top finishes by U.S. Equestrians. *lists of competitions in all international disciplines will include only FEI competitions or USEF Championships within the USA and international FEI...

Sinead Halpin and Manoir de Carneville at the 2011 Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials (StockImageServices.com) Stamford, England - The United States will be represented by six talented combinations at The Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials, August 30-September 2. A total of 85 riders from 10 nations are slated to contest one of the toughest CCI4*s in the world. Three of the U.S. entries have benefitted from Land Rover Competition and Training Grants, spending the summer training and competing in...

Bridgehampton, NY - Irish rider Ronan McGuigan scored a narrow victory on Capall Zidane in Wednesday morning’s $7,500 Wolffer Estate 1.4m Open Jumper class, but McLain Ward, a two-time U.S. Olympic gold medalist, galloped to victory on Lucky Lord 20 in the afternoon’s $7,500 Equinimity 1.45m Open Jumper class, presented by Ariat. McGuigan, 38, now lives in Far Hills, N.J., and with a time of 55.46 seconds, he topped an Irish sweep, as Shane Sweetnam took second on Elastique (56.50)...

Bridgehampton, NY - Scott Stewart, of Wellington, Fla., won the Triple Crown Custom high performance hunter championship, along with two other hunter championships, on Tuesday and Wednesday at the 37th Annual Hampton Classic Horse Show. Stewart, 48, guided Garfield, 9, to the Triple Crown Custom high performance hunter championship, Dedication, 7, to the second year green hunter championship, and Enjoy, 6, to the first year green hunter championship. Garfield won all five of the...

Bonifatius (Shannon Brinkman/USEF) Greenwich, UK - The four American horses presented before the Para-Equestrian Dressage Ground Jury in the main arena at the 2012 Olympic Games were deemed sound and fit to compete at Wednesday's Horse Inspection. The U.S. will be represented by two veteran riders and two rising stars, when competition begins Thursday with the Team Tests. A total of 15 teams and 19 individuals will be representing their countries. At the Horse Inspection 77 horses were...

Lexington, KY - Many of the top reiners in the United States are headed to Tulsa, Oklahoma this week to take part in the Adequan/USEF National Open Reining Championship on August 31. The Championship class will be run as a CRI3* and held in conjunction with a CRI2* and CRI*, all held during the Ariat Tulsa Reining Classic. The Championship will feature a rematch between Shawn Flarida and Tom McCutcheon, who finished first and second respectively in April's Ariat Kentucky Cup CRI5*. The two...

Bridgehampton, NY - I nternational veteran Jeffery Welles of Pound Ridge, N.Y., ruled the Grand Prix Ring on Tuesday at the 37th Annual Hampton Classic. Welles won both the afternoon’s American Eurocopter $7,500 1.45m Open Jumper class and the fist section of the morning’s Newsday $7,500 1.40m Open Jumper class. Welles, 50, won the more difficult afternoon class on Merlin in a time of 61.80 seconds, defeating Darragh Kerins on S&L Farms’ S&L Zeppelin (62.06) and Shane...