Shane Sweetnam took the lead in the 2012 Hagyard Challenge Series during the $10,000 Hagyard Welcome Stake at the KHJA Horse Show. (Shawn McMillen Photography) Lexington, KY - It was a thrilling Welcome Stake for the final week of the Kentucky Summer Series, during the KHJA Horse Show. It was Shane Sweetnam who rode to the top of the standings for the 2012 Hagyard Challenge Series. Sweetnam's first place finish knocked Kaitlin Campbell into the second place position, with Reed Kessler...

Bridgehampton, NY - The Hampton Classic hosted the championship finals for the Long Island Horse Show Series for Riders with Disabilities on Monday, with riders in three divisions competing for year-end titles. In the advanced independent division, Todd Pritscher, 30, of Yaphank, N.Y., riding Robin Hood, won the championship over Joe Penzel, 19, of Huntington, N.Y., riding Diamond. In the beginner independent division, Tiffany Kahles, 18, of East Meadow, N.Y., riding Gryffindor, won the...

The tenth in a series of guest blog posts from Michelle Binder The development of Western Dressage as a discipline is very exciting to riders, trainers, breeders and exhibitors alike. North American Western Dressage is dedicated to finding common ground between the two disciplines, educating riders from all backgrounds, and to making dressage concepts accessible to western riders without minimizing the importance of the training pyramid nor sacrificing the principles that are fundamental to...

Bridgehampton, NY - Horses stabled on Long Island had their day in the spotlight on Sunday, competing in the local hunter divisions in the newly renamed Anne Aspinall Ring or in Hunter Ring 2. The brightest star of the day was Mariano, owned by Stephanie Riggio and ridden by Sandra Ferrell. The pair won the Local Hunter Professional Championship on the way to winning the Grand Local Hunter Championship, awarded to the horse who earns the most points on the way to his divisional championship. To...

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...

Bridgehampton, NY - Molly Ashe-Cawley, of Wellington, Fla., rode Kennzo to first place in both rounds of the $50,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby, presented by MeadowView Farms, to earn the blue ribbon on the first day of the Hampton Classic. Their total score of 373.5 edged out teenage sensations Victoria Colvin on Inclusive (368.75) and Lillie Keenan on Monterrey (368.0). Colvin also finished 11th on Listen (271.0) and 12th on VIP Z (268.0) in the 35-horse field. This was first time that...

Meg Sleeper and Syrocco Reveille on race day (Merri Melde-Endurance.net) Newmarket, UK – Saturday, August 25 started out pleasant at Euston Park, but throughout the day the weather deteriorated into heavy downpours and severe thunderstorms. Due to the extreme weather, officials had to call the race off for the safety of the horses and riders. In an unusual finish to an endurance race, several riders were placed based on the position they were in at the time that the race was called, but...

McLain Ward and Antares F winning the $100,000 Wells Fargo Grand Prix of Devon, the first leg of the THIS Triple Crown (Parker Russell - The Book LLC) Middleburg, VA - Olympic gold Medalist McLain Ward and his London partner Antares F will be in the spotlight as the second leg of the all-new Taylor Harris Insurance Services (THIS) Triple Crown Challenge takes place at the famed Hampton Classic Horse Show in Bridgehampton, NY on Sunday, September 2nd during the $250,000 FTI Grand Prix & FEI...

Wayne, IL - The USEF Dressage National Championships continued Friday at Lamplight Equestrian Center, with competitors producing top class results for a second straight day. The first tests, counting for 40% of the overall Championship scores, were held in the Six-Year-Old division of the Markel/USEF Young Horse Dressage Championship and the USEF National Developing Horse Prix St. Georges Dressage Championship presented by The Dutta Corp. and Performance Sales International. In the Six-Year-Old...

The U.S. Endurance Team (Donna Shifflette) Newmarket, UK – A true championship test awaits some of the best endurance riders from around the world in Euston Park near Newmarket, Suffolk, UK for the Longines FEI World Endurance Championship. The 160-km race will take place on August 25 across the English countryside where riders will encounter heathland, forest tracks, river meadows, and open farmland. The United States will be represented by five riders, who aim to bring back both team...