The sixth in a series of guest blog posts from Michelle Binder When on a horse, I wear a riding helmet. My students wear riding helmets. I ride and show western and dressage. The helmet/hat quandary, style vs. safety, the tradition or common sense conversation is therefore a subject near and dear to my heart. On March 22, 2012, I went into the hay barn to get a bale of hay to feed lunch in the barn. To make a long story short, despite my usual care in tipping bales, as I turned to leave the...

Mary McCormick & Palatine (MacMillan Photography) Lexington, KY - Sixteen vaulters from around the U.S. visited the Kentucky Horse Park over the past weekend to compete in the CVI Kentucky and North American Young Riders Vaulting Challenge. CVIJ 2*, CVI 2*, and CVI 3* competitions were all held. In the 3* competition a familiar face finished atop the women’s division; Mary McCormick (Woodside, CA) scored 8.041 (she was the only vaulter to score above 8) on the Sydney Frankel owned...

Victoria New and Fleeceworks Mystere du Val, Individual Gold medalists in Junior Eventing (Brant Gamma Photography) Lexington, KY - The Adequan/FEI North American Junior & Young Rider Championship concluded competition today after an extremely successful week. Eventing was the highlight with riders completing their stadium jumping phase to determine team and individual medalists. Five disciplines (a total of 9 championships for juniors and young riders) took part in the only FEI...

Mary Jordan speaking to campers at USOC Olympic Day Photo courtesy Saco Parks & Recreation Department in Saco, Maine Saco, ME - As the London Olympics/Paralympics approach athletes have been promoting and creating awareness of this spectacular event. On June 29, 2012, the Official USA Olympic Day occurred where hundreds of Olympians and Paralympians participated around the country in interactive and informative public speaking events. Created by the United States Olympic Committee (USOC),...

Zana Wofsi and Taylor Schmidt. Traverse City, MI - July 22, 2012 - Even though Taylor Schmidt has only been competing in the jumper ranks for little more than a year, when she went into the ring to jump off for the $7,500 NAL Low Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic she had confidence in her mare Zana Wofsi. Knowing that Wofsi's strength is turning, Schmidt said she made her winning plan with the knowledge that they could master Michel Vallaincourt's jump-off test. He challenged riders...

Caitlyn Shiels and S&L Downtown finished first in the Six, Seven and Eight-Year-Old Young Jumper class during the opening week of the Vermont Summer Festival in East Dorset, VT. (David Mullinix Photography) East Dorset, VT – The next generation of grand prix horses took center stage during the first three weeks of the 2012 Vermont Summer Festival horse show, running July 4 through August 12 at Harold Beebe Farm in East Dorset, VT. Five-Year-Old, Six-Year-Old and Seven and...

Bromont, July 22, 2012 - Nicolas Dello Joio completes the only double clear round of the BonjourQuébec.com World Cup qualifying event at the International Bromont today, Sunday July 22. A high-caliber event The course, designed by Venezuelan Leopoldo Palacios, was made up of 13 obstacles for 16 efforts, including 3 double combinations (2 jumps counting as one). The time allowed of 80 seconds proved to be a handicap for many riders who did not make it to the jump-off. Of the 26...

Lexington, KY - As the day continued on Saturday for the 2012 Adequan/FEI North American Junior & Young Rider Championships presented by Gotham North (NAJYRC), more gold medalists were crowned. Brandi Roenick and Weltino's Magic had the highest score to capture the Dressage Young Rider Freestyle Championship, while Canadian rider Laurence Blais Tetreault and Pissaro were gold medalists in the junior division. The dressage is sponsored by Platinum Performance and the United States...

Abigail McArdle (Zone 5) aboard Cosma 20 take the Gold medal in the Junior Individual Show Jumping (Sportfot) Lexington, KY - The show jumpers and reiners finished today by naming two new individual gold medalists each at the 2012 Adequan/FEI North American Junior & Young Rider Championships presented by Gotham North (NAJYRC), which conclude tomorrow at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY. Kilian McGrath and Abigail McArdle took gold in the Young Rider and Junior Show Jumping divisions...

Leslie Howard et Lennox Lewis 2 Credit Normand St-Jacques Bromont - American rider Leslie Howard, who won the first FEI Open Jumper 1m50 this week, presented by the Ministère de l'Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport, enjoys victory again in the Desjardins Speed Derby, winning with a comfortable six-second margin. A high-energy course The Speed Derby's course, built in two rings, added a challenge for the horses by using the walkway to cross over. Twenty-two horse/rider teams...