Andres Rodriguez and Caballito wore a target on their backs throughout the Ridge at Wellington 1.40m Invitational Grand Prix IV at Mida Farm, riding to the victory with a speedy double-clear effort. (Emily Riden/Phelps Media Group) Wellington, FL - Andres Rodriquez and Caballito soared through the jump-off in Friday's class in The Ridge at Wellington's $175,000 1.40m Invitational Grand Prix series in a blazing time of 31.475 seconds. The first to go clean around the immaculate Top's...

Quotable and Holly Orlando (Anne Gittins Photography) Wellington, FL - Quotable and Holly Orlando were named champions of the Sanctuary Regular Conformation Hunter division during the second day of competition for week four of the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF). Orlando and Quotable have been a formidable pair since the beginning of the FTI WEF, collecting Green Conformation Hunter Champion titles four weeks in a row and earning championship and reserve titles in the...

The Western Dressage world is abuzz with dressage talk. The hot topic of the moment seems to be progressive training, especially as it has to do with pyramids and scales. Pyramids are extremely stable structures that rely on strong, broad foundations and which rise to a point, a pinnacle if you will that represents a point of focus. Without the foundation, the pyramid loses strength. The intrinsic nature of the structure itself necessitates culmination in a point. The pyramid is the perfect...

Wellington, FL - The 1.40m $175,000 Grand Prix Invitational Series continued at The Ridge at Wellington on Friday, January 18. The 10-class series culminates in a $24,750 Grand Prix series finale on March 23, 2013. The second class of the series premiered at the Ridge at Wellington on Friday, January 18, with Laura Kraut and Maranonis Is taking the victory. Rodriguez and Elatrice captured the top prize and $15,000 in the first week of the series, yet did not have the same luck this week. The...

Connor Husain is the recipient of the 2012 Amanda Warrington Grant from the USET Foundation. (Shannon Brinkman) Gladstone, NJ - The United States Equestrian Team Foundation is pleased to announce that it has awarded the 2012 Amanda Warrington Grant to Eventing rider Connor Husain of The Plains, VA, the first male rider to win this prestigious grant. The Amanda Warrington Grant is awarded through the USET Foundation Amanda Pirie Warrington Fund. Earlier this year, Husain won the North American...

Saer Coulter with bay gelding, Springtime, during their performance in the Double H Farm $75,000 Open Jumper class at the CSI4*-W 2012 Alltech National Horse Show (Shawn McMillen Photography/Rolex) The Rolex One to Watch for November 2012 is awarded to Saer Coulter (USA), who trains at Copernicus Stables LLC, California (USA). During the month of September, the 21-year-old jumped from 294th to 209th – a move up the Rolex Rankings of 85 places. Coulter was born in New Orleans, Louisiana...

Lucy Deslauriers and Center Field. (Shawn McMillen Photography) Washington D.C. - Later in the afternoon, young riders competed in the WIHS Pony Equitation Finals with a win for 13-year-old Lucy Deslauriers, of New York, NY, aboard GC Ponies’ Center Field. Deslauriers was presented The Jane Marshall Dillon Memorial Perpetual Trophy, donated by the friend and students of Mrs. Jane Marshall Dillon. She scored an 87 over fences and came out on top after the work-off under saddle. Charlise...

Good Times and Ailish Cunniffe. (Shawn McMillen Photography) Washington D.C. - The Junior Hunter divisions concluded their second day of competition on Friday morning with the presentation of championship awards at WIHS. Fifteen-year-old Ailish Cunniffe, of South Salem, NY, and Whipstick Farm Ltd.’s Good Times were awarded the Grand Junior Hunter Championship, sponsored by Roseknoll Sporthorse and Victoria Holstein-Childress. Cunniffe and Good Times were presented The Ides of March...

Shane Sweetnam of Ireland and Cyklon 1083 win the Gambler's Choice. (Al Cook) Shane Sweetnam of Ireland won the exciting $10,000 Open Jumper Gambler's Choice on Western Night at the 67th Annual Pennsylvania National Horse Show Wednesday evening. As the last rider to go, Sweetnam realized his only chance for victory was to risk it all with Cyklon 1083, owned by Spy Coast Farm, by jumping the "Double or Nothing" fence. The Gambler's Choice was an electrifying class where each jump was...

Pessoa/US Hunter Seat Equitation Medal Finals Presentation. (Al Cook) Harrisburg, PA - Meg O'Mara of Rumson, NJ, bested a field of 257 junior riders to win the prestigious Pessoa/US Hunter Seat Equitation Medal Finals, presented by Randolph College, at the 67th Annual Pennsylvania National Horse Show on Sunday. It was an emotional time for O'Mara. The announcer just finished naming Lillie Keenan of New York, NY, the Reserve Champion. When she realized that the Championship title was...