Donna Ponessa (West Windsor, NY) had a long time to wait before she was able to make her debut at the 2012 Paralympic Games. But she made it worth the wait as she piloted Wes Dunham’s Western Rose to a score of 70.235% in front of the Ground Jury of Kjell Myhre, Sarah Rodger, Gudrun Hofinga, Freddy Leyman and Anne Prain. Riding in Grade 1a competition, Ponessa produced a steady, rhythmic test with the 9-year-old Oldenburg mare to earn fifth place. Western Rose is well Donna Ponessa and...

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...

Steffen Peters and Ravel (Shannon Brinkman) Greenwich, UK - The four American horses presented before the Dressage Ground Jury in the main arena at the 2012 Olympic Games painted a picture of healthy composure. A mixture of experience and youth will represent the United States when the Dressage competition gets underway on Thursday with the Grand Prix. Ten teams and 20 individual will be representing their countries. The U.S. has drawn sixth. The four grooms, veterinarian Dr. Rick Mitchell,...

Layla Choate and Plus One Chex (Waltenberry Photography) Oklahoma City, OK - Youth reiners in three age groups competed in the USEF National Youth Reining Championships at the NRHA Derby in Oklahoma City Saturday evening. Layla Choate, Elizabeth Cosper, and Karl Johnson left the Adequan Arena with titles. In the 19-21 age division there was no lack of drama. When competition ended with Layla Choate (Hazel, KY) and Plus One Chex and Michael Pope (Theodore, AL) and Whizota locked in a tie at the...

I knew, when accepting this job in December, 2011 that I was under-qualified. My writing credentials are fine enough, I have editing experience, a media background, and a good education. My deficiency was that I knew very little about horses and even less about equestrian sports. Compared to my USEF colleagues, I was in a state of almost complete ignorance. I’ve twice been on group trail rides in western Colorado. Adding that to the rest of my riding experience I’d been on a horse...

Makhnificent KA For thirty years Kehilan Arabians, owned and operated by the Rogers family and their associate Janice Bush, has produced a splendid and special Egyptian Arabian horse. In a show world where over 95% of all the American Egyptian Arabian horses bred and shown are heavily line-bred Nazeer, the Kehilan bloodline is much more focused on one of the original EAO outcrosses for Nazeer: Sameh. In the 1970’s the Sameh-bred horses that did show were superstars of the national show...

Steffen Peters & "Legolas 92" were presented with a HorseShow.com dress sheet by judge Mary Seefried for winning today's CDI Grand Prix Test (Jennifer M. Keeler) Burbank, CA - West Coast riders continued their journeys toward qualification for the Olympic Games today in San Juan Capistrano, CA at the Festival of the Horse CDI 3*/Y/J Presented By HorseShow.com. An international field of 41 CDI horses vied for critical qualifying scores in the Grand Prix, Intermediaire I, Young Rider, and...

Caroline Roffman and Pie (Susan J. Stickle) Wellington, FL - Caroline Roffman, resplendent in a green top hat in honor of St. Patrick's Day, rode Pie to victory in Intermediare 1 at the $15,000 Wellington Dressage Classic CDI***, presented by the Chesapeake Dressage Institute, held March 15-18 at the Global Dressage Festival (GDF)Stadium show grounds in Wellington, FL. Fifteen horse and rider combinations from seven different countries competed in the Global Dressage Festival's large...

Wellington, FL - Canadian Paralympic competitor Lauren Barwick and her mount Off To Paris had a stellar day of competition the $15,000 Wellington Dressage Classic CDI***, presented by the Chesapeake Dressage Institute, held March 15-18 at the Global Dressage Festival (GDF)Stadium show grounds in Wellington, FL. Barwick was an avid equestrian from a young age, growing up riding in Pony Club, three-day eventing, fox hunting, and competing in jumpers. In 2000, a one-hundred-pound bale of hay fell...

2011 AHA Distance Horse of the Year is No Accident Aurora, CO – OT Sara Moniet RSI (Rave On Ravenwood x OT Dysara RSI), a 2004 dark chestnut owned by M.A. “Crockett” Dumas of Escalante, Utah was named the Arabian Horse Association (AHA) 2011 Distance Horse of the Year, adding one more award to a long list of 2011 accomplishments. “Sara” covered 1,675 competition miles in 2011, completing 31 of 31 rides with 10 overall wins and 9 Best Conditions. The 7 year-old mare...