Chester Weber and his team on course in the marathon. (Photo courtesy of PicsofYou.com) Ocala, FL - The motto on its show program, Chase Perfection, Catch Excellence perfectly encapsulated this year’s Live Oak International, March 20-23, at Live Oak Plantation in Ocala, FL, as history was made in U.S. National Four-in-Hand competition, Olympic Show Jumping champions converged, and Superbowl stars of both the commercial TV screen and stadium met in one superlative week of competition in...

Laura Lee Montross and Nairobi Nights (Sportfot) Wellington, Fla. - Laura Lee Montross, of Bedford, NY, took home another championship title with her own Nairobi Nights at the FTI WEF. The pair won the $5,000 Peggy Cone Adult Amateur Classic during World Championship Hunter Rider (WCHR) Week earlier this season at the FTI WEF, and followed up that win with a week ten division championship title in the Camping World Adult Amateur Hunter 51 & Over division on Friday morning. Nairobi Nights, a...

Elizabeth Faraci and Posh (Sportfot) Wellington, Fla. - Elizabeth Faraci, of Annapolis, MD, topped the Sylvester Center Adult Amateur 36-50 Hunter division on Sunday morning at the FTI WEF with Posh. At just five years old, Posh bested a field of experienced horses with two wins over fences and a second place finish in the hack. The reserve champion for the division was Sea Walker, owned and ridden by Nicole Oliynyk. Oliynyk and Sea Walker were sixth, fifth, sixth, and first over fences and...

Nayel Nassar and Lordan jump to a win in the $33,500 FEI HITS Desert Classic, presented by Zoetis, at HITS Thermal (Flying Horse Photography) Thermal, Calif. - It all came down to the gallop in the $33,500 FEI HITS Desert Classic, presented by Zoetis, at HITS Thermal on Thursday. With only two horses in the jump-off, Nayel Nassar put the speed of his nine-year-old Hanoverian gelding Lordan to the test and bested Bliss Heers by fractions of a second. Nassar of Santa Clara, California represents...

Spencer Smith and Beau Van Het Keysershof (Sportfot) Wellington, Fla. - Spencer Smith and Ashland Farm's Beau Van Het Keysershof, a 12-year-old Belgian Warmblood, topped the Platinum Performance USEF Show Jumping Talent Search on Friday morning at the FTI WEF. This was the second week in a row the pair collected the top prize for the class. Second place went to Victoria Colvin with Stallone VDL and the top three was rounded out by Lilly Ulrich and Vocus. The top ten riders over fences were...

Ashlee Bond Clarke is piloting a new mount at HITS Thermal in 2014 and made an impressive debut at HITS Thermal on Friday. She and Chela LS topped a field of 42 to win the $25,000 SmartPak Grand prix, presented by Zoetis.(Flying Horse Photography) Thermal, Calif . - Ashlee Bond Clarke of Hidden Hills, California rode to an “icing on the cake” win aboard Little Valley Farms’ Chela LS today at HITS Thermal. The $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Zoetis, was the first...

Part 2 in a five-part series about the exciting new discipline of western dressage More and more western riders are thinking about trying the exciting new discipline of western dressage. While the progressive training principles of dressage can be a benefit to any horse's development, riders will discover that trotting down the centerline of a dressage arena is a very different experience than they may be used to for a western pleasure or reining show. The first and most obvious difference...

Lexington, Ky. - Ten riders from across the country started the 2014 season off right as the first participants in the training sessions with U.S. Team Coach David O'Connor for the Eventing 18/Advancing Athletes program. Created in 2013 by the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) and United States Eventing Association (USEA), the goal of the program is to build a foundation of future horsemen and women that will hopefully go on to represent the United States. Selection into the...

Frederick Win in 2011 Saugerties CPEDI3* (Lindsay Yosay McCall) Oklahoma City, Okla. - USA Reining, together with the United States Para-Equestrian Association (USPEA) are pleased to announce that several established and well-known Para-Dressage athletes have signed on to cross over to the sport of Reining for the inaugural Para-Reining event at the 2013 AQHA World Championship Show in Oklahoma City, November 14 & 15. Included in the ranks are a two-time Paralympian, an American disabled...

USA Reining, together with the United States Para-Equestrian Association (USPEA) are pleased to announce that several established and well-known Para-Dressage athletes have signed on to cross over to the sport of Reining for the inaugural Para-Reining event at the 2013 AQHA World Championship Show in Oklahoma City, November 14 & 15. Included in the ranks are a two-time Paralympian, an American disabled veteran and a host of other dedicated riders, all hoping to give Reining a try as the...