Gladstone, NJ – August 18, 2016 – Thursday was Derby Day at Monmouth at the Team with the $10,000 Monmouth at the Team Hunter Derby. The derby offered heights of 2’, 2’6” and 3’ with a Beval saddle awarded to the winner. Exhibitors and spectators enjoyed the derby as well as an evening of local New Jersey sustainable food hosted by The Nature Conservancy in the hospitality tent. Margot E. Peroni and Orlon Presentation (Sarah Harper/Phelps Media Group) Margot...

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - The second day of dressage competition at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games had sunshine beaming down on the Deodoro Olympic Equestrian Center as the remaining 30 athlete-and-horse combinations took to the main arena to perform the Grand Prix test, the first of two tests in team competition. The U.S. team, which held fourth place after the first day of competition on Wednesday, has moved into third in the team standings on an average of 76.971% after anchor riders Steffen...

Phillip Dutton and Mighty Nice (Shannon Brinkman Photo) Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - Cross-country, the heart of eventing competition, proved to be demanding for the 64 athlete-and-horse combinations who contested Pierre Michelet's technical course at the Olympic Equestrian Center at Deodoro on Monday. Only three entries finished double-clear, and only 26 crossed the finish without jumping penalties. U.S. veterans Phillip Dutton and Boyd Martin rode brilliantly and stand fifth and sixth,...

Laura Chapot and Quointreau Un Prince on their way to a $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix win. (ESI Photography) Saugerties, N.Y. - A big day of elite competition commenced with Friday’s $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix. An accomplished field of forty-five tested the course set by Mark McGowan of Kilmarnock, Great Britain, but only one could take home the blue ribbon. There is no slowing down when the Chapot’s are in town. Rider, Laura Chapot, and her mother and trainer, Mary Chapot, have been...

Sophie Michaels and Balouba (Kendal Bierer/PhelpsSports.com) Traverse City, Mich. - The first portion of the 2016 Great Lakes Equestrian Festival has drawn to a close and from those that came to compete in beautiful Traverse City, Michigan, the reviews are overwhelmingly positive for Morrissey Management Group's (MMG) second-year production. From excellent reviews for the upgraded footing to the wonderful hospitality and fabulous food in the VIP Tent, those that made the trip to the Upper...

Saturday Nights Lights events at the main International Arena at TIEC have attracted a large following. Mill Spring, N.C. - Mark Bellissimo, managing partner of Tryon Equestrian Partners, confirmed today that the Tryon International Equestrian Center (TIEC) in Mill Spring, N.C. is working with United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) to ensure that the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG) remain in North America and USEF has communicated its support of the initiative to the FEI for the 2018...

Laura Chapot and ISHD Dual Star on their way to a $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix win. (ESI Photography) Saugerties, N.Y. - Thirty-one riders and horses descended on the Grand Prix ring at HITS-on-the-Hudson for the fifth $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix of the season. The order-of-go was stacked with talent, including the likes of Kevin Babington and Manuel Torres ,but Neshanic Station, New Jersey equestrian Laura Chapot once again swooped in to steal away with not only the victory, but with second and...

I would describe today as a Between Day; somewhere between good and bad, and for my persona, somewhere varying between “sociably acceptable and bear with sore head and irritated butt”. There is a standing guideline within the British Military called the 1/3rd - 2/3rd Rule – of the time available, use 1/3rd for your own planning leaving 2/3rds for your subordinates. I think it works in reverse when preparing for the first arrival of horses, grooms, staff and OMG..they are...

Another day, another waste of time setting the alarm clock; a forlorn hope that I would make it to 5:30 a.m. There are still many loose ends to sort so the “get your lazy arse (aka butt) out of bed” side of my brain is winning the nightly joust with the “go on..be a lazy walrus” side of the aforementioned, alcohol preserved grey matter: I will not pretend that I am not extremely nervous about the arrival of the horse flights and also how we are going to make the...

Saugerties, N.Y. - The final week of spring shows in Saugerties, New York, kicked off with Wednesday’s $10,000 Brook Ledge Open Welcome at HITS-on-the-Hudson III. After snagging the win in last week’s $15,000 KindredBio Open Jumper Prix, Jeffery Welles of Wellington, Florida, returned to the Grand Prix Stadium to capture another victory. This time, the winning title came aboard Freestyle 3, owned by Juan Bancalari. “This was my fourth time showing this horse, so I was very...