Day One at the 2012 Olympic Games It’s been crazy as I landed from one fire (NAJYRC) into another - trying to get my brain to switch over and into Games mode. So far it has been great. Considering it started by me flying from Lexington to Chicago to Boston to Washington, DC to London in one day. It’s a complicated story without a really logical explanation but ground stops in Chicago = desperate. The UNITED staff couldn’t have been more accommodating and they worked it out...

Laura Kraut and Cedric earned the second place award in the €200.000 1.60m Longines Grand Prix Port of Rotterdam. (Erin Cowgill) Rotterdam, The Netherlands - The stakes were high on Sunday, June 24, as the Longines GrandPrix Port of Rotterdam got under way. For many of the competitors it was the final opportunity to qualify for the 2012 London Olympics. The USA's Laura Kraut and Cedric stole the spotlight as their success continued from their victory earlier in the week in the € 23,000...

Cardi (Team Cardi LLC) Welsh Cob stallion North Forks Cardi recently piaffed and passaged his way to four impressive wins in Intermediaire II classes at the Festival of the Horse and the Golden State Dressage Show. Competing against all breeds in a field traditionally dominated by warmblood horses, this eleven year old Welsh Cob stallion, standing 14.3 1/2 hands high, produced his best ever score of 67% and also qualified for the Grand Prix Freestyle, earning a 62% for their Grand Prix ride....

The $75,000 FEI Nations Cup presented by G&C Farm doesn’t start for another 8 hours but everything is already in full swing at Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. Horses and riders are busy jumping in every ring and many of the riders that will compete tonight are busy schooling and competing their younger and greener prospects. I saw Pan American double gold medalist Chris McCrea jumping a classy looking 8-year-old owned by her mother Candy Tribble earlier this morning. I...

The Gold United States Para-Equestrian Team (Pictured Left to Right: Pam Lane, Chef d'equipe Missy Ransehousen, Rebecca Hart, Erin Alberda, Mary Jordan, and in front is Donna Ponessa). Photo: Hope Hand/USPEA. Lexington, KY - The U.S. Para-Equestrian Team continued to make strides in qualifying for the 2012 Paralympic Games by winning Team Gold at the 2011 Melbourne CPEDI3* held in conjunction with the Saddle World Dressage Festival. The U.S. was represented by Donna Ponessa, Becca Hart, Erin...

Isabelle Leibler and Watson 108 National Young Rider Dressage Championships. Photo: SusanJStickle.com. Lexington, KY - Isabelle Leibler and Watson 108 performed flawlessly Friday while representing the U.S. at the FEI Young Rider World Cup Dressage Final Grand Prix, and are moving forward to the B Final on Sunday in the Freestyle. "We were mistake free and I finished the first day very proud of myself and of Watson for staying focused throughout the exciting distractions," Leibler said. "The...

Since my last correspondence, we have experienced many fabulous events here in Conty! The opening ceremonies certainly did not disappoint anyone as several breeds were displayed. There were two Spanish riding horses moving in unison with music and a lovely, young French woman working at liberty with a single horse. A lively ensemble of horns and drums kept the crowd in beat and alert during much of the presentation. We were even treated to a woman and her border collie herding a flock of geese,...

The North American Young Rider’s Championship was a great success! Everyone (myself included) seemed to have a great time, and the endurance Basecamp was full of positive things to say about the Horse Park and staff. Though it was hot, everyone was in great spirits, and the 75 mile race went as well as anyone could have hoped. I only got to see 55 miles of the trail, but what I saw of it, I loved. It was an amazing experience to ride parts of the WEG course, and see some of the beautiful...

Steffen Peters and Ravel Sunday at CHIO Aachen (Photo: Ken Braddick/dressage-news.com). Aachen, Germany – Team USA wrapped up the 2011 World Equestrian Festival CHIO in Aachen, Germany with more strong performances, including a second place finish for Steffen Peters and Ravel in the Grand Prix Freestyle CDIO and a win for show jumper McLain Ward on Rothchild. Peters and Ravel, owned by Akiko Yamazki and Four Winds Farm, stepped up their game today and gave the best dressage horse in the...

Lexington, KY - The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) is teaming up with the USEF Saddle Seat Equitation World Cup Committee to celebrate the U.S. Saddle Seat Equitation World Cup Team's accomplishments during the 2010 Saddle Seat World Cup Competition held in Shelbyville, KY, last September. A special luncheon will be held to provide awareness about the Saddle Seat Equitation World Cup Program. Guests will be able to meet team members who have participated in prior years and learn...