The twentieth in a series of guest blog posts from Michelle Binder This week is all about news, news and more news. Never a dull moment in Western Dressage! This just out via a press release from WDAA: “The WDAA has been guided throughout by the leadership, strategy, and policies of its Board of Directors and Advisory Board, both of which are volunteer positions and provide their services without funding. Each are comprised of distinguished professionals from all facets of the equine...

Toronto, ON – They don’t call him “The Flying Frenchman” for nothing. Two-time defending Canadian Show Jumping Champion Yann Candele (Caledon, ON), took the initial round of the Greenhawk Canadian Show Jumping Championships tonight in the Royal Horse Show, positioning himself well heading into tomorrow evening's final. Although Candele incurred four time-penalties when Game Ready lowered the height of the sixth fence, he was still able to post an impressively quick...

Temecula, CA - Michael Pollard, of Dalton, Ga., rode Schoensgreen Hanni to a narrow lead in the dressage phase of the CCI3* at the Galway Downs International Three-Day Event. Scoring 46.4 penalties, Pollard just eclipsed Phillip Dutton on Atlas (47.0). Hawley Bennett-Awad stands a close third on Five O’Clock Somewhere (48.2) and McKenna Shea is fourth on Landioso (48.4). “I was happy. It was probably the best dressage test we’ve done at a CCI. [We] just had a little bobble in...

Temecula, CA - The Galway Downs International Three-Day event got underway this morning with the first horse inspection for the four divisions, followed by dressage for 30 of the 49 starters in the CCI1*. Competition continues on Friday with the completion of the CCI1* dressage, before all the horses in the training three-day event, the CCI2* and the featured CCI3* perform in the dressage ring. The early leader in the CCI1* is Julie Flettner, of Petaluma, Calif., on Ping Pong, who scored 42.5...

AMHA Youth of the Year Ellery Walker (Howard Schatzberg) Shelburne, VT - The 2012 American Morgan Horse Association (AMHA) Youth of the Year Contest took place at this year's Grand National & World Championship Morgan Horse Show®, held October 6-13 at the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds in Oklahoma City. It is with great enthusiasm that AMHA honors Ellery Walker of Marshall, Michigan, as its 2012 Youth of the Year winner, and Rebecca Jones of Efland, North Carolina, as the reserve...

Cylana and Reed Kessler. (Shawn McMillen Photography) Washington, D.C. - Eighteen-year-old U.S. Olympian Reed Kessler added yet another accolade to her impressive year with a win in the $100,000 President's Cup Grand Prix, presented by Events DC, at the 54th annual Washington International Horse Show (WIHS). A FEI World Cup Qualifier, Kessler topped an impressive list of international competitors aboard her phenomenal mare Cylana to win in her first time competing in the class....

Elizabeth Benson and San Remo VDL. (Shawn McMillen Photography) Washington D.C. - The 2012 WIHS Equitation Finals concluded Saturday evening with an exciting win for 18-year-old Elizabeth Benson of Whitehouse Station, NJ. Benson rode San Remo VDL, a twelve-year-old Latvian Warmblood gelding by Sudanas, through the first two phases of competition, finishing with a score of 89.33 in the hunter phase and a 91.17 point total in the jumper phase. Returning for the final work-off sitting in first...

Temecula, CA — A decorated field of riders and horses will be vying for the top prizes at the Galway Downs International Three-Day Event Nov. 1-4, with three Olympians competing in the CCI3*, as well as the 2011 defending champion and a Pan Am games gold medalist. Equine Insurance of California, Land Rover Professional’s Choice and the Professional Riders Organization are the presenting sponsors of the Galway Downs International Three-Day Event. A portion of all tickets sales will...

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...

Chicago VH Moleneind and Olivier Philippaerts clearing the seven-foot wall. (Shawn McMillen Photography) Washington, D.C - The 54th annual Washington International Horse Show (WIHS) continued on Friday, October 26, with a full day of hunter, jumper and equitation competition at Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. The $25,000 Open Jumper Puissance was the highlight class of the evening with a win for 19-year-old Belgian rider Olivier Philippaerts and Chicago VH Moleneind. ? Nick Dello Joio and...