Harrie Smolders & Regina Z (Stefano Grasso/LGCT) Valkenswaard, The Netherlands - The evening CSI5* 1.50m class at Longines Global Champions Tour of Valkenswaard was won by the master of faster Harrie Smolders (NED) and his feisty mare Regina Z, who raced to the top of the class from early in the draw finishing in an unbeatable time of 38.19s. Second went to Constant van Paesschen (BEL) who is hitting form again this season having collected a 3rd this morning. This time the young star rode a...

Hickstead, United Kingdom - The first half of CDIO3* Hickstead’s FEI Nations Cup competition came to a close on Friday with the conclusion of the FEI Grand Prix Test. The U.S. team of Brian Hafner, Katherine Bateson-Chandler, Lisa Wilcox, and Susie Dutta stand fourth on a score 203.160 heading into Saturday’s Grand Prix Special, which will determine the remaining 50% of team classification. Brian Hafner riding Lombardo LHF (Peter Martin-Turner/ Spidge Photo for Shannon Brinkman...

The victorious U.S. team. (Samantha Lamb) Hickstead, England - The USA team rode out as the winners of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ of Great Britain, held Friday at the All England Jumping Course, Hickstead. The quartet of McLain Ward (Rothchild), Reed Kessler (Cylana), Margie Goldstein-Engle (Royce) and Beezie Madden (Cortes C) led from the start in Friday's feature class of the Longines Royal International Horse Show. After the first round, they were the only nation to finish on a...

The winning U.S. Team in Hickstead (FEI/ Action Images) Hickstead, United Kingdom - The Hermès U.S. Show Jumping Team produced another impressive performance in Nations Cup competition on Friday. Two weeks after jumping to a second-place finish in the Mercedes-Benz FEI Nations Cup at CSIO5* Aachen, the United States went one better to win the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup of Great Britain presented by Longines at CSIO5* Hickstead. Led by Chef d’Equipe Robert Ridland, the team of McLain...

Shane Sweetnam and Bijzonder (Rebecca Walton/Phelps Media Group) Lexington, Ky. - Ireland's Shane Sweetnam is well known for helping produce top young mounts, and Thursday he showed how it is done with the 8-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding Bijzonder. When seven horses go double clear in the $25,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic, the only way to win is with speed, and although Bijzonder is just learning to go fast, he clearly has a knack for it. Sweetnam sped across the finish line two seconds...

Hickstead, United Kingdom - The U.S. produced determined performances in Grand Prix competition on Thursday at CDIO3* Hickstead. Brian Hafner and Susie Dutta, who make up half of the American Nations Cup effort, currently stand second and ninth, respectively, after the first of two days of Grand Prix competition. Hafner (Penngrove, Calif.) and his own and Rebecca Hafner’s 15-year-old Hanoverian gelding, Lombardo LHF, scored 68.800% from the Ground Jury of Karin Kruger, Wojtek Markowski,...

William Funnell and Billy Angelo (Samantha Lamb) Hickstead, England - Local rider William Funnell has won plenty at Hickstead over the years, and Thursday he added another title to his collection on day three of the Longines Royal International Horse Show at Hickstead (29 July – 3 August). Riding Billy Angelo, William took the feature class of the afternoon – the Bunn Leisure Trophy. Drawn exactly half way through the 50-strong class, William jumped an immaculate clear first round...

Lexington, Ky. - The United States has high hopes of strong finishes in European CSIO5* Nations Cup competition this week, as they field teams in both Hickstead, England, and Gijon, Spain. In Friday’s Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup of Great Britain presented by Longines at CSIO5* Hickstead, the U.S. sends a veteran team into competition. McLain Ward, Reed Kessler, Margie Engle, and Beezie Madden look to showcase the form that earned them spots on the Hermès U.S. Show Jumping Short List...

Chris Ewanouski and Cortina (Rebecca Walton/Phelps Media Group) Lexington, Ky. - All eyes were on the up-and-coming horses of the future in the Rolex Stadium today as they vied for winning honors in the 7 & 8-Year-Old Jumpers and the 6-Year-Old Jumpers. Chris Ewanouski captured the first blue ribbon with his 8-year-old mount Cortina, while amateur rider Joyce Green piloted Cassidy to the top prize in the 6-Year-Old Jumpers. Great Britain's Richard Jeffries designed the track for the 7...

Upper Marlboro, Md. - The Capital Challenge Horse Show (CCHS), presented by The Gochman Family, is pleased to announce that its 2014 prize list has been mailed out and the PDF is now available for download on the official horse show website www.capitalchallenge.org. In addition to the entry blank, also available for download are: the feed and bedding pre-order forms; stabling request forms; and the schedule of events. The Capital Challenge Horse Show will celebrate its 21st anniversary this...