Gladstone, NJ – After a four day battle, the rain finally won at the 2009 Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Dressage Festival of Champions, and collectively the Ground Jury and the management decided that, in the best interest of the horses, the competition was suspended after the Young Riders rode first thing Sunday morning. This meant that Leslie Morse was crowned USEF National Grand Prix Champion for the fifth time. Morse GP Raymeister (SusanJStickle.com) and her beloved 15-year-old Swedish...

Gladstone, NJ - The rain just couldn’t help itself. After a dry day on Friday, the 2009 Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Dressage Festival of Champions at the USET Foundation Headquarters – like much of the rest of the country, was again, drenched. The Grand Prix Freestyle, which was expected to be the highlight of the weekend – didn’t disappoint. But Adrienne Lyle surprised a few (including herself) by ending up on top of the leader board with Wizard. “Basically,...

Jocelyn Wiese and Lamborghini (Susan J. Stickle Photography ) By Joanie Morris Gladstone, NJ – Under the banner of a chilly relentless rain, the 2009 Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Dressage Festival of Champions got underway on Thursday, June 18. The “Brentina Cup” Riders (aged 20-28) were the first of five groups of horses and riders vying for National Championships titles. The nine “Brentina Cup” Riders were the only division to get a performance in as the rest of...

Six-year-old Bijoux, owned by Janet Rolfs and ridden by Missy Fladland, is off to a phenomenal start to her young dressage career. Among her many honors, her most recent victory includes taking the reserve champion title at the Markel/USEF Young Horse Dressage Central Selection Trials. The young Hanoverian mare (Bugatti Hilltop x Whimiscal L), bred by Margaret Drury, started her performance career only a year and a half ago as a coming five-year-old in the fall of 2007. After seven months of...

Starlight, the stunning black Oldenburg stallion owned by Rick Rockefeller-Silvia’s Dream Street Stallions, is now in Europe under the tutelage of Karin Rehbein where he is sure to wow European fans with his amazing movement and outstanding looks. Prior to returning to Europe, Starlight won rave reviews from judges at Devon when he was crowned Devon’s Grand Champion Stallion in 2008. “Starlight has had an illustrious career so far—multiple Horse of The Year titles, the Championship at...

The tension is mounting as the Meydan FEI Nations Cup™ series arrives in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, this week. This event marks the halfway stage of the team challenge, which pits 10 great show jumping nations against each other in an eight-leg battle for survival in the premiership of the sport. The USA holds the lead after scoring a superb back-to-back double at Rome and St Gallen over the past few weeks, but the pressure continues, and there is no time to rest on their laurels as they face...

Dave and Dena Lopez, of Double D Ranch, LLC, are taking the slogan of the United Professional Horsemen's Association (UPHA) to another level as they are planning a special fundraising event for the UPHA Dewey Henderson Benevolent Fund. This IRS 501(c)(3) fund was established in memory of long-time horseman, Dewey Henderson, to benefit UPHA members in need because of health issues, fires, theft, injury or accidents. Only 200 tickets will be sold for the “Kentucky brunch” prepared by Chef Cameron...

The Arabian horse industry’s largest event for youth, the Youth National Arabian and Half-Arabian Championship Horse Show, moves into Expo New Mexico in Albuquerque, July 25-August 1, 2009. The eight-day event combines top-level equine competition in a variety of disciplines with daily youth activities and a shopping expo, bringing approximately $10.2 million to the city. Nearly 1,000 horses from across the U.S. and Canada will compete each day from 7:30 a.m. to about 10 p.m. in everything from...

The Kentucky Summer Horse Shows are just around the corner. Held at the beautiful Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, the Kentucky Summer Horse Show is scheduled for the week of July 22-26, with the Kentucky Summer Classic following the week of July 29-August 2, 2009. These two weeks of hunter/jumper competition are a main stop for exhibitors on the hunter/jumper circuit, attracting the very best horses and riders in the nation. The Kentucky Summer Classic is a World Championship Hunter Rider...

Five New Champions to be Named in Gladstone (Amy McCool) By Joanie Morris Lexington, KY – Five United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) National Champions will be crowned next week (June 18-21) in Gladstone, NJ at the 2009 Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Dressage Festival of Champions. The competition annually showcases the best dressage horses and riders in the country in the following FEI categories: Junior, Young Rider, Young Adult ‘Brentina Cup’, Intermediaire and Grand Prix....