Lexington, Ky. - Kentucky women seemed to claim home field advantage as they swept the top spots in the Satuday evening's Intermediate I Open Freestyle Championship. Angela Jackson earned her second national title of the day, this time aboard Kerrin Dunn's lovely Dutch Warmblood Allure S. Even though the mare wasn't feeling quite like her normal self on Thursday, when she entered the arena as the first combination down centerline for the class, "she rebounded and put her game face...

Lexington, Ky. - Perhaps no competitor had more fun with her performance than the Second Level Open Freestyle Champion Morgan Barrows (Monroe, Wash., Region 6) riding Janice Davis' Oldenburg gelding San Corazon. Their Billy Idol-themed freestyle was rewarded with a top score of 74.678%. "I had a blast! I want to go out there again," said Barrows, who has been partnered with her mount for less than a year. "I originally saw him at a friend's farm in Sweden when he was three. Later when...

Lexington, Ky. - Despite being only seven years old, the talented Oldenburg mare Elfenfeuer carried owner/rider Alice Tarjan of Frenchtown, N.J. (Region 8) to victory in the Grand Prix Adult Amateur Championship with 68.133% "We still have a lot to learn, but I think this level suits her and she's a good girl and tries hard," said Tarjan. "I haven't been here at the Horse Park since coming for a Pony Club event about 20 years ago, and it's absolutely gorgeous. These Finals are such...

Lexington, Ky. - Patti Blackmore (Louisiana, Mo., Region 4) placed third at last year's Finals in the First Level Adult Amateur division, and this year she improved upon that performance to claim the Second Level Adult Amateur Championship aboard her own Hanoverian gelding Rubico (by Rotspon). As the only combination to break seventy percent, they earned a decisive win with a total score of 71.905%. "I breathed a sigh of relief after our counter canter portion of the test," laughed...

Lexington, Ky. - Exciting head-to-head dressage competition got underway on Thursday at the US Dressage Finals presented by Adequan® in Lexington, KY, November 6 - 9, 2014. Nearly four hundred Adult Amateur and Open riders from Training Level to Grand Prix have come to the Kentucky Horse Park in their quests for national championship honors, and many of them made their final preparations today by competing in one of the multitude of open and warm-up USDF Dressage in the Bluegrass classes....

Asia Manning of HITS presents Augusta Iwasaki and Bit of Laughter with the $3,000 West Coast Pony Hunter Final awards, including the Cymraeg Rainshower Memorial Trophy (ESI Photography) Thermal, Calif. - Week I of the National Sunshine Series came to a close on Sunday afternoon as Augusta Iwasaki and Bit of Laughter took home first place in the $3,000 West Coast Pony Hunter Final. The pair, scoring 87 and 80 for a total 167, was presented with the iconic Cymraeg Rainshower Memorial Trophy,...

Lexington, Ky. – The United States Equestrian Federation’s Eventing 25 Program continued to identify and educate top up-and-coming riders in 2014. The comprehensive program incorporated all aspects of horsemanship in intensive winter training sessions, and continues education with Team Coach David O’Connor throughout the competition season helped riders reach new heights in the competition arena. Meghan O’Donoghue (Carbondale, Ill.) has excelled in the Eventing 25...

Lexington, Ky. - Sunny skies, rolling green fields, and the iconic four-board fences of the Kentucky Horse Park welcome the droves of horse vans arriving in Lexington, Ky. for this week's US Dressage Finals presented by Adequan®, a unique national head-to-head competition showcasing riders and horses competing for top honors at all dressage levels from Training to Grand Prix as well as musical freestyles. This year's competitor roster includes over 400 entries for the US Dressage...

Waco, Texas. - The National Collegiate Equestrian Association on Tuesday announced its latest national team rankings, as determined by the NCEA Selection Committee. At 6-0, Baylor remains the nation’s top-ranked team, while Kansas State is No. 2 with a 3-0 record. South Carolina, which defeated Southeastern Conference foe Texas A&M last Friday, is No. 3. Auburn, which was idle, is ranked No. 4. TCU, which defeated Big 12 Conference opponent Oklahoma State on Saturday, has moved up to...

Lexington, Ky. - The 2015 United States Equestrian Federation Dressage Tests have been published on USEF.org. The 2015 Tests will be effective December 1, 2014 through November 30, 2018. In addition to the 2015 USEF Dressage Test booklet, the USEF has collaborated with the United States Dressage Federation to produce the On the Levels app, which provides examples of the new Introductory through Fourth level dressage tests with commentary from top U.S. trainers and judges, with segments geared...