Jared Petersen and Titus 2:11 were the only pair to ride double clear on Sunday and it earned them the victory in the $50,000 HITS Grand Prix, presented by Zoetis, at HITS Ocala this weekend (ESI Photography) Ocala, FL – Jared Petersen and Hayley Waters both shined as up-and-coming junior riders and are beginning to leave their mark on grand prix competition as well. Petersen and Waters went one-two in the $50,000 HITS Grand Prix, presented by Zoetis, this weekend. Success at the highest...

Despite CoCo just being nine-years-old, she jumped to a win in the $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Zoetis, at HITS Ocala with Scott Keach in the saddle. Keach plans to start pointing the mare to more grand prix and is very pleased with how she has been performing lately (ESI Photography) Ocala, FL – Scott Keach could not have been happier with the way his young horse performed yesterday in the $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Zoetis at HITS Ocala. The Australia native,...

Quotable and Holly Orlando (Anne Gittins Photography) Wellington, FL - Quotable and Holly Orlando were named champions of the Sanctuary Regular Conformation Hunter division during the second day of competition for week four of the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF). Orlando and Quotable have been a formidable pair since the beginning of the FTI WEF, collecting Green Conformation Hunter Champion titles four weeks in a row and earning championship and reserve titles in the...

The Western Dressage world is abuzz with dressage talk. The hot topic of the moment seems to be progressive training, especially as it has to do with pyramids and scales. Pyramids are extremely stable structures that rely on strong, broad foundations and which rise to a point, a pinnacle if you will that represents a point of focus. Without the foundation, the pyramid loses strength. The intrinsic nature of the structure itself necessitates culmination in a point. The pyramid is the perfect...

Lexington, KY – The United States Equestrian Federation Board of Directors, at its recent Annual Meeting, considered three applications for USEF Heritage Competition status. The Roanoke Valley Horse Show, the Norfolk Hunt Horse Show and the Dressage at Devon Horse Show were granted the highest honor currently held by Federation horse shows. The designation of a USEF Heritage Competition is reserved for competitions that have been in existence for a quarter-century or more, promoted and...

Lexington, KY - USA Equestrian Trust has awarded $95,000 in grants to help fund four more equine projects as part of a historic year of grant-giving for the foundation. The awards come on top of nearly $240,000 awarded in May to 11 equine non-profits. The Trust's volunteer leadership approved an expansion of the program earlier this year, offering a second grant application period for the first time in the foundation's history. The organization saw even greater need from interested...

Connor Husain is the recipient of the 2012 Amanda Warrington Grant from the USET Foundation. (Shannon Brinkman) Gladstone, NJ - The United States Equestrian Team Foundation is pleased to announce that it has awarded the 2012 Amanda Warrington Grant to Eventing rider Connor Husain of The Plains, VA, the first male rider to win this prestigious grant. The Amanda Warrington Grant is awarded through the USET Foundation Amanda Pirie Warrington Fund. Earlier this year, Husain won the North American...

2012 is nearly over. Show season is winding down and Western dressage organizations are gathering feedback from judges and competitors alike about tests, rules, shows and all things western dressage. Late fall is time for annual meetings for everyone and WD is on agendas all over the country. NAWD and WDAA are busy analyzing data and perfecting tests and rulebooks before the 2013 show season starts so more news will be coming from these fronts very soon. USEF and USDF will have more information...

The seventeenth in a series of guest blog posts from Michelle Binder Last weekend we attended the second Western Dressage classes held here in the Inland Northwest. We rode the NAWD tests through Level 4. The tests are wonderful and the dressage spectators were very interested in how the WD tests are both similar and different from the USEF tests ridden in the USDF shows. The judge was super and even though the day was very long for her, very positive about the work saying "I enjoyed judging...

Pessoa/US Hunter Seat Equitation Medal Finals Presentation. (Al Cook) Harrisburg, PA - Meg O'Mara of Rumson, NJ, bested a field of 257 junior riders to win the prestigious Pessoa/US Hunter Seat Equitation Medal Finals, presented by Randolph College, at the 67th Annual Pennsylvania National Horse Show on Sunday. It was an emotional time for O'Mara. The announcer just finished naming Lillie Keenan of New York, NY, the Reserve Champion. When she realized that the Championship title was...