Todd Minikus and Quality Girl on their way to a $75,000 UlcerGuard Grand Prix win. (ESI Photography) Saugerties, N.Y. - As the curtain closed on the HITS Saugerties Summer Series, thirty-five horses and riders turned out for Sunday’s $75,000 UlcerGuard Grand Prix for a shot at the money. The field consisted of Olympians and world-cup finalists, in addition to talented juniors and amateurs, but only one could claim the top title. Twelve advanced to the shortened course set by Mark McGowan...

Maggie Jayne and Frosted Blue win the $25,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby at the Chicago Festival of the Horse (Allyson Lagiovane/Phelps Media Group) Wayne, Ill. - The final day of World Championship Hunter Rider week at the Chicago Festival of the Horse began differently than most. David Cormalleth played tribute to the late Russel Frey with a rendition of "Amazing Grace" on the bagpipes before riders in the $25,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby entered the Grand Prix arena to compete...

Kelley Farmer and Baltimore on their way to a $100,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby win. (ESI Photography) Saugerties, N.Y. - Summer’s highly anticipated stop on the HITS USHJA International Hunter Derby Tour made its appearance at HITS-on-the-Hudson. Hunter royalty descended on the Grand Prix Ring at HITS Saugerties to compete for a sweet slice of the prestigious payday. Kelley Farmer has worn the crown in the first three HITS $100,000 Hunter Derbies on the tour: Ocala Winter Circuit...

"I shot an arrow in the air. She fell to earth in Berkeley Square"; so goes the line from Kind Hearts and Coronets. Well apparently some mischievous soul shot a rifle round in the air and it fell to ground in the equestrian media centre here in Rio. It has been amusing reading the varying reports and through varying connotations and use of English, differing implications. A round did come through the media tent roof but it was not a large calibre (more rifle size) and had, I would suggest,...

Lauren Kieffer and Veronica (Shannon Brinkman Photo) Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – Eventing competition at the Olympic Equestrian Center at Deodoro continued on Sunday with the second day of dressage. The U.S. Olympic Eventing Team moved up from seventh place and is now tied with New Zealand for sixth place on a total of 137.50. Lauren Kieffer and Phillip Dutton gave strong performances for the U.S. in a hotly contested team competition. Germany currently leads the team standings on a total of...

Giavanna Rinaldi and Dulf Van Den Bisshop (Devaney Iglesias/Phelps Media Group) Wayne, Ill. - After a gallop to the final line and a double-clear effort, the crowd at Lamplight Equestrian Center rose to their their feet and cheered for Giavanna Rinaldi and Dulf Van Den Bisschop. The 17-year-old was all smiles as she crossed the finish line, while her mount soaked in the applause and celebrated their victory in the $75,000 Grand Prix at the Chicago Festival of the Horse. "He knew he did well,"...

Beesd, The Netherlands – Stefanie Putnam made her European debut at the 2016 FEI World Para-Driving Championships and impressed with a stellar performance. As the sole U.S. representative, Putnam looked right at home competing against a strong international field. She partnered with Bethesda After Dark to finish fifth in the Grade I division. Stefanie Putnam and Bethesda After Dark (©Marie de Ronde-Oudemans) Putnam (Lafeyette, Calif.) executed a solid test with her own Bethesda After Dark...

Mark Jungherr and Conte Couleur won the $30,000 Manchester & The Mountains Grand Prix on August 6 at the Vermont Summer Festival in East Dorset, VT. (Andrew Ryback Photography) East Dorset, Vt. – Mark Jungherr of Amesbury, MA, riding Conte Couleur was victorious in the $30,000 Manchester & The Mountains Grand Prix on Saturday, August 6, during week five of the Vermont Summer Festival. The Vermont Summer Festival runs for six consecutive weeks from July 5 through August 14, 2016,...

Boyd Martin and Blackfoot Mystery (Shannon Brinkman Photo) Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - After day one of eventing competition at the Olympic Equestrian Center at Deodoro, the U.S. Olympic Eventing Team sits in seventh place. Boyd Martin and Clark Montgomery put in solid performances among the 32 combinations that competed Saturday in day one of dressage before the ground jury of Marilyn Payne (USA), Andrew Bennie (NZL), Sandy Phillips (GBR). The trailblazer for the U.S. team was Martin...

Exploding wine bottle, flooding hotel, horse inspection, surprise substitutions, interesting team running orders, lost & found luggage, and a Brazilian party in the Maracanã Stadium. Quite a couple of days. So where to start; perhaps with the job in hand. All the U.S. horses looked fit, well and beautifully turned out by the grooms and the horse inspection went without a hitch for the U.S. Running order declared (Boyd, Clark, Lauren & Philip) and the dressage horses having been...