Lauren Hough and Ohlala (Spruce Meadows Media Service) Calgary, Alberta - Weather conditions were markedly improved for today's opening competition of the Spruce Meadows 'Masters' Tournament. While originally scheduled to start yesterday, snowfall, downed trees, and power outages pushed the start of all competition to Thursday at the 'Masters', the first instance of a complete day's reschedule of competition in the 39-year history of Spruce Meadows tournaments. There...

Kent Farrington and Blue Angel (Spruce Meadows Media Service) Calgary, Alberta - Kent Farrington beat a starting field of 34 entries in the $50,000 TELUS Cup 1.50m as the first event of the 'Masters'. He and Blue Angel, a 12-year-old AES mare by Luidam x Ascendant owned by Robin Parsky, were quick in 52.886 seconds for the win. Second place went to McLain Ward and HH Carlos Z in 54.482 seconds, while Pieter Devos of Belgium was just behind in third place in 54.532 seconds on Echo D....

Leslie Miller and Cinderella Man - EQUUS Best Performance Competition Winner and Performance 3'3" Hunter Champion. Buffalo, N.Y. - The much-anticipated Buffalo International Horse Show is finally underway and the competition has brought an impressive field of horse and rider combinations. With comfortable temperatures and eager competitors, it was a perfect setting to kick off the week. Offering a wide array of classes for all experience levels, the Buffalo Therapeutic Riding Center was already...

Julie Welles and Twan (Emily Riden/Phelps Media Group) North Salem, N.Y. - The 2014 edition of the American Gold Cup CSI4*-W kicked off today at Old Salem Farm, and from the perfectly manicured jump field to the phenomenal weather and the equally phenomenal competition, there was no place better to be horse showing today - particularly if you were Julie Welles or Shane Sweetnam. Welles and Sweetnam each rode away with victories in the $8,000 Danbury Porsche Audi 1.40m Open Jumpers. With over...

Woodstock, England - The Fidelity Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials is set to host elite eventing combinations September 11-14 in a competitive CCI3*, as well as in eight- and nine-year-old CIC3*competition. The U.S. will have four shots at claiming top honors in the CCI3* this week, as a group of promising combinations headlined by USEF Land Rover Competition Grant recipients, Phillip Dutton and Fernhill Cubalawn, look to showcase their talents. Dutton (West Grove, Pa.) began riding...

On the final day of the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, the FEI World Team and Individual for Four-in-Hands Driving Championship started the cones phase bright and early at La Prairie Racecourse to determine the medalists on Sunday. Clean rounds were hard to come by over Richard Nicoll’s 20-obstacle cones course, with only nine of the 43 drivers adding no penalties to their scores following the marathon phase. Chester Weber had an excellent final day of competition, driving his...

The FEI World Individual Jumping Championship came to a conclusion on the final day of the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in the d’Ornano Stadium with the highly anticipated Final Four competition. The U.S. closed out the 2014 Games on a high note as Beezie Madden claimed Individual Bronze. Additionally, her partner at these Championships, Cortes ‘C’, earned the Best Horse title following four rounds of impeccable jumping on Sunday afternoon. “I thought it was a...

Tammy Provost and Kim Calamos' Kallisto (Chicago Equestrian) Antionch, Ill. - The $50,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby is the highlight of the 2014 Chicago Hunter Derby at Annali-Brookwood Farm, showcasing top horses and riders from across the country while raising funds for charities. The Chicago Hunter Derby is a unique stand-alone event, currently offering more prize money than any other competition of it’s kind. The derby weekend is also one of the few derbies held in a grass...

Todd Minikus and Quality Girl claim the Zoetis $1 Million Grand Prix (ESI Photography) Saugerties, N.Y. - They’ve been second and third in the money before, but today Todd Minikus (Loxahatchee, Fla.) and Quality Girl galloped triumphantly to a Zoetis $1 Million Grand Prix win. With the weather on the side of spectator and exhibitor – clear, breezy and comfortable – Minikus was both ecstatic and thankful. “As athletes we appreciate the opportunity and support from...

Caen, France – On the final day of the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, the FEI World Team and Individual for Four-in-Hands Driving Championship started the cones phase bright and early at La Prairie Racecourse to determine the medalists on Sunday. Clean rounds were hard to come by over Richard Nicoll’s 20-obstacle cones course, with only nine of the 43 drivers adding no penalties to their scores following the marathon phase. Chester Weber had an excellent final day of...