Findlay, Ohio - November 18 - After four days of riding instruction, stable management, a written test and the Nations Cup competition, Sunny Drescher stood out among her peers and earned top honors in the USHJA Emerging Athletes National Training Session, presented by Dover Saddlery, November 14-17. "Sunny's the whole package. She's another kid whom we admire in all aspects of her horsemanship," said show jumping Olympic gold medalist and lead clinician Peter Wylde. "She's an...

Waco, Tx. - Many changes were seen in the latest National Collegiate Equestrian Association national team rankings, released Monday by the NCEA Selection Committee, including a new No. 1 team in Baylor. The Bears move into the nation’s top spot with a 5-1 overall record, most recently defeating Oklahoma State. South Carolina, which is 5-2 on the season and is coming off a 12-6 win against Auburn, checks in at No. 2 nationally. Auburn, with a 3-1 record and a win against previous No....

Jessica Wuesthofen, winner of the 2013 USEF Saddle Seat Medal Final, aboard CH EQ Chanti's Prayer (Howard Schatzberg) Kansas City, Mo. – A talented field of competitors entered the Kemper Arena on Saturday, November 16, in hopes of winning the USEF Saddle Seat Medal Final at the United Professional Horsemen's Association (UPHA) American Royal National Championship. The judging panel comprised of Kim Cowart (Statesville, N.C.), Sandra Currier (Bellville, Texas) and Cecile Hetzel Dunn...

Sister Act - American sisters Cassidy and Kimberly Palmer secured a pas-de-deux victory at the FEI World Cup™ Vaulting 2013/2014 leg at the Stuttgart German Masters. (Karl-Heinz Frieler/FEI) Stuttgart, Germany - The 2013 USEF Open Pas de Deux National Champions made a statement on the world stage this weekend by winning the FEI World Cup™ Vaulting qualifier at the Stuttgart German Masters on Sunday. The Pas de Deux qualifier series is new this year, and the Stuttgart leg was only the...

U.S. Air Force veteran Derrick Perkins and Gallo del Poco Tivio, owned by Luke and Caleb Kelley competing in the Para-Reining competition at the 2013 AQHA World Championship Show (Lindsay Y. McCall) Oklahoma City, Okla. - November 17, 2013- The 2013 American Quarter Horse (AQHA) World Championship Show featured 3,401 entries, a total purse more than $2.4 million, riders from 49 states and 7 countries, and the best Reiners in the business. From November 8-23, equestrians competed in halter,...

Andrew Ramsay and Adamo van't Steenputje (McCool Photography) Las Vegas, N.V. - Saturday at the Las Vegas National was a spectacular display of show jumping at its finest, plus some sky-high entertainment. The first of two highlight events was the $10,000 SmartPak Winning Round Classic, with forty-seven entries and the top ten returning for a lightning fast second round. Later in the evening, the $50,000 Markel Insurance Grand Prix CSI-W had forty-two entries with eight pairs going clean,...

Karl Cook and Banba (McCool Photography) Las Vegas, Nev. - Brazilian course designer Guilherme Jorge is brilliant at asking just the right questions for the field. With sixty-six entries, Jorge created a course that tested the technique necessary to tackle tight turns and tidy tracks. It included an interesting option fence - a skinny 1.40m gate 'winged' by a simpler vertical on each side. Heading home as fence 4, the skinny was the quicker choice to rollback to 5a-b; and later going...

The coveted championship trophy in Doha Doha, Qatar - Nine out of the top 11 ranked riders on the Longines Global Champions Tour are in with a chance to be crowned 2013 Champion in what promises to be an end of season cliffhanger in Qatar. The scramble for maximum points at the 12th and final leg of this year’s series will be intense. Expect ruthless determination from riders at the top of the ranking who are still eligible for the most prestigious prize in show jumping. After 11 events...

Katy Groesbeck and Oz the Tin Man at the winter training session (USEF Archives) Lexington, Ky. - The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) and its Eventing High Performance Department introduced a redesigned Developing Riders/Eventing 25 Program for 2013, and the participants had impressive performances throughout the season. Selected by application, 17 riders from across the country benefitted from regular access, coaching, and guidance from U.S. Team Coach, David O’Connor. The...

Katie Aoki comes from behind to win the Onondarka Medal Final (Flying Horse Photography) Los Angeles, Calif. - After three challenging rounds and a work off, Katie Aoki (Jan Hainze, trainer) led the victory gallop aboard her Truman in the prestigious Onondarka Medal Final at the LA National (Nov 6-10). “It was super exciting to win,” Katie shared. “I competed in the final last year and had kind of a tough time, so it was definitely something I have been working towards and...