Nicole Aden, Sound Prospect, and Allie Knowles at the 2017 Pau CCI4* (Courtesy of Nicole Aden) Grooms are a vital part of any competition barn. While grooms often are behind the scenes or alongside the ring, some of them also compete themselves. Nicole Aden, Meg Kepferle, and Andi Lawrence are three current or former eventing grooms who have found their own success in national and FEI eventing competitions. A few weeks ago, all three finished in the top 16 in the competitive CIC2* A division at...

Harrisburg, Pa. - Moving up the ranks through all three rounds of the Dover Saddlery/USEF Hunter Seat Medal Final, 17-year-old Brian Moggre (Flower Mount, Texas) answered all the questions judges Geoff Teall and Robin Rost Brown asked, awarding him first place and the gold medal for his spectacular performance. Brian Moggre receives his awards as the 2018 Dover Saddlery/USEF Hunter Seat Medal champion (© Al Cook - alcookphoto.com) After a year of qualifying, 238 riders started their quest...

Allentown, N.J. – Five USEF Preliminary Combined Driving National Champions were crowned at the Garden State Combined Driving Event CDE at the Horse Park of New Jersey on October 12-14. It was the debut of national championships at the preliminary level in order to serve as a catalyst to ignite further interest in the combined driving discipline, and cultivate combinations for the development and elite levels. Berndl and Impressive (Photo by Conklin Photographic LLC) Leslie Berndl...

Sophie Gochman and Carola BH (©Al Cook- www.alcookphoto.com ) Harrisburg, Pa. – Sophie Gochman of Wellington, Fla., and Carola BH claimed the 2018 Neue Schule/USEF National Junior Jumper Champion title at the 73 rd Pennsylvania National Horse Show after posting a combined, three-day total of six faults. “I haven’t really processed it yet,” said Gochman. “I came in here thinking a top-10 finish would be great because it’s such a challenging competition....

Harrisburg, Pa. – For the second year in a row, Zone 7 took home team gold in the 2018 Neue Schule/USEF Prix des States Team Championship at the 73 rd Pennsylvania National Horse Show. Briley Koerner and For Jef VD Wezelse (©Al Cook- www.alcookphoto.com ) The Zone 7 team consisted of Briley Koerner, 18, of The Woodlands, Texas, riding For Jef VD Wezelse; Sloan Hopson, 17, of Huston, Texas, aboard Costa Rica VH Waterschoot Z; Anna Beth Athey, 17, of Enid, Oklahoma, riding For Serrano...

Gladstone, N.J. – Four solid rounds on four different horses put 17-year-old Daisy Farish on top of the 2018 Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Finals – East, held October 6-7, 2018, in Gladstone, N.J. Daisy Farish, 2018 Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Finals - East Champion. (The Book LLC) “This is one final I’ve been close to winning before, but I had yet to put it all together,” Farish said. “That was very special to...

Lexington, Ky. – The US Equestrian Federation (US Equestrian) has announced the recipients of the 2018 Land Rover/USEF Eventing Competition Grant and USET Foundation Jacqueline B. Mars National Developing Rider Grants, kindly given through the United States Equestrian Team Foundation, for the end of the 2018 competition season. The following athletes have received funding for The Dutta Corp. Fair Hill International CCI3* in Elkton, Md., from October 18-21, 2018: Sydney Conley Elliott...

Lexington, Ky. – The Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) has announced that Laura Graves and Verdades are the new world number one ranked dressage combination based on the revised FEI Dressage World Ranking list released on Monday, October 1. Graves and Verdades, members of the silver medal-winning The Dutta Corp. U.S. Dressage Team at the FEI World Equestrian Games™ (WEG) Tryon 2018, seized the top spot from Germany’s Isabel Werth and Weihegold OLD...

Mill Spring, N.C. – On the final day of the FEI World Equestrian Games™ (WEG) Tryon 2018, the NetJets U.S. Jumping Team showed their strength and depth with all four riders finishing in the top-16 of the FEI World Jumping Individual Championship. The team’s top finisher was McLain Ward (Brewster, N.Y.) on Clinta, an 11-year-old Oldenburg mare he owns with Sagamore Farm. They just missed the medal podium, placing fourth.. Ward with Clinta (Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photo) Ward...

San Juan Capistrano, Calif. – Taking home the win in the 2018 Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Finals – West was Sophie Simpson (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.), earning high scores in each phase of the four-phase competition. USEF Talent Search judges, Ronnie Beard and Michele Grubb of Wellington, Fla., designed the courses with Anthony D'Ambrosio of Red Hook, N.Y., serving as Technical Delegate. Friday morning's flat phase was split up into groups as the...