Shane Sweetnam and Bijzonder (Rebecca Walton/Phelps Media Group) Lexington, Ky. - Ireland's Shane Sweetnam is well known for helping produce top young mounts, and Thursday he showed how it is done with the 8-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding Bijzonder. When seven horses go double clear in the $25,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic, the only way to win is with speed, and although Bijzonder is just learning to go fast, he clearly has a knack for it. Sweetnam sped across the finish line two seconds...

Hickstead, United Kingdom - The U.S. produced determined performances in Grand Prix competition on Thursday at CDIO3* Hickstead. Brian Hafner and Susie Dutta, who make up half of the American Nations Cup effort, currently stand second and ninth, respectively, after the first of two days of Grand Prix competition. Hafner (Penngrove, Calif.) and his own and Rebecca Hafner’s 15-year-old Hanoverian gelding, Lombardo LHF, scored 68.800% from the Ground Jury of Karin Kruger, Wojtek Markowski,...

Traverse City, Mich. - When Rachel Boggus stepped into the Horse Shows by the Bay Grand Prix Ring for the first round of the HJAM Adult Medal Final on July 26, she was on a mission. Not only did she seek to do her best in the class, but she also wanted to push herself to escape her comfort zone. In the end, she accomplished both goals. Boggus, 32, of Indianapolis, Indiana, topped the three-phase final and also gained valuable experience toward her quest to win the Ariat Adult Medal Finals this...

Lexington, Ky. - The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) is pleased to announce that Marshall and Sterling Insurance, Inc. will become the Title Sponsor of the USEF National Pony Medal Championship at the US Pony Finals National Championships. The 2014 US Pony Finals will be held August 4-10 at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Ky. The Marshall and Sterling/USEF Pony Medal Championship finals will begin Sunday, August 10, at 7 a.m ET. "The United States Equestrian Federation is...

Tim Goguen and Character (Emily Ride/Phelps Media Group) Lexington, Ky. - At the end of Wednesday's Kentucky Summer Classic Second Year Green Hunters, the hotly contested division championship had come down to a tie. Both Character, ridden by Tim Goguen, and Silhouette, ridden by John French, sat tied at 32 points, but with more points earned over fences it was Goguen and Character who claimed the division's top title. "He went nicely this week. He tried hard and ended up champion,"...

The U.S. Team for Hickstead (USEF Archive) Hickstead, United Kingdom - The U.S. sends a promising group into this week’s FEI Nations Cup at CDIO3* Hickstead, running July 31-August 3. The team of Katherine Bateson-Chandler, Susie Dutta, Brian Hafner, and Lisa Wilcox, led by Chef d’Equipe Debbie McDonald, have drawn third in the order of five international teams. Nations Cup competition kicks off Thursday with the first day of Grand Prix competition, and continues Friday with the...

This article was originally posted at www.useventing.com . Matt Brown and Super Socks BCF (StockImageServices.com) Five days of competition came to a close Sunday at The Event at Rebecca Farm with the third and final phase of the Adequan USEA Gold Cup and PRO Tour Series. Blossom Creek Foundation’s Super Socks BCF and Matthew Brown of Petaluma, California gave a top class performance, completing Richard Jeffery’s show jumping course without a single fault. James Alliston of San...

Ronan McGuigan and Capall Zidane on their way to a blue in the $75,000 HITS Grand Prix presented by Zoetis. The pair topped an impressive field to take first and $22,500 (ESI Photography) Saugerties, N.Y. - Of the six jump-off contenders in Sunday’s $75,000 HITS Grand Prix presented by Zoetis, four boasted the colors of Ireland. Ronan McGuigan, Darragh Kerins, with two horses, and Jonathan McCrea made their home country proud as they bested a field of 29 starters. Try as they might,...

The Victorious U.S. Saddle Seat World Cup Team (Rachel Kelley) Fletcher, N.C. - On Friday, July 25 the 2014 Saddle Seat World Cup concluded with the United States repeating their 2012 performance, sweeping the top podium positions in the competition, and taking home Gold Medals in both the Three-Gaited and Five-Gaited sections. Throughout the competition, held Tuesday July 22 - Friday July 25 as part of the Blue Ridge Classic Horse Show, riders performed rail and pattern work in front of the...

The Plains, Va. - A successful weekend at the Preparation Event for the Squad and Alternates for Squad for the Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team for the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games wrapped up Sunday morning with 11 U.S. combinations completing David O’Connor’s cross country. Crowds of 3,500 people came from throughout the United States to watch many of the best combinations in North America compete at the renovated Great Meadow on a beautiful Virginia weekend. Phillip Dutton...