Breaking US Equestrian news releases contain the latest information regarding the organization, national championships, U.S. athletes and teams in international competition, breed news, and important member alerts. Manage the news you receive at the US Equestrian Preference Center.

Laura Chapot Tops 41 in Friday's $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, at HITS-on-the-Hudson

by HITS Media | 9/4/2011 12:12:23 PM

Laura Chapot on course with Mary Chapot's Umberto in Friday's $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health (ESI Photography). Saugerties, NY — As excitement builds for the return of the coveted Pfizer $1 Million Grand Prix and the debut of the first ever Diamond Mills $500,000 Hunter Prix Final next weekend, HITS show jumping action returned to Saugerties this week for the last leg of the qualifying season. Laura Chapot of Neshanic Station, New Jersey, opened the Grand...

Neville Bardos Leads U.S. Eventing Horses on Cross-Country Day in Emotional Effort at the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials

by Joanie Morris | 9/3/2011 3:19:25 PM

Boyd Martin and Neville Bardos. Photo: www.stockimageservices.com. Lexington, KY - The Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team have two cross-country superstars in their midst as both Boyd Martin on Neville Bardos, and Sinead Halpin on Manoir de Carneville looked poised and confident as they galloped through Burghley Park. These pairs represented an inspiring future American Eventing over a course that was deemed a 'throwback' as the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials celebrated its 50th...

Victoria Colvin Wins the $50,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby at the 36th Annual Hampton Classic Horse Show

by Classic Communications | 9/3/2011 12:15:56 PM

Victoria Colvin and Inclusive. Bridgehampton, NY — Victoria Colvin, 13, of Loxahatchee, FL, took top honors on Inclusive, owned by Scott Stewart, in the Inaugural $50,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby at the 36th Annual Hampton Classic Horse Show in Bridgehampton, NY, on Saturday. Colvin finished third in Round One and first in the Handy Hunter for an overall score of 398.500 points. Colvin’s trainer, Scott Stewart of Wellington, FL, finished second, third, and fourth, receiving...

McLain Ward Takes Over the Leader Board in the $30,000 Nicolock Open Jumper Challenge

by Classic Communications | 9/3/2011 12:00:53 PM

Photo courtesy of Kyla Cytryn. Bridgehampton, NY — McLain Ward of Brewster, NY, dominated the $30,000 Nicolock Open Jumper Challenge finishing first, third, and fourth at the 36th Annual Hampton Classic Horse Show in Bridgehampton, NY, on Saturday. Ward won on Pjotter Van De Zonnehoeve, owned by Louisburg Farm, the first of the three that he rode in the jump-off. The pair stopped the clock at 37.44 seconds, and set a blazing pace for the other thirteen that made it to the jump-off....

Showdown in Tulsa: Schmersal Takes Home 2011 Adequan/USEF National Open Reining Championship Title with Miss Lil Addy Tude

by Joanie Morris | 9/3/2011 9:57:49 AM

Tulsa, OK - A boutique group of fabulous American reining horses went head-to-head on Friday night, in Tulsa, OK, at the 2011 Adequan/USEF National Open Reining Championship, the featured evening event at the Ariat Tulsa Reining Classic. The National Championship title and top honors in the concurrent CRI3* ended up as a showdown between two teammates from the Gold medal-winning team at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. These two superstar reining riders were also the WEG Individual...

Sinead Halpin and Manoir de Carneville On Top For U.S. After Day Two at the 2011 Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials

by Joanie Morris | 9/2/2011 1:41:20 PM

Lexington, KY - The dressage phase of the 2011 Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials concluded on Friday with incredibly close scores under sunny skies. Only 10 points separate the top 21 places. The riders representing the Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team are very much in the running heading into Saturday's cross country. Eighty of the best eventing horses in the world are vying for top honors at one of the most prestigious CCI4* events in the world, and four of the five American horses are in the...

Samantha Schaefer Repeats Victory in the Sam Edelman Equitation Championship

by Classic Communications | 9/2/2011 12:33:00 PM

Bridgehampton, NY — Samantha Schaefer, 18, of Westminster, MD, won the Sam Edelman Equitation Championship for the second consecutive year with a practically perfect final round riding Pioneer, owned by Heritage Farm, at the 36th annual Hampton Classic Horse Show in Bridgehampton, NY, on Thursday. Schaefer received a score of 98 out of 100 points in the final round and would have received a perfect score if it had not been for one minor mistake at the final fence according to Chrystine...

USEF High School Equestrian Athletes Write From Their Hearts - and Receive Grants

by Stephanie Doyle | 9/2/2011 10:55:11 AM

Lexington, KY - Skylar Rowan's high school in Knoxville, TN, offers a plethora of sports teams - even bowling and sailing. More than 20. But, there is one missing - the most important one to Rowan: An equestrian team. "Just like the majority of schools in my area, my school doesn't have the facilities or the budget to support an equestrian team," the 16-year-old says. But what is more frustrating to this high school sophomore is that most people outside the horse world, she says,...

McLain Ward Wins the $50,000 Spy Coast Farm Grand Prix Qualifier at the 36th Annual Hampton Classic Horse Show

by Classic Communications | 9/2/2011 8:28:00 AM

McLain Ward and Antares F. Photo: Classic Communications. Bridgehampton, NY — McLain Ward of Brewster, NY, won the $50,000 Spy Coast Farm Grand Prix Qualifier CSI**** by less than 1/10th of a second over Ashlee Bond of Hidden Hills, CA, at the 36th annual Hampton Classic Horse Show in Bridgehampton, NY, on Friday. Ward went fourth out of the nine that made it to the jump-off riding Antares F, owned by Grant Road Partners, LLC. He went clear in a time of 39. 83 seconds and looked like he...

This Week in International Disciplines, September 1, 2011

by USEF Communications Department | 9/1/2011 3:35:43 PM

Dressage The Lamplight Equestrian Center hosted the 2011 Markel/USEF National Young Horse Dressage Championships and USEF National Developing Horse Dressage Championship sponsored by The Dutta Corp. and Performance Sales International. Last, but not least, was the USEF Dressage Seat Medals Finals presented by Dressage Today. Alyssa Pitts Alyssa Pitts & Furst Fiorano. Photo: Chuck Swan/Swan Studios, LLC. The 2011 Markel/USEF National Young Horse Dressage Championships held three separate...