Peters and Ravel (Amy McCool) San Juan Capistrano, CA – Steffen Peters and Ravel were crowned Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF National Grand Prix Dressage Champions and won the USEF Selection Trials for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team in dressage with a spectacular performance in today’s grand prix freestyle. The pair finished with a remarkable score of 79.500%. Peters, Debbie McDonald and Courtney King-Dye finished in the top three places to represent the U.S. at the 2008 Olympic Games in...

Steffen Peters and Ravel (Amy McCool) San Juan Capistrano, CA – There was no one busier than Steffen Peters at the Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Dressage Festival of Champions today and he saved his best performance for last. Peters rode Ravel to another win in the third leg of the USEF National Grand Prix Dressage Championship (which also serves as the USEF Selection Trial for Dressage) with a score of 75.25%. The 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding continues to impress everyone on hand at...

Michelle Gibson and Don Angelo (Amy McCool) San Juan Capistrano, CA – The first day of the USEF National Intermediaire Dressage Championship showcased the top horse/rider combinations in the country at the fiercely competitive Intermediaire level. Some of the most exciting up-and-coming horses performed the Prix St. Georges test in the arena at The Oaks Blenheim facility this afternoon. Two riders, who duel on a regular basis, ended the day separated by only four-tenths of a percent. Last...

Dressage trainer Elizabeth Niemi won the grand prix on Sunday at the Windy Hollow Hunt Dressage Show in New Jersey. Niemi rode Stan and Vivian Picheny’s strapping dark bay gelding Wholio to a score of 65.625% for the win. Following a torrential downpour the night before, the show opened on Sunday to a crystal clear day that provided perfect footing for the competitors. After competing in torrid heat Saturday, Wholio gave Niemi a relaxed and focused ride, coasting into the Grand Prix victory on...

Spectators holding Olympic Games tickets for the cross-country test of eventing competition on August 11, 2008 (Session EQ-04), can take part in a public course inspection on August 8, 2008, at the Beas River venue. You must register online to participate in this course inspection. Due to preparation work on the course, visitor numbers will be limited to 2,000 on a first-come-first-serve basis. There will be no horse activity during the public course inspection. The online registration system...

The International Andalusian and Lusitano Horse Association’s (IALHA) Surf & Sun Show, the third of the season hosted by IALHA’s California Show Committee, was held June 21-22 at the Del Mar Horse Park in Del Mar, CA. New to the Surf & Sun this year, Friesian classes were included in the show. The International Friesian Show Horse Association (IFSHA) approved and sanctioned this show for their high point program. The combination of so many stunning Andalusians and the majestic jet black...

The American Trakehner Association (ATA) announces that the following horses have been awarded Excellence of Performance designations: —The approved stallion SCHIFFON *Ps* by E.H. Anduc, out of Surprise by Mago xx, bred by Anna & Flemming Loeber, Herning, DK, owned and ridden in most classes by Lea Ann Hansen of Doswell, VA, for his accomplishments in dressage. —The gelding MICIAH *Pb* by Leonidas *Pg*, out of Meriah *Pb* by Erzsand *E*, bred, owned and ridden by A. Whit Watkins,...

Week I of the Atlanta Summer Classic was highlighted by two spectacular weekend events: the $25,000 ASG Software/USHJA International Hunter Derby and the $25,000 Central Equine Grand Prix, held Friday and Saturday evening, respectively, at the Georgia International Horse Park’s Olympic Stadium. On Friday night an astounding 39 hunter teams gathered under the lights for the International Hunter Derby. After the tight turns were negotiated, the jumps cleared, and the gates opened and closed, it...

For the forth year running, Americans everywhere will be celebrating the National Day of the American Cowboy (NDAC), this year slated for Saturday, July 26, 2008. Parades, chuck wagon cook-offs, roping contests, street fairs, and rodeos are just a few of the many different regional events taking place all across the country to commemorate the American cowboy and cowgirl and their important contributions to our nation’s history and culture. American Cowboy , a leading Western lifestyle magazine,...

Germany's victory in the fourth leg of the 2008 FEI Samsung Super League in Rotterdam moved them up from sixth to second on the leaderboard at the halfway stage of the series. The Netherlands finished in runner-up spot; time faults proved costly for them on a day when the clock was particularly influential. Belgium slotted into third ahead of Great Britain in fourth, Switzerland in fifth, and Ireland in sixth. For Sweden, it was yet another difficult day, but they battled hard to avoid being...