The twenty fourth in a series of blog posts from Michelle Binder North American Western Dressage receives all kinds of questions at the website and on our FaceBook page. Last week Jen Johnson shared the following in a post and it generated a huge amount of material for consideration. She posted: “I received an email last night from a **** judge who had the following concerns about Western Dressage..... “The problem is that the western horse is going to have to be much quicker in...

Susan Hancock Susan Hancock of La Vernia, Texas, received the fourth annual “USDF Region 9 Teaching Excellence Award” at the Great American/USDF Region 9 Championships held in Katy, TX, November 1-4, 2012. She received a $5,000 award for demonstrating adherence to sound dressage principles and the ability to communicate these principles so that students develop themselves and their horses in a logical, progressive and humane way up through the levels. "The methods that Susan used to...

The U.S. Five-Gaited Section Gold medalists (R. Millin) Parys, South Africa - On Saturday, December 8, the Saddle Seat World Cup sponsored by Impondo Mining and Live 2 Learn concluded with second round performances from the Three-Gaited sections of the Saddle Seat World Cup teams. After a stellar presentation of rail work, the U.S. Three-Gaited team set the stage for leading pattern work scores in both groups. With strong performances all week, hopes were high that both the U.S. Three- and...

The U.S. team following the Opening Ceremonies (R. Millin) Parys, South Africa – On Thursday, December 6, competition got underway at the Saddle Seat World Cup. Riders in the Three- and Five-Gaited sections of the U.S. team competed in the initial stages of the rail and pattern work. Both sections of U.S. riders had strong performances on the first day of competition. The Five-Gaited section riders Hunter Chancellor (Evansville, IN), Angela Darrow (Hartland, WI), Drew Taylor Hewitt...

Lexington, KY - The United States Equestrian Federation will ring in the New Year with the seventh annual USEF Horsemastership Training Session presented by USHJA and Adequan. The Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington, FL will once again host the prestigious clinic January 2-6, 2013. The following 12 riders will participate in the five-day training session sponsored by Practical Horseman and Equestrian Sports Production: • Claudia Billups • Olivia Champ •...

Wellington, FL - The Adequan Global Dressage Festival (GDF) is one of the world's largest international and national dressage circuits. It features five FEI events, including a CDI5*, a CDIO3* Nations Cup (Pan American format test event), two CDI-W 3* and seven U.S. national events. Equestrian Sport Productions has made a limited number of tickets available in the Global Pavilion for tables at the international dressage competitions. Watch world-class dressage at your private table in the...

The U.S. Saddle Seat World Cup team in South Africa (R. Millin) Parys, South Africa - Ten riders and four coaches will represent the U.S. at the Saddle Seat World Cup in Parys, South Africa on December 5-8. The team made up of two sections, Three-Gaited and Five-Gaited, will compete against four other countries as they vie for top honors in saddle seat equitation. The Three-Gaited section is made up of team members Brooke Boyer (Johnston, IA), Emily Chapman (Tucson, AZ), Brooke Jacobs...

Molly Ashe and Kennzo (© ManciniPhotos) Wellington, FL - Kristen Abbatiello-Neff's Kennzo and Molly Ashe jumped their way to victory in two rounds of competition in the $20,000 Holiday and Horses USHJA International Hunter Derby, presented by Dietrich Insurance, on Sunday, December 2, 2012. Concluding the week-long competition, the class was held in the spacious International Arena at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center with a beautifully designed course set by Skip Bailey, of...

Parker, CO – The Western Dressage Association® of America introduced its revised 2013 Western Dressage Rules for all breeds and 16 new WDAA authored Western Dressage tests today December 1st, 2012 via its website, https://westerndressageassociation.org/western-dressage-rules-tests/. The Rules were revised incorporating the WDAA mission, the training fundamentals of dressage, the rich western history, and the thoughts and feedback of our members, advisory board and representatives from...

Katie Dinan and Nougat du Vallet (© ManciniPhotos) Wellington, FL - Nineteen-year-old Katie Dinan (USA) and Grant Road Partners' Nougat Du Vallet earned an exciting victory in Saturday night's $50,000 Holiday and Horses FEI World Cup Grand Prix at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) in Wellington, FL. American riders took top four honors in the eleven horse jump-off. Dinan beat Todd Minikus and Macoemba and Margie Engle and Royce, who finished second and third...