Courtesy U.S. Saddle Seat World Cup, Inc. Come celebrate your patriotism by supporting the U.S. athletes. The U.S. Saddle Seat Equitation World Cup will be hosting a benefit dinner on Sunday evening, July 4, at the beautiful and historic Spindletop Hall in Lexington, KY. The 2010 Gold Medal Gala will feature cocktails, dinner and both live and silent auctions. Past auction items have included stallion breedings, vacation packages, tack and equipment, and other unique items. Tickets for the gala...

Photo by Dr. C. Mike Tomlinson (Para-Equestrians at CDI at Lamplight Equestrian Center in Wayne, IL.) The United States Para-Equestrian Association (USPEA) would like to announce that it is now a 501(c)(3) public charitable organization. The USPEA provides programs, clinics, and competition opportunities for athletes with physical disabilities. Riders compete under the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) rules during their competitions and many of the athletes compete at the highest...

Photo by Christy Egan (Sonora Rose, shown by Kenneth Black McDonald, was the winner of the Arabian Mare Breeding class at the 2009 Arabian Youth Nationals.) The Arabian Horse Association (AHA) will celebrate 10 years at Expo New Mexico in Albuquerque, NM, with the 2010 Arabian and Half-Arabian Youth National Championship Horse Show (Youth Nationals), July 24-31. The championship show mixes the country's best young equestrian talent with youth-spun fun and activities, pouring approximately $10...

Photo by James Leslie Parker (Laura Chapot.) Laura Chapot took top honors at the Devon Horse Show and Country Fair, winning the Open Jumper Championship on Bradberry with 30 points and also taking the Leading Open Jumper Rider title for the fourth time in six years, and the fifth time overall. Along with her four wins in the Open Jumper division that counted towards the leading Rider title, Chapot also won two six-year-old classes and a seven-year-old class for an unprecedented seven jumper...

Chester Weber and his Winning Team (Picsofyou.com) Driving US Drivers with the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games on the brain competed at the CAI-B Garden State CDE at the Horse Park of New Jersey. Chester Weber and his Four-in-Hand team notched yet another win, finishing with 116.64 penalties. Josh Rector was second and Bill Long rounded out the top three. In the Single Horse division, Kim Stover and her Connemara/Thoroughbred cross Laughlin finished on 113.33 for the win. Scott Monroe...

Hans Baerstch and Rubinstar at the 2009 Adequan FEI North American Junior/Young Rider Championships (Flashpoint) Lexington, KY – Platinum Performance and the United States Dressage Federation have formed a thriving partnership the last three years to sponsor the Dressage Championships at the Adequan FEI North American Junior/Young Rider Championships presented by Gotham North (NAJYRC). The 2010 NAJYRC will bring out the continents best dressage riders, ages 14-21, vying for FEI medals in both...

Weirden, the Netherlands and Lexington, KY – It wasn’t easy, but the Young Riders representing the US on the US Show Jumping Young Rider Tour fought hard through two rounds of the Nations Cup to force a jump-off with the home team and eventually outran the Netherlands for their first Nations Cup win at CSIOY Weirden. The squad of Jennifer Waxman and Venturo, Michael Murphy and Katina 12, Nick Dello Joio with Malcolm and Karl Cook on Uno de Laubry recovered from a 17 fault performance in the...

Photo Courtesy Epona and Hassler Dressage (Lauren Spreiser and Ellegria with Kyra Kyrklund.) This week several horse-and-rider combinations were privileged to participate in clinics given by Kyra Kyrklund. Kyrklund, who lives and trains out of her farm in West Sussex, Great Britain, is a world-class dressage trainer and has represented Finland in six Olympic Games. Kyrklund is a heavily sought-after coach who has trained multiple Olympic medalists; at the 2006 FEI World Equestrian Games she had...

Photo by Dr. C. Mike Tomlinson (Mary Jordan, a Grade IV Para-Dressage rider used this competition as a practice before the selection trials at the end of June.) This year is the most exciting calendar year for the United States Para-Equestrian Team in history. It will be the first time ever that the para-dressage team will compete with all of the equestrian disciplines at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ (WEG) in Lexington, KY. The hopeful WEG riders first stop this summer was May...

Photo by ESI Photography (Kelsey Hart and Agostino in the $10,000 Devoucoux Hunter Derby. ) Two of the most decorated high-performance riders in the country became serious contenders to qualify for the unprecedented Pfizer $1 Million Grand Prix after a pair of impressive outings at HITS-on-the-Hudson I in Saugerties, NY. First, in Friday's $25,000 HITS Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, it was Olympian Margie Engle and Hidden Creek's Pamina L that took the blue ribbon in her first...