By Bob Langrish (Beezie Madden and Authentic are leading all show jumpers at the WEG for two days in a row.) It’s double duty again at the 2006 World Equestrian Games (WEG) in Aachen, Germany, as two disciplines played out simultaneously – one of them in the Main Stadium (show jumping) and the other having its first-day opener in Stadium 2 (four-in-hand driving). Both of the disciplines have fans running back and forth to take in the action. In show jumping, it’s Day One of a...

By Bob Langrish (Beezie Madden and Authentic in the Main Stadium in Aachen, Germany.) (Aachen, Germany)— The 16 efforts put in front of the 116 show jumpers going round during the 1st qualifier and speed class for the individual and team FEI World Championships in Aachen were a bit more than a few could handle. And for Team USA, there were few bumps along the road translating into less than a handful of downed rails in a windy Main Stadium. Over the day, six horses were eliminated, and...

Bob Langrish (Vaulter Megan Benjamin won an Individual Gold medal.) (Aachen, Germany) – It all came down to one minute. It was years in the making, but it came down to one minute in Aachen, Germany, and when that one minute was over, 18-year-old Megan Benjamin of Saratoga, CA, was the first female American vaulter ever to take a world championship. For the past 20 years, a German woman has always held the title of World Champion, and Germany has also won 23 of the last 30 world championships....

Steffen Peters finished fourth yesterday in the grand prix special with a 75.200%, just out of the medals. They finished sixth tonight in the musical freestyle on a score of 78.600%. (Bob Langrish) Crowds were spilling out of the 2006 World Equestrian Games on Saturday, with record crowds jamming not only the dressage freestyle, but the cross-country course, as well as the show grounds. Across the day, more than 44,000 fans of eventing were on-hand; 40,000 tickets were sold (and 60,000 were on...

Bob Langrish (Steffen Peters aboard Floriano finished in fourth place in the grand prix special during Friday's dressage competition in Aachen.) (Aachen, Germany)—To say it was tough competition today in the dressage grand prix special at the 2006 World Equestrian Games (WEG) would be a gross understatement. But two Americans made it look like a walk in the park. American’s Guenter Seidel and Steffen Peters, who are now both poised to enter a showdown among the top 15 dressage...

Heidi White leads the Americans in the dressage phase of eventing at the 2006 WEG in Aachen, Germany. (Bob Langrish) (Aachen, Germany)—A brand new cross-country course awaits the eventers as they begin their first of three phases at the 2006 WEG. But before they can take to the new course (which will be contested in the short format without steeplechase), there are two days of dressage. And if the morning of the first day is any indication, it will be a cold and wet ride. In addition, it...

The U.S. dressage team won a Team Bronze medal. (Bob Langrish) Aachen, Germany – Day two of grand prix didn’t give any of the remaining 43 riders much of an advantage when it came to weather, but it did not seem to affect the Americans, the Dutch, the Germans or the Danes. The crowd of 32,000 definitely got their money’s worth today witnessing the best piaffes, passages, pirouettes and transitions in the world. Because of the caliber of today’s riders, the photographers...

Photo by Bob Langrish (Guenter Seidel and Aragon on the first day of dressage competition.) Aachen, Germany—Europeans know how to do dressage. Each country brought their best to the table today, including their fans. The crowd was filled with foam fingers, waving flags, funny hats and colorful scarves. It looked more like an American football game and sounded like it when certain competitors finished their test and left the stadium. The rain held off, the sun tried unsuccessfully to break...

Bob Langrish (American Kathryn Downs was the highest-placed American in 17th in endurance.) Long before the sun rose over the first day of competition at the 2006 FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG) in Aachen, a flurry of activity was going on as the stage was set for the first medal decisions made in the equestrian discipline of endurance. The consensus is that today’s championship served as the biggest in the sport’s interesting development and history, and the fact that temperatures...

Team USA takes to the field during the 2006 WEG Opening Ceremonies. (USEF Archive/Brian Sosby ) After four long years of waiting, an anxious equestrian world watched the clock roll down to the moment everyone had their eyes turned to – the Opening Ceremonies of the 2006 Aachen FEI World Equestrian Games. And while gray skies and wet and windy weather welcomed the crème of the equine world to the picturesque town located in the westernmost corner of one of Europe’s most...