Darcie Grote and Nickie at the LAHJA Senior Medal Finals in October 2018, where they finished in the top 10, seventh overall. Photo: Kristin Lee Photography When Darcie Grote receives her copy of US Equestrian magazine ’s annual Horse of the Year issue in mid-April, she’ll have an extra reason to celebrate her horse’s championship in the United States Hunter Jumper Association Zone 9 Thoroughbred hunter division. Brenin—or Nickie, as he’s known around the...

Mill Spring, N.C. – Battling through the heat and humidity, the U.S. Driving Team of James “Jimmy” Fairclough, Misdee Wrigley Miller, and Chester Weber steered their talented teams of four-in-hand horses through Richard Nicolls’s obstacles on the marathon course at the FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG) Tryon 2018 on Saturday. Holding the lead position after dressage, the U.S. Driving Team, led by Chef d’Equipe Barry Hunter, maintained their gold-medal position to...

Mill Spring, N.C. – The Para-Dressage Team Championship got underway at the FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG) Tryon 2018 on Thursday with 14 nations contesting the title. Angela Peavy and Kate Shoemaker got the U.S. Para-Equestrian Dressage Team presented by Deloitte started, competing in the FEI Grade IV Team Test during the afternoon session. Following the first day of competition, the U.S. holds the 10th position with the two remaining team members completing their respective Team Tests...

Jordan Gibbs and her pony Party Time caught spectators’ attention when they debuted together at the 2017 USEF Pony Finals presented by Collecting Gaits Farm, thanks in large part to Party Time’s flashy looks. The 15-year-old chestnut pony’s liberal splashes of white and his blue eyes made him a striking companion for his nine-year-old rider. But he’s more than that. He’s also Jordan’s best friend. Photo: Taylor Pence/US Equestrian Gibbs came from Colorado...

Mill Spring, N.C. – In an important step towards being named to the U.S. Reining Squad for the FEI World Equestrian Games™ (WEG) Tryon 2018, U.S. reining athletes contested the WEG Reining Test Event and USEF Selection Trial this week at the Tryon International Equestrian Center on Thursday, May 10 and Saturday, May 12. Jordan Larson and Arc Gunnabeabigstar (Photo by: Waltenberry) With scores compiled from both evening’s rounds, it was Jordan Larson and Dan Huss leading the...

Lauren Kieffer and Veronica (Shannon Brinkman Photo) Badminton, England – Land Rover/USEF Eventing Grant recipient Lauren Kieffer and Veronica became the first American combination to finish in the top-10 of the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials on Sunday in more than a decade. 2007 was the last time a U.S. combination broke the top-10 barrier, when Kim Severson (Charlottesville, Va.) and Winsome Adante finished third. Placing ninth overall, Kieffer (The Plains, Va.) and the...

Wellington, Fla. - The NetJets® U.S. Show Jumping Team of Lillie Keenan on Fibonacci 17, Beezie Madden riding Breitling LS, Adrienne Sternlicht on Cristalline, and Catherine Tyree riding Bokai, finished seventh in the $150,000 FEI Nations Cup™, presented by U.S. Trust/Bank of America Merrill Lynch, at CSIO4* Wellington on Saturday, March 3. The pathfinders for the U.S., Keenan (New York, N.Y.) and Fibonacci 17 owned by Chansonette Farm, LLC, finished the first round with 12 faults for...

Lexington, Ky. – Tabitha Okitsu and Spoot De La Jourlais completed four perfect rounds to win the 2017 USEF National Pony Jumper Championship on Saturday. The championship, part of the USEF Pony Finals presented by Collecting Gaits Farm, saw 12 combinations advance to the final round. Tabitha Okitsu and Spoot De La Jourlais (Shawn McMillen Photography) Zone 10’s Okitsu (South Pasadena, Calif.) and her own 11-year-old Connemara/Arabian gelding entered the Alltech Arena on Saturday as...

Ratoath, Co. Meath, Ireland – A strong contingent of U.S. combinations tackled The Irish Field CCI3* at the Tattersalls International Horse Trials on May 31-June 4. Land Rover/USEF eventing competition grant recipients Phillip Dutton and Z were the top U.S. finishers in a solid international field, taking home fifth-place honors. Three other U.S. combinations finished in the top 12 at the challenging competition. Phillip Dutton and Z (Courtesy of Tattersalls International Horse Trials)...

Xalapa, Mexico – The Hermès U.S. Show Jumping team battled it out with Mexico until the very end to produce a strong silver-medal performance at FEI Nations Cup™ CSIO4* Coapexpan on Friday. Although the team of Quentin Judge, Peter Lutz, Alison Robitaille, and Adrienne Sternlicht missed the top of the podium by one fault, they picked up 90 points to keep the U.S. on top of the North American standings heading into division final at CSIO4* Langley. Mexico entered two teams,...