The participants for the 23rd FEI World Cup™ Dressage Final are ready and waiting, having all arrived at the ‘Brabanthallen stables in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, where the prestigious title will be awarded for the eighth time. This is the first truly international meet of the season, and with the Olympic Games looming in the not-so-distant future, eyes will be riveted on every performance, particularly when it comes to title defender Isabell Werth with powerful chestnut Warum Nicht FRH against home...

John French rode Tache Rouge to victory in front of an energetic crowd on Friday evening in the $10,000 ASG Software Solutions/USHJA International Hunter Derby, presented by Dietrich Insurance featuring Walsh Harness & Saddlery, to kick off an exciting season finale weekend at HITS Thermal. French, from Gilroy, CA, had the ride for owner Alison Baileys and collected $3,000 in first-place prize money. A field of 35 combinations in the first round were trimmed into a final round of 12 exhibitors...

Equestrian Sport Productions, LLC, announced Wednesday a preliminary plan for a new round of major improvements at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) to be completed by the "Celebration of the Horse" event in early December and well before the start of the 2009 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF). The improvements are the initial next stage in the top-to-bottom rebuilding of the PBIEC that began last December when Equestrian Sport Productions (ESP) took over management of the...

President Bush signed into law the Economic Stimulus Act on February 13. The bill is intended to provide a jump-start to the lagging U.S. economy. “The new law includes two tax incentives that would allow a much bigger write-off for horses and other depreciable property purchased and placed in service during 2008,” said Jay Hickey, President of the American Horse Council. “This should provide an additional incentive for people to invest in more horses for racing, showing and breeding as part of...

Langer Equestrian Group, Inc., kicked off the 2008 show season with record entries and sunny skies at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center (LAEC) Season Opener, January 18-20, 2008, at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center. Junior rider Laura Ware started off 2008 on a winning streak. She piloted Parker to the large junior championship, and then showed the gelding’s versatility by garnering wins in equitation as well. The pair captured both the USEF Medal and the ASPCA Maclay, as well as a...

The World Games 2010 Foundation announced it is launching a volunteer recruitment website through the online services of The Registration System to manage the thousands of volunteers needed for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG). Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer can log on to www.feigames2010.org and click on “Volunteer Information” in the “Quick Links” box, to register and receive more information about volunteer opportunities and benefits. Volunteers are needed before,...

WELLINGTON, FL—The CN Winter Equestrian Festival opened a 12-week run Wednesday to accolades from riders over the rebuilt Palm Beach International Equestrian Center that was a celebration of color with thousands of flowers decorating the show grounds. Labels of "world class," "unbelievable" and "amazing" were applied by exhibitors to the show grounds that were taken over by Equestrian Sport Productions, LLC (ESP) just one month and one day before the start of WEF. Opening day saw 929 horses...

With three Americans competing at "Porsche Dressage Trophy," a German national indoor dressage tournament held in Paderborn, Germany, on November 2-4, Todd Flettrich of Coatesville, PA, and Wellington, FL, rode Amadeus to third place in the grand prix special, earning the distinction of being the highest-placed American in the FEI classes at the show. "Amadeus did everything I asked. He was very good," said Flettrich of his grand prix special ride, which held the lead for most of the class. "I...

Only four top grand prix dressage riders are invited each year to compete in the $25,000 Washington International Horse Show Dressage Invitational, providing a showcase of topnotch dressage at the six-day indoor hunter/jumper competition. The 49th Annual Washington International Horse Show (WIHS), held October 9-14, 2007, at the Verizon Center in Washington DC, featured two nights of grand prix dressage, with Courtney King and Idocus claiming a solid victory, earning back-to-back wins for a...

Harrisburg, PA ­- Nearly 300 young riders earned the privilege to compete for the coveted Pessoa/USEF Hunter Seat Medal Finals. They represented the best equitation riders from 34 states, British Columbia, Ontario and the District of Columbia. Despite an early lead being held throughout the daylong competition, the winner, Kimberly McCormack of Clermont, NJ, emerged from the final 42 riders. "Her round was fantastic, just great," said Judge Geoff Teall of Wellington, FL. "Her round just stood...