Los Angeles, California - Following the completion of Phases I and II of the Platinum Performance/USEF Talent Search Finals West Olivia Champ (La Canada Flintridge, California) holds the lead heading into Saturday’s final two phases. Phase I After a demanding Flat Phase where USEF Talent Search Final judges Jimmy Torano and Mandy Porter worked the riders in groups of eight, Olivia Champ (Karen Healey Stables, Trainer) took the lead with a strong score of 90. On her heels was Jayme Omand...

Maggie Jayne and Manneken du Cory won the $10,000 Open Welcome Stake with a speedy round (Phelps Media Group, Inc. International) Wayne, IL - The highlight of the Grand Prix ring Thursday was the $10,000 Open Welcome Stake at the Showplace Productions' Fall Classic Championship Horse Show, running September 10-15. With an impressive double clear round, Maggie Jayne and Manneken du Cory earned the Welcome Stake victory gallop at the Lamplight Equestrian Center. In the Junior/Amateur-Owner...

Chester Weber finished 2nd in the Marathon at CAI Caen on his way to a 2014 WEG test event victory (Madeleine Augustsson/CAI Caen) Caen, France - With Sunday's cones complete, Chester Weber has won the WEG test event at the Caen CAI-4A. Weber (Ocala, FL) led a team made up of his own seven-year-old KWPN gelding Boris W, 13-year-old KWPN gelding Boy W, and 16-year-old KWPN gelding Para, along with Jane Clark's 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding Splash, and Koos de Ronde's...

Penny Brennan and Great Good win the $7,500 EquiFit Open Speed Stake at the Fieldstone Summer Showcase II. (Kendall Bierer/PMG) Halifax, MA - Despite cloudy conditions, Penny Brennan once again shone through during the Fieldstone Summer Showcase II to win the $7,500 EquiFit Speed Derby aboard Great Good. Torrential downpours threatened the Fieldstone Show Park Thursday, but that did not deter riders from competing for the prize. Brennan captured first place, outriding her competitors by nearly...

Ali Tritschler and Dreamland rode to the top of the $5,000 NEHJA Pony Hunter Classic Finals leader board at the Fieldstone Summer Showcase II. (Kendall Bierer/Phelps Media Group) Halifax, MA - It was a bittersweet victory for pony ring veterans Ali Tritschler and Dreamland, as they claimed their final win in the $5,000 NEHJA Pony Hunter Classic Final Tuesday at the Fieldstone Show Park. Tritschler piloted Dreamland to the first place finish with two impressive rounds over fences. They nabbed...

Reprinted with permission from Cowboy Dressage Newsletter: August 2-4, 2013 “Build It and They Will Come” “Cowboy Dressage Competition debuted at Rancho Murieta Gold N Grand Horse Show Aug 2-4. Gold N Grand is known on the west coast for being the premier open horse show at one of the west’s top equine facilities. A record number of 183 entries for one discipline made history. It was Cowboy Dressage. This does not happen by accident. It happens because of hard work, a...

Ali Wolff and Artemis (Mary Adelaide Brakenridge for Phelps Media Group, Inc. International) Lexington, KY - Ali Wolff and Artemis led from start to finish to claim the title in today's $5,000 1.40m Open Jumpers at the Bluegrass Festival Horse Show. They completed a speedy jump-off round as the first to go and maintained their position to claim first place. In the 1.35m Open Jumpers, Allen Nabors and Muchacha De Uno similarly laid down a good time early on, but Juan Ortiz and Apple edged...

Mark Bluman celebrates winning the $10,000 Sir Ruly, Inc., Open Jumper Awards with the Torano Family. From left to right: Danielle Torano, Natalia Torano, Maria Teresa Torano, Mark Bluman and Jimmy Torano. (David Mullinix Photography) East Dorset, VT - Colombia’s Mark Bluman, 22, closed out the Vermont Summer Festival in East Dorset, VT, on a high note after winning the $10,000 Sir Ruly, Inc., Open Jumper Awards with 137 points. As the leading rider at this year’s event, Bluman was...

Welcome to the third installment of a different kind of blog from WDAA! The purpose of this post is to allow the reader "into the heads" of both a trainer/judge/competitor, Karen Abbattista and her student, Deborah Herbert, a Florida WDAA member. We would like to share with you some moments in Deb's journey as she pursues her riding goals with her AQHA mare "GenuineArcticSpring", barn name "Belle". Please enjoy as you follow along with these posts that we consider interesting or challenging...

Shane Sweetnam and Fineman (Shawn McMillen) Lexington, KY - The Rolex Stadium was full of excited spectators as they gathered on Hats Off Day to watch the country's top horse and riders compete during the $50,000 Rood & Riddle Grand Prix. The international riders gave them exactly what they were looking for: an exciting tiebreaker between five-horse and rider combination dashing to the finish. In the end it was Ireland's Shane Sweetnam and his new mount Fineman that led the victory...