Seventeen-year-old Jessica Springsteen was the biggest star at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show as her famous parents cheered her on. She bested 237 riders over two rounds of competition, and a four-ri Jessica Springsteen (Photo by Al Cook) der work-off to win the nation's top equitation prize, the Pessoa/USEF Hunt Seat Medal Final. Course designer Steve Stephens, in conjunction with judges Ellen Raidt and Leo Conroy, were very specific about the distances they required between related...

Lexington, KY – There were a handful of changes on the leaderboards today as the marathon proved a fair but demanding challenge at the 2009 USEF National Driving Championships at the Kentucky Cup and Lexington Driving Classic which is also serving as a test event for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. The USEF National Four-in-Hand Championship remains in Chester Weber’s grasp, after a second place marathon performance – less than a point behind Australia’s Boyd Excell – was good...

Kecskemet, Hungary – Team USA is in fifth position in the Team standings after the dressage and marathon at the FEI World Pair Driving Championship in Kecskemét, Hungary. The Dutch are still in the lead, ahead of Hungary, Germany and Switzerland. Team USA is less than five points away from the bronze medal, and anything can happen in tomorrow’s deciding obstacle driving competition. Keady Cadwell, Larry Poulin and Lisa Singer dropped one place in the Team standings after a...

Team Gold medalists—Zone 8—from the Team Jumper competition. (USEF Archive/Randi Muster) Lexington, KY —Last night the joint was, as they say, jumpin’. Day three of the five-day USEF Pony Finals National Championships kicked off this morning with Phase I for the Regular Pony Hunters (model and under saddle), moved on to the Small Pony over fences class, and segued by sunset into the rousing 2009 USEF National Pony Jumper Team Championship. This year’s Small Pony Hunter title...

Nicole DelGiorno and Lamborghini Dane (Flashpoint Photography) Lexington, KY—The Junior dressage riders were back in the arena this morning for the Individual medal tests. Some gusty wind and impending storms made for some excitable horses, but the riders rose to the challenge and produced some lovely tests for the judges during the USDF/Platinum Performance North American Junior & Young Rider Dressage Championships. In the end, less than one whole point separated first place from...

Lexington, KY – In an unprecedented sweep, Steffen Peters and Akiko Yamazaki’s 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood Ravel swept all three classes in the CDIO Aachen (GER): the Grand Prix, the Grand Prix Special and the Grand Prix Freestyle – further validating their Rolex/FEI World Cup™ Dressage Final victory in April. The sweep was a first for an American combination, and they did it in classic style. Steffen and Ravel Sweep in Aachen (Ken Braddick/dressage-news.com) Their score...

Corinne Ashton and Dobbin (Shannon Brinkman) Elkton, MD – The standings shuffled significantly both overall and in the USEF National Eventing CCI*** Championship at the Dansko Fair Hill International. Leslie Law (Great Britain) had been sitting in the top position after the dressage with Mystere du Val but run outs at fences 10 and 12 meant that he walked off the course at the half way point. Kim Severson, who had been the top-placed American after the dressage with Tipperary Liadhnan...

Hong Kong, China – A collective sigh could be felt in the Sha Tin venue as the final day of competition at the 2008 Paralympic Games got underway this morning. For everyone who has put so much time, money and work into the last six weeks – all that remained was 15 hours. The British made the best of those hours, winning 10 medals. The competition kicked off with the Grade III riders performing their Individual Freestyle tests. Barbara Grassmyer was the first US rider in the ring...

Rebecca Hart (John Stevenson) By Joanie Morris Hong Kong, China – The venue was lively today as the freestyles got underway in the main arena at Sha Tin. All kinds of music were showcased in two sessions. Two US riders went to task in the morning sessions on the penultimate day of competition at the 2008 Paralympic Games in Equestrian. In the Grade II Individual Freestyle, Rebecca Hart (Erie, PA) finally had the performance she knew she was capable with Norteassa at these Games. The...

Lexington, KY - Following a routine drug test on August 19 at the 2008 Olympic Games in Hong Kong, Mythilus, a US dressage horse, ridden by Courtney King-Dye, was found to have tested positive for Felbinac. Felbinac is considered a class A prohibited substance by the FEI. Felbinac is usually applied topically for the relief of local pain and inflammation and belongs to a group of medicines called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). When Mythilus arrived in Hong Kong he was treated...