Leslie Howard and Lennox Lewis 2 (Spruce Meadows Media Services) Calgary, AB – The final day of the Spruce Meadows 'National' Tournament had two exciting competitions that featured speed and stamina. Leslie Howard (USA) and Lennox Lewis 2 took their second victory in the $175,000 Nexen Cup 1.60m Derby, equaling their 2011 finish. Olympic gold medalist Eric Lamaze went into another gear to notch the week's first Canadian victory in the International Ring in the $40,000 ATCO...

Like the tale of a great cowboy story, a monumental journey began in the kitchen of a house in a small town in Texas. It was there that a gathering of horsemen and women begin to discuss the merits for the use of Dressage for the Western horse; “Western Dressage” emerged. Understanding the need for an organization to provide education and resources for this discipline, the Western Dressage Association® of America (WDAA) was formed as the first national entity for Western...

Victoria Colvin (The Book LLC) Devon, PA - The final day of Devon was off to a beautiful start; the sun was shining, a nice breeze was blowing, and spectators lined the stands waiting for the first Hunter Derby rider to enter the in-gate. The ring was filled with hunter-style jumps--natural wood, shrubbery, a crisp hedge roll top, and numerous branches decorated a series of obstacles. The Derby is a unique set of classes, with fences set to different heights so riders can chose the high of low...

I guess the beginning is a great place to start. I grew up in Maine, the oldest of five, to a father who was in the military and a mother who was a housewife until the youngest of my siblings was in Junior-High school. We grew up on the other side of middle-class, OK, we were poor. I grew up watching spaghetti westerns in black and white on Saturday afternoons. I always loved the intrigue of being a Cowboy, pushing cattle up the Chisholm Trail, fighting bad guys and Indians. Next to the pony...

Devon, PA - This weekend at Devon, it was finally time for the adult hunters to take over the Dixon Oval and Gold Ring. Unlike professional riders, many adult amateurs work for a living at desk jobs and balance their riding time with not only a day job but family and other commitments. The Amateur Owner division is divided by age and also by height. The under saddle class for the younger high amateur owners was won by Kelsey Thatcher's chestnut Belgian Warmblood Fredrick. Blue ribbon in the...

Saumur, France - Clear rounds were at a premium Sunday at the Saumur CCI3* as 34 combinations went forward into the show jumping. Only threecompetitors, including winner Bill Levett, were able to produce faultless trips over Pierre Michelet’s demanding track. The U.S. entries of Will Faudree, Marilyn Little and Hannah Sue Burnett each incurred eight faults over the course, as all three Land Rover Competition Grant recipients dislodged two rails. Will Faudree and Andromaque (Shannon...

Saumur, France - The Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team had a mixed day Saturday at the Saumur CCI3*, as Pierre Michelet’s winding track proved influential. Land Rover Competition Grant recipients Will Faudree and Marilyn Little saw themselves climb up the leaderboard on the strength of double clear rounds. While Hannah Sue Burnett and Buck Davidson, who are also competing on Land Rover Competition Grants, experienced hiccups on course but saw their horses earn valuable experience at the...

It's official. NAWD has applied for recognized affiliate status with the USEF. Supporters have until June 11th to let the USEF know that North American Western Dressage is the right choice of organizations to build the future of Western Dressage. NAWD President Jen Johnson states: “Western Dressage is coming. Over the past 3 years we have watched it grow at warp speed from the hint of an idea to not just one but three major organizations with very different ideals. Throughout, NAWD...

Katie Dinan and Nougat du Vallet (The Book LLC) North Salem, NY – Three teenagers and a veteran rounded out the jump-off in the $100,000 Empire State Grand Prix presented by The Kincade Group, and the first to go in was the one to return to the winner's circle. Nineteen-year-old Katie Dinan of New York, NY, and her energetic partner Nougat du Vallet were double clear to win the biggest class of the Old Salem Farm Spring Horse Shows, which ran May 7-12 and 14-19. Sunday's...

Senator Tom Udall (D-NM) and Representatives Joe Pitts (R-PA), Ed Whitfield (R-KY), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), and Anna Eshoo (D-CA) have introduced the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act of 2013 to regulate/prohibit substances, methods and treatments that may be used in racing. The legislation is not the same as the bill they introduced in the last Congress. The bill calls for a new "independent anti-doping organization" to be responsible for "ensuring the integrity of horseraces that are the...