Lexington, KY - The Eventing Eligible Athlete Committee and Eventing High Performance Committee have unanimously recommended David O'Connor to be the Eventing Chef d'Equipe/Technical Advisor to succeed Capt. Mark Phillips in 2013. The recommendation will go to the USEF High Performance Working Group before being presented to the USEF Executive Committee. The search for Capt. Phillips replacement began in 2010. Nine applications were received by the Search Committee. The Committee shortlisted...

Allison Springer and Arthur. (Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.) Tallahassee, FL - It's only fitting that the winner of the first event of the 2011 Adequan USEA Gold Cup Series would be decided on the final moments of the competition on Sunday afternoon, drawing out the nail-biting excitement to the very last jump. Overnight leader Allison Springer must have breathed a huge sigh of relief to cross the finish line with all the rails still neatly in their cups, solidifying her victory at the prestigious...

Redha Gharsa on Neopolitano Primavera and Anthony Jackson on Pluto Pompea. (Photo courtesy Eric Martin.) Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain – Ten horses and eight riders braved a 16-hour plane ride to the Middle East to present the King of Bahrain with a demonstration of classical dressage. King Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifa staged the Bahrain Animal Production Show and brought in the Lipizzaner Stallion Show as the headliner. Also known as the Mara’ee, the agricultural show featured animal trainers,...

Lexington, KY - August 14, 2010 - Saturday was yet another hot and humid day at the Kentucky Horse Park as junior riders competed in day five of 2010 United States Equestrian Federation Pony Finals National Championships. The Large Pony Hunter over fences class started out this morning’s competition with 102 entries to compete over Bobby Murphy’s course in the Walnut Arena. Riders competed in reverse order of the point standings after the model and under saddle phases. During the class,...

Photo by Flashpoint Photography (Daniel Geitner and Sympa) Classic Company’s Atlanta Summer Finale week was chocked full of big action, but the highlight was the debut of the Open Musical Freestyle Equitation Classic on Saturday evening under the bright lights of the former Olympic arena. Horses, riders, and the masses watching were all tapping toes to the various beats. Brought to life by Classic Company President Bob Bell, the Musical Freestyle, open to both adults and juniors, gave...

Hunters had a big week at the High Prairie Farms Spring Final. More than 20 horse-and-rider combinations competed in the $2,500 United States Hunter Jumper Association National Hunter Classic on a perfect May evening in the main hunter ring. When it was all over, Libby Copeland claimed the championship riding Remember When (Jennifer Wallen, owner). Copeland, a Kansas City native, rides and trains out of Michael Dennehy’s Bridlewood Farms. She has been there for a little more than a year after...

Mandiba and Karen O'Connor (Shannon Brinkman ) Lexington, KY – The first half of the field in the 2010 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by Bridgestone took to the dressage ring today under the looming threat of rain. It never really materialized but it was a sharp reminder that the glorious weather of the past weeks is coming to a close. Rolex and a little bit of rain has become a tradition. Of the first group, Olympic veteran and three-time winner, Karen O’Connor was the best of the...

Photo by Robbi Meisel (Taylor Land and Karonda V Schl’Hof) The Atlanta Spring Classics welcomed the new season with Cherry Blossoms in bloom, blue skies, and heated competition among hunters and jumpers. And the biggest competition this week centered around two sisters, Frances and Taylor Land, who dominated the jumper rings. Produced by the Classic Company and held at the Georgia International Horse Park, home of the 1996 Olympics, in Conyers, GA, the two-week event runs March 24-April 3 with...

Ravel Settles for Second (SusanJStickle.com) Wellington, FL – Having convincingly won the Grand Prix at the 2010 Exquis World Dressage Masters on Thursday afternoon, the pressure was on Steffen Peters to continue his winning tear with Ravel. But unfortunately for the US fans, it was a repeat of 2009 and he still couldn’t eclipse Anky van Grunsven and her Olympic champion Salinero. The reigning Gold medalist wowed the fans with a classic fault-free performance and a score of 84.4% for the...

The 2010 Gulf Coast Winter Series has become the hot topic among the equestrian community from coast to coast. Under the management of Bob Bell and Janet McCarroll, the Gulf Coast Winter Series has just announced the addition of Thom Brede to assist Allen Rheinheimer this season as a technical director. “Thom’s been managing large horse shows for years, he’s one of the most sought after hunter judges, and brings a host of talents to our series,” Bell shared. While it’s expected that Brede’s...