Michael Hughes Presented with the Maxine Beard Award (Emily Riden/Phelps Media Group) Wellington, FL - The United States Equestrian Team Foundation is pleased to announce that 18-year-old Michael Hughes of Allendale, NJ has been selected as the 2015 recipient of the Maxine Beard Show Jumping Rider Award. Hughes was presented with the Maxine Beard Award trophy at the Winter Equestrian Festival Finale on March 28, 2015, at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington, FL. The...

Ocala, Fla. - Beautiful horses and beautifully appointed drivers opened the first day of competition at the Live Oak International with the Yellowframe Farm FEI Driven Dressage classes for Single, Pair, and Four-in-Hand horses and ponies. Chester Weber starts the 2015 Live Oak International competition off with a win in the FEI Four-in-Hand dressage phase, scoring 33.44 (Photo courtesy of www.PicsofYou.com) Appearing for the first time as a new father at his family’s annual driving and...

Lexington, Ky. - On a night dedicated to the horse, two special athletes were recognized for their excellence in 2014 during the USEF's Year End Awards Gala. In a year that witnessed equestrian athletes excel, Cortes 'C' and Ellis GV reached the pinnacle of their sports and for their achievements were named International and National Horse of the Year, respectively. Voting was open to the public through January and both horses, already fan favorites, were rewarded for their...

Eric Lamaze and Fine Lady 5 (Sportfot) Wellington, Fla. - The 2015 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) continued on Friday with the $6,000 Spy Coast Farm 1.40m Speed Challenge featured in the International Arena at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) in Wellington, FL. Continuing his top form throughout the first two weeks of the circuit, Canada's Eric Lamaze raced to victory aboard Artisan Farms LLC's Fine Lady 5 over teammate Tiffany Foster and Artisan Farms'...

Washington, D.C. - The $15,000 Ambassador’s Cup High Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic, sponsored by Ellen and Daniel Crown, saw a win for Victoria Colvin (17) and Karen Long Dwight’s Chanel B 2 on Saturday afternoon at WIHS. Colvin, of Loxahatchee, FL, rode the nine-year-old Mecklenburg mare (Cellestial x C-Indoctro) to victory to earn The Ambassador’s Cup Perpetual Trophy donated by Ambassador and Mrs. Marion H. Smoak. The Ambassador’s Cup saw 21 entries with six to...

Las Vegas, N.V. - The buzz is building for the upcoming Las Vegas National Horse Show. With three thrilling evenings of world-class show jumping guaranteed to pack the house, the South Point Hotel and Casino is the spot to be from November 13th through 15th, 2014. Equestrians Coming to Vegas Reed Kessler and Cylana (Spruce Meadows Media Service) A group of the world's best show jumpers and their mounts, including the youngest equestrian Olympian to date and Longines Rising Star Award...

Lexington, Ky.- The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) is pleased to announce the appointment of Janis Linnan as the USEF Steward General of Eventing. In this role, she will be responsible for the Janis Linnan (Photo Provided by Janis Linnan) stewarding at FEI-sanctioned eventing competitions throughout the United States. Additionally, Linnan will work with USEF Honorary Steward General, David Distler, to implement FEI directives on education and licensing, as well as serve as a...

Richard Spooner riding Tuxedo (Spruce Meadows Media Service) Clagary, Alberta - Competition kicked off in the Chinook Ring Friday morning with the $8,000 Francis Family Cup 1.45m where Richard Spooner (USA) got his third win in a row this week. Held in a faults converted format, the competition saw 30 entries jumping a course set by Manuel Esparza of Mexico. About halfway through the order, Spooner and Tuxedo cleared the course in a time of 66.44 seconds that would hold on for the win. The...

Gladstone, N.J. - The focus of the dressage world will turn to Gladstone, N.J., this week for the U.S. Dressage Festival of Champions presented by The Dutta Corp, as it runs June 12-15, in the Dick and Jane Brown Arena at the USET Foundation Headquarters. The annual championship will host the best dressage combinations in the United States across six divisions of competition, including Grand Prix, Intermediaire I, Young Adult ‘Brentina Cup,’ Young Rider, Junior, and Pony Rider...

Vaulting to be featured in the Middle East for the first time Sisters Cassidy and Kimberly Palmer, who placed first in the pairs (pas-de-deux) Vaulting event at the 2013 German Masters in Stuttgart last November, will be among the roster of world-class competitors who will gather in Doha, Qatar in March for the Second CHI AL SHAQAB. The siblings are the first vaulters from the United States to win a World Cup event. The prestigious event takes place at AL SHAQAB, the Arabian Gulf’s...