The U.S. Saddle Seat Young Rider Team enjoyed a successful first training session in New Orleans New Orleans, LA - In preparation for the 2013 US Saddle Seat Invitational, to be held April 5-6, 2013 at William Woods University, the US Saddle Seat Young Rider Team attended their first training session on March 1-3 at Cascade Stables in New Orleans, Louisiana. It was the first time the riders and coaches could all come together to work and train as a team. It afforded riders an opportunity to...

Carento and Louise Serio (Anne Gittins Photography) Wellington, FL - Louise Serio and Carento made their debut in the Equine Tack and Nutritionals First Year Green Working Hunters to much success during week eight of the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF), sponsored by G&C Farm. Serio piloted the seven-year-old Holsteiner gelding, owned by Sherri Crawford, to a division championship after placing sixth under saddle and jumping to third and first places over fences on day...

Four NCEA matchups over President’s Day weekend yielded two razor thin victories and two blow outs. Thursday’s matchup between No.2 Auburn and No.4 South Carolina was arguably the most exciting of the spring season thus far. My recap of that and the other NCEA matches from the weekend is below. No.2 Auburn University def. No.4 South Carolina University 10-9 Indy Roper, shown here riding Glenda, set an SEC season high score in reining to help lead the Tigers over the Gamecocks 10-9...

Lexington, KY - USA Equestrian Trust is pleased to announce IRS-registered equine non-profit organizations will have two opportunities to apply for funding in 2013 as part of the foundation's grants program. The Trust's board expanded the grants program to two periods in 2012 and awarded nearly $335,000 in grants, an increase of almost 70 percent compared to 2011. To apply for funding, visit the Trust's newly revamped website at trusthorses.org. The site includes an extensive guide...

Lexington, KY - The United States has a qualified vaulter to compete in the FEI World Cup Vaulting Final for the first time in 2013. Gabe Aniello is among six of the top male vaulters in the world to qualify to compete at the 2013 Final in Braunschweig, Germany March 14-17. Aniello (Redwood City, CA) is no stranger to international competition after having represented the U.S. at the 2012 FEI World Vaulting Championship, Gabe Aniello at the 2012 FEI World Vaulting Championship (www.barny-th.de)...

Caitlin Silliman riding Catch A Star in a jumping lesson at the Florida session (USEF Archives). Lexington, KY - The USEF Eventing Team Coach David O'Connor conducted the first two training sessions of 2013 for the redesigned USEF Developing Riders/Eventing 25 Program. The first session took place January 21-24 at Flying Tail Farms at Red Fox Farm in Gilroy, CA for West Coast riders, followed by the second session on January 27-February 1 at Meredyth South in Ocala, FL. The sessions...

Todd Flettrich and Danseur Wellington, FL - The field for World Dressage Masters (WDM) CDI5* Palm Beach is almost set, and it is full of top dressage riders from around the globe. Thursday's Wellington Classic Dressage Sunshine Challenge Grand Prix CDI3* represents the last opportunity to join the field: 13 horses will vie for the remaining two spots. But after Wednesday's jog for the CDI3*, one of those 13 may have already lost his chance. Hopeful competitors presented the horses...

Shane Sweetnam and Solerina. (Sportfot) Wellington, FL - The 2013 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF) hosted its opening day of competition on Wednesday, January 9, at the beautiful Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington, FL, with big wins for Ireland's Shane Sweetnam. Sweetnam kicked things off with a bang in back to back victories in the first two classes of the circuit in the International Arena. Sweetnam won the $8,000 G&C Farm 1.45m speed class...

Saer Coulter with bay gelding, Springtime, during their performance in the Double H Farm $75,000 Open Jumper class at the CSI4*-W 2012 Alltech National Horse Show (Shawn McMillen Photography/Rolex) The Rolex One to Watch for November 2012 is awarded to Saer Coulter (USA), who trains at Copernicus Stables LLC, California (USA). During the month of September, the 21-year-old jumped from 294th to 209th – a move up the Rolex Rankings of 85 places. Coulter was born in New Orleans, Louisiana...

USEF Dressage Youth Coach Jeremy Steinberg with Rebecca Cohen at the training session. (Carol Cohen) Lexington, KY - The first of two USEF Elite Youth Dressage Training Sessions for 2012 wrapped up Sunday at Shannondale Farm in Alpharetta, Georgia. The two-day training session, made possible by a generous donation from Kristen McDonald and the Marquis George MacDonald Foundation, was led by USEF Dressage Youth Coach Jeremy Steinberg. The invitation-only session included eight of the top youth...