Lexington, KY - Despite frigid temperatures in eastern Germany, Gabe Aniello , the United States’ sole representative at the second round of World Cup competitions, managed a successful showing. Together with the horse Pino del Rio and longeur Elke Shelp-Lensing, Aniello took to the ring with a new routine complete with new music. In a departure from his tenderly elegant “Hallelujah” freestyle from 2012, Aniello chose the markedly more powerful, tempestuous...

Shachine Belle and INXS clinch their first $5,000 Devoucoux Hunter Prix at HITS Ocala as they set their sights on the Diamond Mills $500,000 Hunter Prix Final in Saugerties this September. Until now, INXS showed in the amateur-owner hunters with his owner Robin Swinderman (©ESI Photography) Ocala, FL - For best friends Robin Swinderman and Shachine Belle, their 2013 goal is off to a picture perfect start. After competing her horse INXS in the amateur- owner hunters for the past several years,...

Happy Holidays! Tis the season and all my best to everyone. This time of year we are especially grateful for all the perfections we find our lives are blessed with. Wishing all of you the very best of holiday seasons. Thank you for reading and supporting the development of western dressage. It was a very exciting time for representatives from North American Western Dressage to attend the USDF Annual Convention in New Orleans December 5-8. President Jen Johnson and Board member Jennifer Collman...

The twenty third in a series of blog post from Michelle Binder I began this Western Dressage Blog specifically as a blog for NAWD to help raise public awareness about WD groups other than WDAA. I saw a need for publicity specific to that organization. I also saw a need for a forum that presented the reality that other organizations with different missions and goals regarding WD existed. USEF has not licensed Western Dressage as an independent discipline so at this time there is no officially...

Lexington, KY - President Lee Vulgaris announced this week that the Paso Fino Horse Association (PFHA) has officially named Sally Walker as its new Executive Director. The association president stated that Walker was chosen to serve as the organization’s Director from over 70 candidates elicited through a nationwide search. Walker comes to PFHA with extensive leadership experience in the nonprofit, corporate, and private business worlds. She is also a lifelong horsewoman. Most recently,...

Shelburne, VT - We're now just slightly over three months before the 2013 AMHA Annual Convention and we're still planning the fun and excitement that will take place February 21-23 in Portland, Oregon, at The Benson Hotel. Two new seminars have just been added to the already stellar lineup of speakers. Dr. Marvin Hausman will give a presentation on a new therapeutic strategy to control and prevent colic, laminitis, and tying-up. Physiologic problems in the horse are the result of...

Elma Garcia and "Wenesa" show off the winning form which earned them the blue ribbon in the inaugural CDS Dressage Seat Equitation Challenge. (Jennifer M. Keeler) Burbank, CA - Southern California is known for its star-studded attractions and entertainment, and the 45th Anniversary California Dressage Society (CDS) Championship Show Presented By HorseShow.com buzzed with this same excitement today as five arenas of non-stop competition got underway at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center in...

Lexington, KY - The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) is proud to announce the debut of the Frangible Technology Grant Program. The Program will allow organizers of USEF licensed eventing competitions to apply for assistance in the implementation of frangible devices. In June of 2008 the USEF began supplying frangible pins at no cost to organizers of USEF licensed eventing competitions. Over the past four years, at the encouragement of the Fédération Equestre...

The thirteenth in a series of guest blog posts from Michelle Binder With growth comes ‘growing pains.’ The situation surrounding Western Dressage becomes more complicated with each passing day. More and more shows are offering WD classes with tests from several sources. YouTube watchers see a huge variation in the WD videos presented there. At least three different rulebooks now grace cyberspace and you can read articles and letters to the editor in national and local magazines. The...

North Salem, NY - September 12, 2012 - Hunt Ltd has signed on to sponsor the legendary American Gold Cup, one of the world's most prestigious show jumping events, at its new home at Old Salem Farm in North Salem, NY. The show started today, September 12,2012, and will run through September 16, 2012, with the famed $200,000 American Gold Cup CSI4*-W FEI World Cup Qualifying Competition as the highlight event on Sunday. Hunt Ltd is a popular retailer of women's clothing, jewelry and...