June 15th, the second day of the Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Dressage Festival of Champions, got underway with the Brentina Cup. Organized for young adults and named for Debbie McDonald's World Cup Champion mare, the Brentina Cup is open to Steffen Peters (phelpsphoto.com) riders 21-25 years of age. Performing the Intermediaire II test, the horses in the Brentina Cup are developing their skills for the highest level of dressage competition. The second horse of the day filled up the ring with...

Olympian Laura Kraut captured another big event when she won the grand prix of the CSI Madrid on May 19th, which qualifies her for the 2007 European Championship and for the 2008 Olympic Games. Riding Anthem, a 1991 bay Dutch Warmblood gelding who is a familiar mount for Kraut, she finished in 35.84 seconds. For her win, Kraut is 43,000 euros richer. In the second place was Bernardo Alves of Brazil. Alves completed the course in 36.84 seconds aboard Topic Van’t Voorhof. The best rider...

One of the most prestigious reining competitions in the world is coming back to Oklahoma City. The National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) just received word from the International Equestrian Federation (FEI), the international governing body for equestrian sports, that the 2007 FEI World Reining Masters will be held during the 2007 NRHA Futurity and Adequan® North American Affiliate Championship Show November 22-December 1, 2007, at the Oklahoma State Fair Park in Oklahoma City. The Masters...

Bob Langrish (Kim Severson and Winsome Adante competed in the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials for the first time. ) “I can’t believe it—to lead from the front and win—it’s unreal,” said an emotional Lucinda Fredericks after winning the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials with Headley Britannia. After the second-placed American pair of Kim Severson and Winsome Adante (Dan) took two poles out, Fredericks' mare—the first to win Badminton...

Three-time Olympic legend Joe Fargis, based in Southampton, NY, added another win to an already illustrious career taking top honors in the $25,000 Cherry Blossom Grand Prix presented by The Classic Company. Fargis had two of the 25 equine athletes taking on the immense layout created by designer Allen Rheinheimer. The starting field was a balanced mix of young promising horses to the seasoned veteran professionals like this afternoon’s victorious Diams III, the 14-year-old Selle Francais mare...

Temecula, CA—Tiana Coudray of Carmel Valley, CA, parlayed a penalty-free run in show jumping to capture top honors at FEI World Cup Qualifier (CIC3*-W) at Galway Downs. An appreciative crowd of more than 3,000 saw Coudray and King Street, a 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding, finish the three days of competition with a score of 54.8. She was the only CIC3*-W rider in the field of 16 with a clean run in show jumping. “It was a very hard course,” the 18-year-old from Northern California said....

Artesan+++// (Khemosabi++++// x Obsession JD), a nine-year-old purebred Arabian gelding owned by Susie McArthur of Kentfield, CA, ranked as the top horse among a field of more than 3,000 Arabians, Half-Arabians and Anglo-Arabians to become the 2006 Arabian Horse Association (AHA) High Point Horse. To reach this pinnacle, the gelding had to accumulate the highest number of points in the Horse Achievement Awards program during 2006. He racked up 457.5 points in his year of competing in dressage,...

Roberto Teran riding Jamestown for owner King Ridge Stables, based in Reddick, FL, during the winter and Ontario, Canada, during the summer, won this the Welcome Stake sponsored by John Deere on November 16. Allen Rheinheimer of Zionsville, IN, took up the reins of course designing for the jumpers last week. His 12-obstacle layout was more challenge than welcome with big tracks into tight turns and a wicked triple combination. “They had it easy last week,” Rheinheimer commented with a laugh,...

Tracey Winter and her 13-year old Trakehner gelding Martailo won top honors at the recent GAIG/USDF Region Three Dressage Championships when they were awarded the tri-colored neck ribbon for the grand prix championship. This coveted win would be an exceptional victory for any dressage competitor, but for this pair, the victory was the culmination of a dream that spanned more than a decade. Winter acquired Martailo as a weanling and has trained the gelding herself over the past 13 years. Before...

The 32nd Arizona Saddlebred Futurity Horse Show will host the first annual Southwest Regional Championships. The regional is for horses residing in Zone 1 as designated by the ASHA (Zone 1 states are Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah). The Horse show and Saddlebred Futurity will run October 27-29, 2006 at Westworld of Scottsdale. Southwest Regional Championship honors will be awarded to the top horse/rider in each of the following: the Open and Amateur Championship classes...