The first American CEI of 2011 took place at the Dupuis Equestrian Center near Indiantown, FL, January 28-29. The event featured two days of Endurance competition. In the CEIJY 1* (80km), Forest Green and PL Nino took top honors in a time of 3:55:30 beating Kelsey Russell and Tryssta by 30 seconds to the wire. In the CEI 1* (80km) Amy Atkins crossed the finish line in 5:03:40 on SA Zacks Comet, one second ahead of Daryl Downs and Blaze Star. In another desperately close race, Kathy Brunjes won...

The USEF Annual Meeting celebrated 2010’s champions and Reining superstars Tom McCutcheon and Gunners Special Nite were honored for an outstanding year of achievement. They were the only U.S. pair to win two Gold medals at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. Gunners Special Nite, owned by Sarah Wilemen, was voted USEF Horse of the Year for his achievements and the following night, McCutcheon won the top honor (Equestrian of the Year) for himself. It was an outstanding accomplishment...

Wellington, FL - January 24, 2011 - The second week of the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) continued successfully at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. In addition to 12 rings of hunter, jumper, and equitation competition, there was plenty happening on the grounds. Here are upcoming events at the FTI WEF: Exhibitor Party at the White Horse Tavern, sponsored by Equine Couture/Tuff Rider- Friday, January 28 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Pick up your ticket at the stabling office or in...

Fairfield, CT — In poker it’s called re-shuffling the deck, and when the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) announced at the start of the 2010 semester that it had realigned its nine Zones to eight - changing the geography of its competitive regions and impacting coaching strategies - it promised to make the road to the 2011 IHSA National Championships, May 5-8, at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, an interesting one. With Regional and Zone Championships, and Western...

Gunners Special Nite (Shannon Brinkman/USEF) Lexington, KY - The city of Lexington was largely defined by the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in 2010, so it proved a fitting setting to crown the 2010 Farnam/Platform USEF Horse of the Year. And the winner couldn't be more all-American. The only multiple Gold medal-winning horse for Team USA, Gunners Special Nite, a six-year-old American Quarter Horse brought the sport of reining to the forefront of the American equestrian community. People...

Oklahoma City, OK - At the recent National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) Board of Directors meeting, the 2011 Hall of Fame nominations were approved featuring the largest class of inductees to date. The eight inductees include a mix of historic people and horses and some of today’s most well-known names. Those people who will be formally inducted at the 2011 Awards Banquet include Shawn Flarida, Bob Kiser, Mandy McCutcheon, and Ronnie Sharpe. Horses include three stallions Boomernic, Shining...

Wellington, FL - January 17, 2011 - The first week of the 2011 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) was a great success with horses and riders from around the world competing at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. It was a record opening week for the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival, with the number of horses showed increased by 11% from last year. The competition, held in 12 different rings all now on the North Grounds, was fantastic, and spectators and exhibitors enjoyed the venue...

Maggie Boylan and Poetic. (Photo bu Sportfot©.) Wellington, FL - January 16, 2011 - The opening week of the 2011 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival came to a successful close today. The competition will continue through April 3, with eleven more weeks remaining here at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. Championships were awarded today to conclude the week, including the honors in the Bainbridge Amateur-Owner 18-35 Hunter division. Poetic, owned and ridden by Maggie Boylan, was this...

Kent Farrington & Up Chiqui. (Flashpoint Photography©) Green Cove Springs, FL - January 15, 2011 – Only the United Nations could compare to this week’s global gathering of delegates for the FEI World Cup Qualifier with 28 of the world’s best equine athletes looking to garner points towards a spot in the finals, held April 27 through May 1 in Lipzieg, Germany. Kent Farrington, who divides his residence between Greenwich, CT, in the summer and Wellington, FL, during the winter, partnered with...

Wellington, FL - Interagro Lusitanos of Brazil, the largest Lusitano export and breeding operation in the world, is pleased to announce that their head trainer, Pia Aragão, will be competing at the Florida winter dressage shows. Aragão will compete horses from Interagro Lusitanos, including several horses that will be taking part in the 2011 Lusitano Collection International Horse Auction in Wellington on February 23–26. Aragão and her horses will be arriving in Florida in late January. “I will...