Photo Courtesy American Connemara Pony Society On two weekends at the end of June and beginning of July there were three United States Equestrian Federation (USEF)-recognized Connemara shows or divisions in USEF-recognized shows. On June 26, the West Coast Connemara Show was held in Pasa Robles, CA, and this year included a USEF- and United States Dressage Federation-recognized dressage show and a USEF-recognized in-hand breed show. Marynell Eyles was the judge for the in-hand and performance...

The excitement of cutting horse competition returns to the Will Rogers Memorial Coliseum July 13–August 2 with the National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) Summer Cutting Spectacular presented by Great American Insurance. The event lists 1,775 entries vying for more than $2 million in prize money. Classes are divided between a classic challenge competition for five- and six-year-old horses and a derby for four-year-old horses. The Summer Cutting Spectacular is the third leg of the prestigious...

The Essex Classics/United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) Hunterdon Equitation Cup Classic will be held July 28 in Saugerties, NY, in conjunction with the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) East Coast Junior Hunter Finals. In its fifth year, the prestigious class combines the precision of equitation and the handiness of hunters to test the horsemanship skills of some of the most talented young riders in the country. The class consists of three rounds with the highest scores...

There was no roll of the dice for junior rider Halle Salisbury and her Casino in the Marshall & Sterling Hunter Classic during the Colorado Circuit Preview at the Colorado Horse Park in Parker, CO (June 25-28). The youngster, who rides with Libby Barrow, had two horses in the event: Casino, the class winner, and Zhivago, who finished eighth in the class of 14. However, it was aboard Zhivago that Salisbury won the Marshall & Sterling Childrens Medal Class. Amateur Joyce Baldwin was quite pleased...

Lexington, KY – In an unprecedented sweep, Steffen Peters and Akiko Yamazaki’s 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood Ravel swept all three classes in the CDIO Aachen (GER): the Grand Prix, the Grand Prix Special and the Grand Prix Freestyle – further validating their Rolex/FEI World Cup™ Dressage Final victory in April. The sweep was a first for an American combination, and they did it in classic style. Steffen and Ravel Sweep in Aachen (Ken Braddick/dressage-news.com) Their score...

For the first time ever, the Arabian Horse Association (AHA) will combine the National Endurance Ride and National Competitive Trail Ride into one week of exciting competition, which will include American Endurance Ride Conference (AERC)-sanctioned rides, October 27-31, at Lake Carl Blackwell in Stillwater, OK. Competition begins Tuesday, October 27, with the AHA National Championship 100-Mile Endurance Ride, coupled with three coinciding AERC endurance rides— a 100-mile, a 50-mile and a...

Teamwork proved key to the successful running of the 35th Old Dominion Endurance Rides, held this June in the Appalachian Mountains along the Virginia/West Virginia state line. Throughout the ride, teamwork made the difference: between horses, riders and crew, between ride management, veterinarians and farriers, and between radio operators, drag riders and emergency rescue personnel. By June 12, 158 horse-and-rider teams had arrived at base camp outside Orkney Springs, a quaint little town...

Oklahoma City, OK—A very strong turnout for the 2009 AdequanÒ/USEF National Youth Reining Championships presented by Equine Motorcoach made for a competitive field in all three age divisions and an excellent display of reining among the nation’s best young riders. Earlier in the day, Lyndsay Jordan of Georgetown, KY, slid and spun her way to the 2009 NCAA Collegiate Reining Championship, and her strong effort at the AdequanÒ/USEF National Youth Reining Championship was equally impressive,...

Lexington, KY— The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) announces a new contest for 2009 designed to let USEF members vote for their “Favorite USEF Breed Competition.” The idea behind this contest is to award and promote the USEF licensed breed competitions for their efforts in running a show so well that exhibitors want to call it their favorite. Also, this contest gives exhibitors the opportunity to provide positive feedback about the competitions to the USEF. “When we created this...

Lexington, KY – The World Equestrian Festival, CHIO Aachen, got under way with the Vaulting competition on Friday, June 26. The US finished the weekend of competition strong with a sixth place finish by Team Mt. Eden Sun. Steffen Peters and Ravel Head to CHIO Aachen (Shannon Brinkman) One of the most acclaimed competitions in the world continues into the Fourth of July weekend as both Dressage and Show Jumping take center stage. Representing the US in Dressage are Steffen Peters on Ravel...