Aaron Ralston (left) and Tim McQuay (right) were awarded the Bronze and Silver Individual reining medals at the 2006 WEG. Canada's Duane Latimer took the Gold. (Bob Langrish ) (Aachen, Germany) —It ended like it began, with wind and rain. But, it was a wet, windy and wonderful finale to an amazing two weeks of equestrian sport at the 2006 Aachen World Equestrian Games in Aachen, Germany. By all accounts, it has turned out to be the biggest and most impressive equestrian competition in...

Beezie Madden and Authentic made the final four cut in show jumping's Rolex World Championship. (Bob Langrish) The show jumpers returned to day four of five in a hotly contested race to the medal podium. America’s Beezie Madden and Authentic have dazzled the legions of show jumping fans that have traveled to Aachen to witness the very best of the best. Today’s two-round go was the decisive test of which four horse-and-rider pairs were asked to return for one last round on Sunday....

The Dressage at Devon committee recently announced that it is offering $10,000 in prize money for the Grand Prix Freestyle winners at the 2006 show, stating that it is believed to be the most prize money for an individual class ever offered at a dressage show in the United States. Prize money for the same class in 2005 was $5,000. The winner of that class was George Williams of Delaware, OH, on the Westphalian mare, Rocher. “Despite the fact that dressage horses train longer than those in other...

Smith Lilly and his gifted mount, He’s The Man (CH Man On The Town X Perfect), were the judges’ unanimous winners of the Five-Gaited World’s Grand Championship in Louisville’s Freedom Hall on Saturday evening, August 26. Having won the Five-Gaited Gelding Stake earlier in the week, the pair wowed the audience from the moment they came into the arena, with the trademark Louisville roar growing with every pass down a straightaway. In his comments to the show ring announcer, Smith was appreciative...

The U.S. show jumping team shows off their Silver medals from the team competition at the WEG. (l-r) Chef d'Equipe George Morris, McLain Ward, Margie Engle, Beezie Madden and Laura Kraut. (Bob Langrish) It was a late start for the show jumpers on Thursday at the 2006 FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG), but it is better late than never. The Main Stadium was once again packed to the rafters, full of fans cheering the competitors and witnessing the contest of the team medal in Aachen. Earlier in the...

The 60th annual Buffalo International Horse Show (BIHS) will host yet another year of top hunter and jumper competition in the Northwest in 2006. Held at the Buffalo Equestrian Center (BEC), which is formerly known as the Buffalo Saddle and Bridle Club, the horse show has a long tradition of excellence and has seen some of the nation’s best equestrians compete in its hallowed indoor arena. The show will be held September 13-17 and will benefit the Buffalo Therapeutic Riding Center (BTRC)....

It was hot in St. Louis on August 2-5 for the American Shetland Pony Club (ASPC) National Shetland Pony Congress, but the ponies who came to compete were even hotter. Some 480 ponies trekked to the new show site, the National Equestrian Center in Lake St. Louis. After almost a decade of hosting the show in Rantoul, IL, show officials were very pleased with the number of entries the new show location attracted. “With a new location, soaring gasoline prices and record temperatures, we were...

By Bob Langrish (Beezie Madden and Authentic are leading all show jumpers at the WEG for two days in a row.) It’s double duty again at the 2006 World Equestrian Games (WEG) in Aachen, Germany, as two disciplines played out simultaneously – one of them in the Main Stadium (show jumping) and the other having its first-day opener in Stadium 2 (four-in-hand driving). Both of the disciplines have fans running back and forth to take in the action. In show jumping, it’s Day One of a...

By Bob Langrish (Beezie Madden and Authentic in the Main Stadium in Aachen, Germany.) (Aachen, Germany)— The 16 efforts put in front of the 116 show jumpers going round during the 1st qualifier and speed class for the individual and team FEI World Championships in Aachen were a bit more than a few could handle. And for Team USA, there were few bumps along the road translating into less than a handful of downed rails in a windy Main Stadium. Over the day, six horses were eliminated, and...

Steffen Peters finished fourth yesterday in the grand prix special with a 75.200%, just out of the medals. They finished sixth tonight in the musical freestyle on a score of 78.600%. (Bob Langrish) Crowds were spilling out of the 2006 World Equestrian Games on Saturday, with record crowds jamming not only the dressage freestyle, but the cross-country course, as well as the show grounds. Across the day, more than 44,000 fans of eventing were on-hand; 40,000 tickets were sold (and 60,000 were on...