Stadium Jumping, Inc., the management company for the 2006 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF), is pleased to announce that FTI Consulting of Annapolis, MD, is sponsoring the $200,000 FTI Rider Challenge. The FTI Rider Challenge will be held during the 2006 WEF, from January 25 to March 12 at the Palm Beach Polo Equestrian Club in Wellington, FL. The FTI Rider Challenge will be a rider bonus pool for $200,000 in which the riders will receive points based on the number of riders in the seven...

“America’s Horse,” the American Quarter Horse Association’s award-winning television series will be heading to Manerbio, Italy, for the 2005 FEI World Reining Masters Finals presented by the Arcese Group and the Italian Equestrian Sports Federation (FISE) this coming September. The show will air October 23 on www.aqha.com and on the United States channel, TVG Network. “America’s Horse” has been at the forefront of reining competition television coverage, including the 2002 World Equestrian...

Lexington, KY – Craig Schmersal of Menifee, California, and Tim McQuay of Tioga, Texas will represent the United States in the 2005 FEI World Reining Masters Series Final in Manerbio, Italy, September 24. Each, a master, in his own right, Schmersal was a member of the Gold Medal U.S. team at the 2002 FEI World Equestrian Games in Jerez, Spain, while McQuay is the NRHA’s all-time leading money earner. Schmersal took the Gold medal and Championship title August 27, riding Tidal Wave...

Craig Schmersal and Tidal Wave Jack, Winners of the 2005 Adequan/USEF Open Reining Championship (Waltenberry Photography) Lexington, KY – With swift and calculated moves, amazing 360-degree spins and stop-on-a-dime sliding stops that left an unabashed crowd going wild, Craig Schmersal and Tidal Wave Jack claimed their landmark USEF Gold medal and trophy in one fell swoop at the 2005 Adequan/USEF Open Reining Championship on Saturday, August 27, at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington....

Aachen, Germany - The United States dressage team finished in third place behind a history-making Dutch team that beat Germany on Thursday to win the nations’ team competition at the World Equestrian Festival. The U.S. riders, Steffen Peters of San Diego, CA, on Floriano; and George Williams of Delaware, OH, on Rocher, had led the standings in the grand prix after the first of two days of competition. But, the powerful Dutch and German teams, which included Olympic Individual and Team Gold...

Ramiro Quintana won the testing Speed Challenge at the American Gold Cup last year, and he will return with the same mare, Carousel, to defend his title at this year’s event, September 15-18, at the Devon show grounds in Devon, PA. The Speed Challenge is a very exciting class, which pits professionals against juniors and amateurs, and Quintana, who also won this event four years ago, placed first and third in last year’s event. The five top professionals from their qualifying class on Fast...

Lexington, Kentucky – Stonecroft Farm’s homebred I’m First (CF First Night Out x That Special Face) vindicated his owner’s and trainer’s longstanding faith in him by becoming the World's Champion Five-Gaited Stallion Monday evening under the guidance of Nelson Green. The chestnut stallion, foaled in 2000, is a graduate of the American Saddlebred Registry futurity programs. He won the Two-Year-Old Five-Gaited Stake in 2002. He also won the Three-Year-Old...

San Juan Capistrano, CA – In an amazing dual victory of sorts, Stephanie Danhakl of Pacific Palisades, California, and her horse In Sync, claimed their second National Championship victories respectively, at the fifth annual Show Circuit Magazine/USEF National Junior Hunter Championships, West Coast, in San Juan Capistrano, California, August 16-17. Stephanie won the 2004 Championships on the West Coast, riding Callaway, while her winning Thoroughbred gelding In Sync, trained by Archie...

USEF Archive (Devon Maitozo, 2005 Men’s National Champion) Denver, CO – In a crowd-capturing performance, vaulting’s revered Devon Maitozo, of Simi Valley, California, once again claimed the right to the golden title, as Men’s National Champion, at the 2005 USEF/AVA National Vaulting Championships in Denver, Colorado, August 11-14. Vaulting atop Mozart, a Warmblood gelding, longed by Carolyn Bland and owned by FACE Vaulters, Maitozo performed his technical test to John...

The Youth National Arabian and Half-Arabian Championship Horse Show (Youth Nationals) celebrated its 13th anniversary when it returned to Expo New Mexico in Albuquerque on July 23-30. This year's event showcased more than 1,000 of the nation’s best Arabians, Half-Arabians and Anglo-Arabians from the United States and Canada competing in 124 classes with their talented young riders. Divisions included English, Western, dressage, driving, equitation, halter, horsemanship, hunter, native costume,...