Francois Mathy and Polinska Des Isles (Shawn McMillen Photography) Lexington, Ky. - Sometimes it is a rail, sometimes it is an inside turn and sometimes it is just one-tenth of a second separating the winner from the losers. That is exactly what happened during the Double H Farm $100,000 International Open Jumpers at the Alltech National Horse Show. Todd Minikus was aiming for his second win in a row with Quality Girl, completing a clear jump-off effort, when Belgium's Francois Mathy was...

Code Name and Sara Mittleider, winners of the 5-Year-Old USEA Young Event Horse West Coast Championships at the Galway Downs International Three-Day Event. (Amy McCool photo) Temecula, Calif. - The USEA Young Event Horse West Coast Championships crowned their 4- and 5-year-old winners at Galway Downs International Three-Day Event. In the 5-Year-Old class, Sara Mittleider and her own Code Name led from start to finish, while in the 4-Year-Old class, Jennifer McFall and Dragonfire Farm’s...

Todd Minikus and Quality Girl (Shawn McMillen) Lexington, Ky . - When $50,000 is up for grabs it brings out the best horses and riders in the world, putting their best foot forward. That is how the Open Jumper division at the 2013 Alltech National Horse Show kicked off today. Todd Minikus and Quality Girl left nothing to chance as they sped around Conrad Homfeld's challenging track, besting the field by two seconds to win the Taylor Harris $50,000 Open Jumper Welcome Speed, presented by...

Meredith Darst and Soldier in their winning presentation. (Shawn McMillen Photography) Washington D.C. - The 2013 Hermès WIHS Equitation Finals concluded this evening with an exciting win for 16-year-old Meredith Darst of Lebanon, OH. Darst rode Elizabeth Gabler's Soldier, a seven-year-old Holsteiner gelding by Carolus II, through the first two phases of competition finishing with a score of 88.75 in the hunter phase and a 91 point total in the jumper phase. Returning for the final...

Vinton Karrasch and Coral Reef Baloufino were the only pair to go clear Saturday Night at Del Mar (Captured Moment Photography) Del Mar, Calif. - Even Del Mar's own crew of bloodthirsty zombies couldn't stop Vinton Karrasch and Coral Reef Baloufino from delivering a breathtaking clear round well within the time allowed to clinch the win. An enthusiastic crowd - many in costume - enjoyed seeing 38 of the top Grand Prix riders and horses in the country take on the myriad challenges posed...

Elkton, Md. - The first phase of The Dutta Corp Fair Hill International competition came to a close on Friday in the William DuPont Jr. Arena as all 45 CCI3* entries completed their dressage tests and the second half of CCI2* competitors went down centerline. In The Dutta Corp/USEF Three-Star Eventing National Championship Jennie Brannigan and Cambalda hold the early lead heading into the cross country on a score of 42.6. While Thursday's dressage leader in the CCI2* Boyd Martin and Pancho...

Susan Hutchinson and Sig Excel (Captured Moment Photography) Del Mar, Calif. - Large turn-outs for jumper classes kept the Del Mar Arena busy, and riders had to be exceptionally fast and accurate to finish in the ribbons in these highly competitive classes. Performance Working Hunters at both 3.3 and 3.6 also saw large classes and exacting competition. As the 1.35m Jumper Classic got underway this evening, 42 riders including veteran show jumping stars Will Simpson, Rich Fellers, Hugh Mutch,...

Gladstone, N.J. - The 2013 Platinum Performance/USEF Talent Search Finals East officially got underway on Saturday at the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation Headquarters with competitors completing the first two phases of competition. In the morning, judges Ronnie Beard and Anne Kursinski tested riders on the flat in the Dick and Jane Brown Arena and in the afternoon competitors returned to demonstrate their skill over a gymnastics course. At the end of the first day of competition, Lillie Keenan...

Armani and Madeline Schaefer (Shawn McMillen Photography) Upper Marlboro, MD – Saturday of Capital Challenge Horse Show highlights the country's young rider talent with championships for pony, junior and children’s pony hunters. The Grand Pony Hunter Championship was awarded to Madeline Schaefer on Armani. Ashley Foster on Sin City and Samantha Sommers riding Small Affair picked up the top tricolors in the Small and Large 16-17 Hunters, respectively, while Sienna Pilla was the...

September 26, 2013 – The Breed Division ended with the Individual Breed Classes, featuring19 breeds of all sizes, colors and shapes with one thing in common – they were all the best of their breeds. German Oldenburg’s Dance at Dressage at Devon The Grand Champion and USDF Mare Champion of the 2013 Breed Show was the eye-catching 2008 German Oldenburg mare Sanibelle by Sir Donnerhall I out of Lunar Wind by Lorke-Der Radetzky, bred by Louise Rascoe, owned by Susan Craft. In the...