Steffen Peters and Legolas 92 (SusanJStickle.com) Las Vegas, N.V. - The 2015 Reem Acra FEI World Cup Dressage Final got underway this afternoon in the Thomas & Mack Center Arena in Las Vegas, N.V. with 18 of the world’s best athlete-and-horse combinations contesting the FEI Grand Prix test. The U.S. duo of Steffen Peters and Laura Graves gave the home crowd something to cheer about, executing brilliant tests to place third and fifth, respectively. Steffen Peters (San Diego, Calif.)...

McKayla and Hazel The Dressage Foundation's Renee Isler Dressage Support Fund has awarded a $1,000 grant to youth dressage rider McKayla Hohmann (Colfax, WI) to train her rescue pony, Humble Hazel, with Amanda Johnson. Humble Hazel is owned by Karen Lee. McKayla’s goal for the next year is to gain a better understanding of balance with her horse so that she can apply it to showing at Second Level. After her intensive training with Amanda Johnson, McKayla hopes to move on with Hazel...

Krystal Wilt (Pat Hendrick Photography) The Dressage Foundation is pleased to announce that the inaugural Karen Skvarla Fund Grant has been awarded to young professional, Krystal Wilt, of Sand Lake, NY. Krystal intends to use the $500 grant to ride two horses in Eastern New York Dressage and Combined Training Association’s Gary Rockwell clinic in May. Krystal is a high school biology teacher who devotes the rest of her hours to dressage training. She would like to build her dressage...

Verdades with Laura Graves, Debbie McDonald, and Judy Sloan (CA Bose/PSDressage.com) Wellington, Fla. - Deloitte, one of the "Big Four" professional services firms, has announced its sponsorship of Laura Graves as she pursues her goals of riding for the United States at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto and the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. News of the sponsorship, which is unprecedented in the sport of dressage, was shared with media members at a cocktail event on Saturday...

Jennie Brannigan & Cambalda (Leslie Mintz/USEA) Norwood, N.C. - The Fork has always been a lucky location Jennie Brannigan and Cambalda and this year the streak continued with the pair earning a win in the CIC3* with a picture perfect cross-country round. “Between myself and the people I am friends with, we all seem to do well at this event,” said Brannigan. “They are all really good riders and those are the ones that usually do well [at The Fork].” “[Cambalda]...

Liz Halliday & Fernhill by Night (USEA/Leslie Mintz) Norwood, N.C. - When the ride times were changed at The Fork Horse Trials in Norwood, N.C., Liz Halliday-Sharp ended up with only five minutes of warm-up for her and Deborah Halliday’s 12-year-old Irish Sport Horse Gelding, Fernhill by Night. It turned out those five minutes were all she needed, as she was able to secure the overnight lead with a score of 41.8 – besting 41 other horse and riders. “I walked up about five...

Carlos Lopez (Stefano Grasso/LGCT) Miami Beach, Fla. - Carlos Lopez (COL) and Zephyr II claimed a fast and furious opening victory in the CSI5* schedule today at the truly special Miami Beach venue. Second place went to two-time LGCT Champ Edwina Tops-Alexander (AUS) and Questina who stopped the clock just under 1.5s behind Lopez. Third went to World No15 Gregory Wathelet (BEL) and Egano van het Slogenhof who finished a nail-biting 0.06s behind Tops-Alexander. Sunbathers and paddlers enjoying...

Hardin Towell (Stefano Grasso/LGCT) Miami Beach, Fla. - It was a home win for the USA in the feature class of the day, the Artisan Farms Trophy. Hardin Towell and Cadence, owned by Jennifer Gates, were just too fast for the rest of the combinations who took to the testing Uliano Vezzani course - the pair stopped the clock at a lightening 37.15s, 2nd place went to Steve Guerdat and Concetto Son in 38.25s and 3rd to Maikel van der Vleuten and VDL Groep Arera C in 38.71s. The American really...

Liza Boyd and Sterling won Friday's $10,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby in the Olympic Arena at the Georgia International Horse Park. Atlanta, Ga. - The $10,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby saw a field of twelve horse and rider teams compete over a course designed by Vaillencourt in the Olympic Arena. Pony Lane Farm's Sterling, ridden by Liza Boyd of Camden, South Carolina won the class after earning a combined score of 354. Second place finisher was Ava, owned and ridden by...

Sydney Long pilots Venchy De Bornival to the win in Saturday's $25,000 EMO Grand Prix (Alison Hartwell) Atlanta, Ga. - Saturday at the Olympic Venue is Grand Prix showing jumping day and the $25,000 EMO Grand Prix saw a field of 13 compete for the win in the Olympic Arena over a course designed by Vaillencourt. Sixteen year old Sydney Long of Atlanta, Georgia in the irons of her own Venchy De Bornival posted the only clear round in a time of 77.163 seconds, beating the 80 seconds time allowed...