It was a perfect day for the 2008 Olympic duo of Sharn Wordley and the brilliant Rockville, the winners of the Lucky Sevens Jumper Welcome Classic presented by ShowNet.biz on January 22. Wordley’s one mount bested 27 contenders for the top spot, including Wilhelm Genn, who dominated the circuit last year with his three mounts, Chantal, Loredo, and Happy Z. But as the sun began to set on the swift jump-off round, Wordley had survived the trials and tribulations put before them courtesy of course...

Caitie Hope's winning momentum from last year has followed her into 2009, and last week she rode her way into the winner's circle once again. Hope of Barrington, IL, competed at the Lake St. Louis Horse Show in St. Louis, MO, and executed consistent rounds for top ribbons. She trains with Diane Carney at Telluride Farm, based in Hampshire, IL. Hope piloted Cinch, owned by Kathleen Hope, in the Large Junior 16-17 Hunter division and came away with the overall championship. The pair earned two...

If horses could talk, humans would certainly hear some amazing tales. The stories told by Jamaica, the 17-year-old combined driving horse that helped his owner Chester Weber win a Silver medal at the FEI World Championships in The Netherlands, would be some of the most inspiring. At first glance, the high-spirited champion combined driving horse bears little resemblance to the carriage horse in the childhood story Black Beauty . That’s until you learn that the gelding was rescued from a...

Caitlin Houlihan and Little Joe (Janice Hischer, owner and trainer) took home the championship ribbon from the first Riding for Reading class in Arizona, and earned some money for her school’s library along the way. Collman Equestrian Productions held the class as part of the Scottsdale Fall Preview (October 16-19). Earlier in the day, Houlihan won the Low Junior/Amateur Jumper Classic on her own Double O Seven. The Riding for Reading class marked her first time showing on the flat. "I wanted...

Molly Rosin and Havarah's Charly Hold their Lead (Shannon Brinkman) Elkton, MD ¬– The temperatures dropped overnight but the competition continued to heat up at the 2008 Dansko Fair Hill International which is playing host to the 2008 USEF National CCI** and CCI*** Eventing Championships. The second day of dressage unfolded without a change to the top of the leaderboard in the CCI**. Local rider Molly Rosin and Havarah’s Charly staved off a charge from the Californian...

Each October since 1973, Morgan horses, owners, trainers and exhibitors descend upon Oklahoma City for the Grand National & World Championship Morgan Horse Show. This year's competition brought nearly 1,200 horses from 46 U.S. States, Austria, Canada and Great Britain to vie for titles in a variety of disciplines, including English pleasure, hunter pleasure, carriage driving, dressage and reining. The week-long show, held October 4-11 at the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds, included virtually...

The world-renowned Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo will open its arenas to one of the most unconventional competitions in its more than 113-year history as it welcomes Mustang Magic January 23-24. Mustang Magic, developed from the highly successful Extreme Mustang Makeover competitions, will debut at the 2009 Stock Show and feature 13 trainers from across the country that have already shown their mettle as Mustang trainers. The trainers are as unique as the horses they are training, with...

Lexington, KY - The National Safety Officer, Malcolm Hook, has released the following report on the safety measures implemented to advance safety in the sport of Eventing. The following protocols have been put into effect, and some came out of the USEF/USEA Safety Summit held June 7-8, 2008 in Lexington, KY. This report was submitted to the FEI in August. The Watch List specifications are nearing completion to inform competitors of potentially dangerous riding at USEF and USEF endorsed...

Even tropical storm Hanna could not stop the competition at The Laurels at Landhope, September 5-7 in West Grove, PA. With hard ground from a dry summer, drivers in the advanced, intermediate, and preliminary divisions got through dressage, but some had concerns that the hard going would be too rough for them. "If there was anything that had me worried, it was that we wouldn't get the rain. I would have scratched. I was not going to sacrifice my 'A' team to the ground," said Lisa Stroud after...

Lauren Hough and her mount Unicum closed out the Constitution Classic at HITS Culpeper when the duo posted the fastest double-clear effort in the $40,000 Avalon Saddlery Grand Prix to win the blue ribbon. Course Designer Ken Krome trimmed a field of 21 starters in the first round down to just four in a jump-off that saw Hough dominate the round when she won the class by nearly six seconds. Kicking things off in the jump-off was Maryland's Tracy Magness and her grand prix horse Tarco Van Ter...