Lexington, Ky. - The first day of dressage began at the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials on Thursday at Burghley House, Stamford in Lincolnshire, England, with the first batch of U.S. riders coming down the centerline. In the CCI4*, a talented international field performed their tests in front of the judging panel of Christian Landolt, Ernst Topp, and Angela Tucker. Allison Springer (Upperville, Va.) and Arthur had a stellar dressage test, earning a 41.2 and putting them in third place, just...

Caen, France - The United States upped its medal count by three today in the FEI Reining World Championships at the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. In the Individual Final, the Adequan U.S. Reining Squad swept the podium with combinations putting in amazing performances. A field of twenty one riders hoped to top the leaderboard in front of an enthusiastic crowd at the Caen Exhibition Center but leading the way was Shawn Flarida who claimed the Individual Gold medal, Andrea Fappani...

Rome, Italy - Kent Farrington, the only American rider at Piazza di Siena this year, galloped to victory with Blue Angel in the Premio MAG-JLT Small Grand Prix this afternoon and now has his sights firmly set on securing the new D’Inzeo Brothers Trophy tomorrow afternoon. Uliano Vezzani’s track produced only eight first-round clears from a starting field of 63, partly due to a very tight time-allowed of 78 seconds. The jump-off line-up was world-class however, led by Germany’s...

Orchard Hills Dragonflyy in his winning "Best Young Pony" presentation (The Book LLC) Devon, P.A. - While junior competitors showed their equitation in Devon's famous Dixon Oval, the young hunter ponies competed in-hand in the Gold Ring on Thursday. The ponies showed in their respective age groups divided by gender, and the top ponies of all ages were then judged together for championship honors. The Best Young Pony was ultimately crowned overall. The Hunter Pony Championship for Fillies...

Evi Strasser and Rigaudon Tyme (SusanJ.Stickle.com) Wellington, Fla. - The FEI Intermediaire Freestyle was seen later in the afternoon, with Canadian Evi Strasser besting the class with Rigaudon Tyme and a score of 72.208%. Second place went to Gabriela Stumpf (AUT) and Finally Love, who finished with a 68.125%. Amy Walker-Basak (USA) and Wagner were third with a 64.917%. Strasser's scores have steadily increased throughout the weekend before her win on Sunday. Strasser explained the trip...

On the podium after the Champion's Challenge (CHI-W Geneve) Geneva, Switzerland – Kent Farrington won the biggest class of the day at CHI-Geneva for a second straight night on Saturday. In the when he and Robin Parsky’s Blue Angel rode two crisp, clear rounds and finished ahead of the competition in the jump-off. A time of 41.02s was the winner for Farrington, the put him ahead of 2nd place finishers Patrice Delaveau and Lacrimoso HDC, 41.38s, and fellow American’s Reed...

Sister Act - American sisters Cassidy and Kimberly Palmer secured a pas-de-deux victory at the FEI World Cup™ Vaulting 2013/2014 leg at the Stuttgart German Masters. (Karl-Heinz Frieler/FEI) Stuttgart, Germany - The 2013 USEF Open Pas de Deux National Champions made a statement on the world stage this weekend by winning the FEI World Cup™ Vaulting qualifier at the Stuttgart German Masters on Sunday. The Pas de Deux qualifier series is new this year, and the Stuttgart leg was only the...

Sinead Halpin and Manoir De Carneville (Jenni Autry) Unionville, PA - The sixth annual Plantation Field International Horse Trials weekend concluded Sunday with an exciting finish in the CIC3*, as Sinead Halpin and Manoir De Carneville smoked the course to finish double clear and 13 seconds inside the time. Halpin led wire to wire all weekend, and she won the event on a very impressive dressage score of just 37.8. While Halpin said Saturday she didn't intend to go for time Sunday and...

Burbank, CA - Judges Jimmy Torano and Mandy Porter wasted no time posing questions to the 33 riders who tackled the Gymnastics Phase of the Platinum Performance/ USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Finals West. The course started with a canter rail to a vertical with a landing rail, and the rail fell often. Riders then had to trot into a grid comprising a trot rail to a vertical then 23 feet to an oxer followed by 21 feet to another oxer. Hannah Von Heidegger (Will Simpson, trainer) found the best...

Laura Chapot on Castelllano (Devon Walder) Devon, PA - Out of eleven riders, only five made it to the jump off. Four-- if you don't count Laura Chapot twice. After the first few rounds with both jump and time faults, it looked like the course was proving a little too tough for the riders and horses, especially in the heat. Then Laura Chapot took the ring and swept the first round clean. Chapot is notoriously a skilled equestrian, and she did not disappoint, securing a solid 33 seconds in...