It's official. NAWD has applied for recognized affiliate status with the USEF. Supporters have until June 11th to let the USEF know that North American Western Dressage is the right choice of organizations to build the future of Western Dressage. NAWD President Jen Johnson states: “Western Dressage is coming. Over the past 3 years we have watched it grow at warp speed from the hint of an idea to not just one but three major organizations with very different ideals. Throughout, NAWD...

Lexington, KY - Competition began today at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by Land Rover in the Rolex Stadium at the Kentucky Horse Park. Twenty-two combinations rode their dressage tests in front of the Ground Jury of Nick Burton (GBR), Christina Klingspor (SWE), and Brian Ross (USA). Andrew Nicholson (NZL) and Calico Joe took the early lead after scoring a 40.8. Nicholson rode a beautiful test, taking the lead during the morning session and never relinquishing it throughout the...

Ocala, FL – HITS is pleased to announce that the quarantine that has been in effect at the HITS Ocala show grounds for the past three weeks will be lifted Wednesday morning, March 13, in time for the season finale. On Wednesday at 8am, restrictions on horses entering or leaving the show grounds will be lifted, and the Ocala Celebration (HITS IX) will kick off with a bang. “We are pleased to be in a position to highlight all the great classes and events that are on the schedule for...

Rich Fellers and Flexible rode to the winner’s circle over an impressive field this weekend to collect first-place honors in the $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Zoetis, at HITS Thermal (Flying Horse Photography) Thermal, CA – Fifty-three horse-and-rider combinations took the field, but it was the reigning World Cup winners who ruled the day Friday, when Rich Fellers and Flexible rode to victory in the $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Zoetis. The rider from Wilsonville,...

A new National Collegiate Equestrian Association (NCEA) coaches poll was released Wednesday and as expected, there wasn’t any shakeup among the top hree teams. The most notable change was Kansas State’s flip with South Carolina to No.4 and No.5 respectively. Coming into the spring season the top four spots were occupied by SEC teams. Though the conference still has a stranglehold on the top two, good showings by Oklahoma State and Kansas State, in conjunction with South Carolina and...

The U.S. team following the Opening Ceremonies (R. Millin) Parys, South Africa – On Thursday, December 6, competition got underway at the Saddle Seat World Cup. Riders in the Three- and Five-Gaited sections of the U.S. team competed in the initial stages of the rail and pattern work. Both sections of U.S. riders had strong performances on the first day of competition. The Five-Gaited section riders Hunter Chancellor (Evansville, IN), Angela Darrow (Hartland, WI), Drew Taylor Hewitt...

The twenty third in a series of blog post from Michelle Binder I began this Western Dressage Blog specifically as a blog for NAWD to help raise public awareness about WD groups other than WDAA. I saw a need for publicity specific to that organization. I also saw a need for a forum that presented the reality that other organizations with different missions and goals regarding WD existed. USEF has not licensed Western Dressage as an independent discipline so at this time there is no officially...

2012 is nearly over. Show season is winding down and Western dressage organizations are gathering feedback from judges and competitors alike about tests, rules, shows and all things western dressage. Late fall is time for annual meetings for everyone and WD is on agendas all over the country. NAWD and WDAA are busy analyzing data and perfecting tests and rulebooks before the 2013 show season starts so more news will be coming from these fronts very soon. USEF and USDF will have more information...

The FEI is delighted to announce that five countries are confirmed as bidders to stage the FEI World Equestrian Games™ in 2018. The five bid cities that have now taken on Official Candidate status are Rabat (MAR); Bromont (CAN); Budapest (HUN); Vienna (AUT) and Wellington (USA). Under the new bidding process put in place last year by the FEI for the FEI World Equestrian Games™, eight signed Expression of Interest documents were received from the National Federations of Australia,...

Hunt Tosh and Say Again earned top honors in the Green Conformation Hunters at the Tampa Bay Classic. (Elsie Vieira/PMG) Tampa, FL - The Tampa Equestrian Series, held at the Bob Thomas Equestrian Center in Tampa, FL, is off to a great start in its first day of competition. The hunter ring was especially prominent today with a consistent string of winning horse and rider combinations. It was Hunt Tosh who stole the show today, he swept the over fences in multiple divisions aboard his talented...