Alison Robitaille and Cassinja Lexington, KY - August 1, 2015 - Alison Robitaille has traveled to the Olympics as a first alternate, competed at the World Equestrian Games and won team silver at the Pan American Games, but in recent years, as she busily brings along young horses and two young children of her own, she has been continually knocking on the door of a grand prix win. On Saturday night at the Kentucky Horse Park she knocked the door all the way down and rode away with an impressive...

Chapter 11: Saying Goodbye to the Pan American Games I am half the man I used to be. No, I have not suddenly gone from “built for the next Ice Age” to “ready for camping in the Lut Desert”, but rather I made a schoolboy error and paid the price. A couple of us decided to escape from the hotel and go for a walk on a local Canadian “trail” – the sun was out and the was a pleasant breeze blowing so the mosquitos were not out to play; the schoolboy error...

Kelley Farmer and Mindful win $25,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby, sponsored by Notting Hill Farm, at the Spring Spectacular III. Wayne, IL - June 16, 2015 - Kelley Farmer has shown in Showplace Production's $25,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby seven times. She has won five times and finished second in two. Last year Farmer rode to the 1-2 finish, and today she returned to the "windy city" to have a repeat performance. She captured the win with Mindful, owned by David Glefke of...

Richie Moloney and Carrabis Z Mill Spring, NC - June 6, 2015 - Tryon International Equestrian Center (TIEC) hosted its largest event of the spring season, packing the Tryon Stadium at the George H. Morris Arena with a crowd of more than 10,000 people. The stands were overflowing as visitors and guests from around the state flocked to Mill Spring, NC, to see the biggest Grand Prix the venue has hosted in its relatively short history. Richie Moloney (IRL) and Carrabis Z were the last to go in the...

New York, N.Y. - Twenty-three of the world's best horses and riders jumped in the inaugural $210,000 Central Park Grand Prix CSI 3*, presented by Rolex, with an exciting victory for New York's own Georgina Bloomberg riding Juvina. The Central Park Grand Prix, presented by Rolex was televised live on NBC Sports Network as the first live primetime broadcast of equestrian sport on a major sports network. Later in the evening, New York native Lucy Deslauriers rode her horse Hester to...

Parker, Colo. - The Colorado Horse Park CCI ** / CCI*, Training and Novice 3-Day, National Horse Trials and Area IX Championships came to a conclusion to day with show jumping in the derby field. Tiffany Cooke, Stuart Black, James Atkinson and Bonner Carpenter all had exceptionally smooth and clear rounds to win their divisions. CCI** With a horse named Patent Pending, it is only fitting that Cooke is a patent attorney and litigator. The talented pair made the CCI** look effortless in all three...

Abigail McArdle and Cosma 20 (Sportfot) Wellington, Fla. - Friday's competition at the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival featured a $34,000 G&C Farm 1.45m speed class with a win for 19-year-old Abigail McArdle (USA) aboard Cosma 20. In the hunter rings, Kyle Owens swept the youngest division of the Adult Amateur Hunters with his horses Voila and Messick. Sponsored by Adequan®, FTI WEF week seven runs February 19-23, 2014. The week will feature the $280,000 Adequan® Grand...

Ramiro Quintana and Largo (Phelps Media Group, Inc.) Wellington, Fla. - The Ridge at Wellington's Turf Tour returned to the International Polo Club Palm Beach wednesday for its sixth week of competition. The 1.30m-1.35m Jumpers kicked off the halfway point of the series, where Ramiro Quintana piloted Largo to the pinnacle of the rankings in the red class, dominating the standings as all other contenders attempted to match their speed. It was Philip Richter and his veteran mount Ray Ray that...

Don Auriello and Tinne Vilhelmson-Silfven (Susan J. Stickle) Wellington, Fla. - January 10, 2014 - The Adequan Global Dressage Festival kicked off the "Friday Night Stars" series with an exciting FEI Grand Prix Freestyle competition and full spectator stands at The Stadium at Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. Leading the way was Tinne Vilhelmson-Silfven (SWE) on Don Auriello, who won with a score of 81.575%. Lars Petersen (DEN) and Mariett scored 76.925% for second place. Fellow Dane...

Welcome to the fourth installment of a different kind of blog from WDAA! The purpose of this post is to allow the reader "into the heads" of both a trainer/judge/competitor, Karen Abbattista and her student, Deborah Herbert, a Florida WDAA member. We would like to share with you some moments in Deb's journey as she pursues her riding goals with her AQHA mare "GenuineArcticSpring", barn name "Belle". Please enjoy as you follow along with these posts that we consider interesting or...