Wayne, IL - The 2013 Markel/USEF Young & Developing Horse Dressage National Championships presented by HorseShow.com continued on Friday with the second and final day of Qualifying Classes. Promising Six-Year-Olds and Developing Prix St. Georges Horses showcased their talents in front of the judging panel of Janet Foy, Bill Warren and Linda Zang in Lamplight Equestrian Centers’ Championship Arena. In the Markel/USEF Young Horse Dressage Six-Year-Old National Championships presented by...

Paul O'Shea rode Instant Karma to the $50,000 Fieldstone Grand Prix victory at the Fieldstone Summer Showcase I, also claiming the $25,000 Boston Strong Rider Bonus (Phelps Media Group, Inc. International) Halifax, MA - The luck of the Irish was with Paul O'Shea Saturday afternoon at the Fieldstone Show Park as he piloted Instant Karma to the victory in the $50,000 Fieldstone Grand Prix, presented by Gallo Dark Horse Wine, Ocean Spray and Samuel Adams, narrowly beating Boston Bruins owner,...

Brittini Raflowitz cleaned up Chicago on the final day of Equifest I with the $7,500 Cavalor High Junior/Amateur-Owner victory aboard Zacca Zoeloe, riding to the second place with KT Undercover (Ashley N. Williams) Wayne, IL - The final day of Equifest I opened to cloudless skies and strong jumper competition as the Junior and Amateur-Owner Jumpers took the spotlight in the Grand Prix Arena at the Lamplight Equestrian Center. Brittini Raflowitz rode to her fourth major win of the week, this...

Ammeretto and David Beisel (Tricia Booker Photography) Traverse City, MI - David Beisel and Ammeretto saved their best for last. After winning the first class they contested during the 2013 Horse Shows by the Bay Series on July 4, they finally picked up their second blue ribbon today during the $30,000 D-Braider Cherry Capital Classic Grand Prix. "It was worth the wait, for sure," said Beisel, who also notched his first grand prix win aboard the 8-year-old Dutch Warmblood stallion (Numero...

Lauren Crooks and Navare D'Oriolles (Spruce Meadows Media Services) Calgary, Alberta - The finish of the $33,000 Westjet Cup 1.45m could not have been any closer, with only one-thousandth of a second separating first and second place. With the slimmest margin of victory, Lauren Crooks (USA) and Navare D'Oriolles, a 12-year-old Selle Francais gelding by Derby Rouge x Le Gregol owned by Beatrice Mack, scored their first international victory at Spruce Meadows. Crooks was one of eight...

Lexington, KY - The U.S. sends a strong group of athletes to Germany to compete across five disciplines at the prestigious CHIO Aachen. The host of the 2006 FEI World Equestrian Games, Aachen draws many of the best in the game for world class competition held over ten days. In 2013, the competition runs June 21-30 and will feature 20 talented American athletes. Kimberly and Cassidy Palmer performing a Pas de Deux freestyle test on Saturday at CHIO Aachen (www.barny-th.de) Vaulting The first...

John Pearce and Johnny B Good (Mary Adelaide Brakenridge) Parker, CO - A crowd of spectators gathered to watch spectacular show jumping at the much-anticipated $30,000 Nutrena Summer in the Rockies III Grand Prix in the Kathy and Brad Coors Family Grand Prix Arena at the Colorado Horse Park on a perfect Colorado Saturday afternoon. In the first round of the event, 19 horse and rider combinations battled it out over international course designer Alan Wade's track, attempting to progress to...

Michael Janson and Sangre Azul rode to the top of the $10,000 Fieldstone Grand Prix rankings during the Plymouth Rock Hunter/Jumper Classic (Kendall Bierer/Phelps Media Group) Halifax, MA - The Grand Prix field at the Fieldstone Show Park was immaculate as riders gathered this afternoon for the highly anticipated $10,000 Fieldstone Grand Prix. The arena was hot with competition for the fourth day of the Plymouth Rock Hunter/Jumper Classic. It came down to eight horses in the jump-off, all vying...

I guess the beginning is a great place to start. I grew up in Maine, the oldest of five, to a father who was in the military and a mother who was a housewife until the youngest of my siblings was in Junior-High school. We grew up on the other side of middle-class, OK, we were poor. I grew up watching spaghetti westerns in black and white on Saturday afternoons. I always loved the intrigue of being a Cowboy, pushing cattle up the Chisholm Trail, fighting bad guys and Indians. Next to the pony...

Although some of you may think Western Dressage is new; when I discovered the Western Dressage Association of America was formed 2 years ago, my first thought was “there is actually a name for it?” For well over 30 years, I have taught riders the wisdom of dressage to Western riders. Through the years, I have been contacted to resolve issues with horses and riders working on games, pleasure and reining. I have always addressed the issues the same. Learn the basics, understand the...