Upper Marlboro, MD —Oct. 6, 2010 – John French and Small Affair made a big impression at the Capital Challenge Horse Show. With breathtaking efforts during the two-round $15,000 WCHR Professional Challenge, the bay French-bred gelding soared to victory with a score of 182.99 for owners Iwasaki & Reilly. Although French has contested the class on many previous occasions—and placed second in 2009—this was the first time he claimed the WCHR Professional Challenge and the Little Book Trophy,...

Craig Schmersal and Mister Montana Nic (Photo by Shannon Brinkman for USEF) Lexington, KY - The Adequan U.S. Reining Team started off competition today for the United States athletes at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG). Today's competition in the Reining World Championships presented by John Deere was part 1 and 2 of the Team Competition and the first round of the Individual Qualifying Competition. Tim McQuay of Tioga, TX, and Hollywoodstinseltown, owned by David and Bonnie...

Becky Holder and Courageous Comet (Joanie Morris/ USEF) Fairburn, GA – There were a variety of techniques for approaching the cross country course in the USEF Advanced Horse Trial Championship at the Land Rover/USEA American Eventing Championships. For many American and Canadian horses contesting the division, the greater goal is the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games which will take place in Lexington, KY September 25-October 10, 2010. But Becky Holder (Palmetto, GA) rode like a woman on a...

Where there’s a will, there’s a way. Just ask Miami University of Ohio freshman, Tom Schoen, the 2010 recipient of the Jon Conyers Memorial Scholarship. Schoen rides on the Miami University Equestrian Team (MUET), representing his Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) teammates in the Walk Trot division, under coaches Heather Pinnick and Lori Cramer. Remarkably, the English Education major was not a rider before college. But it’s clear after listening to him talk about his passion for...

Lexington, KY - August 14, 2010 - Saturday was yet another hot and humid day at the Kentucky Horse Park as junior riders competed in day five of 2010 United States Equestrian Federation Pony Finals National Championships. The Large Pony Hunter over fences class started out this morning’s competition with 102 entries to compete over Bobby Murphy’s course in the Walnut Arena. Riders competed in reverse order of the point standings after the model and under saddle phases. During the class,...

Tina Konyot and Calecto V (SusanJStickle.com Photo) Gladstone, NJ – Tina Konyot closed out the 2010 Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Grand Prix National Dressage Championship in impressive fashion to sweep the four legs of competition and stamp herself and Calecto V and win her very first National Grand Prix Championship. Konyot (Palm City, FL) and Calecto rocked to music by KT Tunstall and brought the full house down to Black Horse and the Cherry Tree at the USEF Foundation Headquarters. Over four...

Kassie Barteau Thanks Toscano (SusanJStickle.com) Gladstone, NJ – The 2010 Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Dressage Festival of Champions got off to a flying start on Friday afternoon as the Intermediaire I National Championship kicked off a competitive two weekends featuring the best dressage riders in the United States. Highlighted by the National Grand Prix Dressage Championship which is also serving as the USEF Selection Trial for Dressage for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, these...

Brant Gamma (Kelly Loria bested the competition to take the Individual Gold medal.) Lexington, KY - On the last day of the 2010 Adequan FEI North American Junior & Young Rider Championships presented by Gotham North, the USEA Eventing Championships concluded with the stadium-jumping phase of the three-day event for both Juniors and Young Riders on Sunday. In the Juniors, the Gold medal went to Kelly Loria, representing Area VI/VII/VIII, who proved she is a new rising star on the eventing...

SusanJStickle.com (Young Rider Dressage Team Gold) Lexington, KY - July 28, 2010 - It was dueling dressage riders today in the gleaming parallel lines set on the field of the Kentucky Horse Park’s new Main Stadium. Junior competitors (ages 14-18) and Young Riders (ages 16-21) performed side-by-side to kick off the 2010 Adequan FEI North American Junior & Young Rider Championships presented by Gotham North. Today’s event, The Platinum Performance/USDF Dressage Championship Team Test represented...

It's not like Rachel Boggus has time on her hands. In addition to riding and showing three horses across all the divisions, the amateur rider who trains with Michael Dennehy also is completing the last year of her anesthesiology residency at the University of Colorado Medical Center. "I don't have a lot of free time," Rachel admitted. "When I do, I am riding and showing. It's really hard for me to stay away and sometimes that means very long days with very little sleep, but I wouldn't have it...