Upper Marlboro, Md. – Ponies ruled Saturday at The Capital Challenge Horse Show, presented by The Gochman Family. Kurtz (14) of Hudson, Ohio., rode to the top of the Pony Hunters on David Gochman's Valor. They were the Large Pony Hunter champions, and with two firsts, two seconds, and a fourth under saddle, and received the Grand Pony Hunter Championship, sponsored by Ali Sweetnam and Sweet Oak Farm. They were awarded the VanderMoore Designs Trophy, donated by VanderMoore Designs....

Daisy Farish and Lisalba (The Book LLC) Gladstone, N.J. - The 2014 Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Finals East kicked-off Saturday with the first two phases of competition at the USET Foundation Headquarters. The field of 55 juniors and young riders began the day under grey, rainy skies demonstrating their proficiency on the flat and returned in the afternoon to perform over gymnastics course designed by Judges Laura Kraut and Jimmy Torano. At the end of the first day of...

Kelley Farmer and Mindful (Tricia Booker/USHJA Archives) Upper Marlboro, Md. - The top six hunter riders in the country went head to head over three rounds Friday at The Capital Challenge Horse Show, and Kelley Farmer took the top spot. The WCHR Pro Finals used the same three-round format as last year. Riders switched on two donated horses for the first two rounds, then brought a horse of their own for the third and final handy round. In the first round, the high score went to Sandy Ferrell on...

Matthew Brown was the recipient of the 2014 Jacqueline B. Mars Training Grant from the USET Foundation. (Shannon Brinkman) Gladstone, N.J. - The USET Foundation is pleased to announce that the Jacqueline B. Mars National Competition and Training Grant has been awarded to Matthew Brown of Petaluma, California. The grant is given to an Eventing rider who has been identified and recommended by the USEF Eventing Selectors, with an impressive record and potential to represent the United States in...

Stephanie Danhakl and Golden Rule (Shawn McMillen Photography) Upper Marlboro, Md. –Adult and Amateur-Owner riders were center stage today at The Capital Challenge Horse Show, presented by The Gochman Family. Four divisions of amateur-owner hunters and three of adult amateur hunters competed. Stephanie Danhakl swept the Grand Amateur-Owner Hunter Championships with her horses Golden Rule and Enough Said. Rachel Howell and Swingtown won the Grand Adult Amateur Hunter Championship. In the...

Gladstone, N.J. - A strong fields of 57 top junior and young riders have traveled to Gladstone, N.J., this week for the Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Finals East. Laura Kraut and Jimmy Torano will serve as judges and course designers for the four-phase competition held at the USET Foundation Headquarters, October 3-5. Competition officially gets underway Saturday morning with Phase I, Flatwork. Competitors will then return to the Dick and Jane Brown Arena later in the...

Tara Metzner and Come Monday (Shawn McMillen Photography) Upper Marlboro, Md. - The Capital Challenge Horse Show, presented by The Gochman Family, had a full day of hunter competition on Wednesday. The evening session had two major Challenge classes; Tara Metzner and Davlyn Farms' Come Monday won the $25,000 WCHR Professional Challenge, while Brian Feigus rode Cailin McNamara's Quinn to victory in the $5,000 WCHR Developing Pro Challenge. During the day session, the professional hunters...

Lexington, Ky. – Four para-equestrian drivers had strong showings at the Shady Oaks Combined Driving Event held September 18-21 in Lodi, Calif. Competing against able-bodied drivers, Stefanie Putnam, Tracy Bowman, Ginny Leal, and Diane Kastama had solid results at the one of the premier combined driving events of the West Coast. Stefanie Putnam (Lafayette, Calif.) scored top honors with Bethesda’s After Dark in the Preliminary Single Horse division with a final score of 101.90....

Devon, Pa. - The rides on Sunday at Dressage at Devon, were of top quality, and featured the Young Rider Freestyle, the Grand Prix Freestyle (ages 16-25), the fantastic Grand Prix Special, and the Intermediaire 1 Freestyle. Allison Brock and Rosevelt, a black stallion owned by Claudine and Fritz Kundrum, won the FEI Grand Prix Special. It was Alison’s second trip to Devon, but the first time she rode in the Grand Prix. She was thrilled that Rosevelt handled Devon’s charged...

Jan Ebeling and Santo Domingo (Jennifer M. Keeler) Burbank, Calif. - After four days, six rings, and nearly 1500 rides scheduled to come down centerline, final championship titles were awarded Sunday and the competition officially entered the record books as the largest edition in the 47-year history of the Annual California Dressage Society (CDS) Championship Show, held in conjunction with the Great American Insurance Group/USDF Region 7 Dressage Championships, September 25 - 28, 2014 in...