So we are closing in on the end of the Para-Equestrian Dressage portion of the 2012 Paralympic Games, with only two Freestyles left for the U.S. to perform. It has been an amazing experience for me so far and the icing on the cake would be a medal for our riders! We have come incredibly close on a few occasions but with two more opportunities we are still hopeful. Jonathan Wentz and NTEC Richter Scale were so close on Saturday but had to settle for fourth, not bad in your first Paralympic...

Today was all about familarization. For me I had my second day in London and a second day navigating around. It was much more successful; I got to and from the venue with no wrong turns. That’s not to say that there weren’t delays and extended pauses where I questioned my next move but I never actually went the wrong way. Sometimes it’s all about the small victories! Once at the venue, I was greeted by extremely nice and helpful volunteers and military officials. Not enough...

The tenth in a series of guest blog posts from Michelle Binder The development of Western Dressage as a discipline is very exciting to riders, trainers, breeders and exhibitors alike. North American Western Dressage is dedicated to finding common ground between the two disciplines, educating riders from all backgrounds, and to making dressage concepts accessible to western riders without minimizing the importance of the training pyramid nor sacrificing the principles that are fundamental to...

So I have been in London for about five hours or so and it is everything I was expecting and more. To rewind a bit I spent last Wednesday-Sunday at the 2012 USEF National Dressage Championships at the picturesque Lamplight Equestrian Center in Wayne, IL. After spending the better part of the last week watching the best up-and-coming Young and Developing Horses in the U.S. as well as juniors demonstrate fabulous equitation skill the future of the sport certainly seems very bright. A big hand and...

Dougie Hannum doesn’t stress. But when the red foam finger feeding frenzy kicked off today - he may have gotten slightly agitated. It didn’t last long. The SmartPak/USEF Foam Finger “Dressage is #1” Initiative has really taken off. These things are everywhere and everyone wants one. The British are so polite. They say please, they insist on paying, they ask if they can have their photo taken with Sarah Paull who is actually running around wearing a giant foam finger...

Bromont, July 22, 2012 - Nicolas Dello Joio completes the only double clear round of the BonjourQuébec.com World Cup qualifying event at the International Bromont today, Sunday July 22. A high-caliber event The course, designed by Venezuelan Leopoldo Palacios, was made up of 13 obstacles for 16 efforts, including 3 double combinations (2 jumps counting as one). The time allowed of 80 seconds proved to be a handicap for many riders who did not make it to the jump-off. Of the 26...

Autumn Janesky and Peper Gold won the NAL/WIHS Child/Adult Jumper Classic at the Brandywine Valley Summer Series. (AnLi Kelly-Durham/PMG) Devon, PA - The Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumpers and NAL/WIHS Child/Adult Jumper Classic took center stage in the Gold Ring this afternoon during the Brandywine Valley Summer Series horse show, presented by Taylor Harris Insurance Services (THIS). Molly Wolfe aboard ZZ Top's double clear effort in Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumpers garnered a blue ribbon, while...

Oklahoma City, Ok - 147 of the nation's leading middle school and high school equestrians competed at the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma June 28-30, 2012. The Interscholastic Equestrian Association (IEA) student-riders competed in the Western discipline during the National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) Derby. The NRHA and the National Reining Horse Youth Association (NRHYA) are affiliates of the IEA and sponsored the event. The finalists represented 33 teams from...

Lexington, KY - June 26, 2012 - The 2012 Alltech National Horse Show announced today that for the second year in a row, the Saturday evening performance will once again benefit the United States Equestrian Team Foundation. Following a successful debut last year, the second edition of the Alltech National Horse Show in Lexington, Kentucky, is scheduled for October 30 through November 4, 2012. The show will once again be held at the Alltech Arena at the Kentucky Horse Park. During the Saturday...

Laura Kraut and Cedric won the 23'000 € 1.55 m Syndicaat van de Rotterdamse Havenbedrijven Prix at the Rotterdam CHIO. (Erin Cowgill) Rotterdam, Netherlands - June 22, 2012 - Laura Kraut and Cedric could not be stopped on Thursday, June 21, 2012, as they emerged the victors of the qualifying 23'000 € 1.55 m Syndicaat van de Rotterdamse Havenbedrijven Prix. The Concours Hippique International Officiel (CHIO) has seen some of the world's greatest competitors vie for the prestigious...