Diana DeRosa (Mara Dean and Nicki Henley lead heading into cross-country in Rio de Janeiro.) Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – The American event riders got off to a fantastic start on July 20 at the XV Pan American Games taking the lead in the team portion of the competition and sweeping the top five places individually. American combination Mara Dean riding Nicki Henley went to the head of a quality field of 27 horse-and-rider combinations riding before the ground jury of Barry Roycroft, Jo...

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – The first equestrian discipline at the XV Pan American Games came to a close with three medals for the U.S. The dressage team handily won the Team Gold and Chris Hickey with Regent and Lauren Sammis with Sagacious HF won the individual gold and silver medals. The dressage squad has passed the torch to the event riders. The six American riders, four of which are former Pan American Games medalists, are looking for a repeat performance of the 2003 Pan Ams which left them...

Silver medalist Lauren Sammis, Gold medalist Christopher Hickey and Bronze medalist Yvonne Losos de Muniz (Diana DeRosa) Rio de Janeiro, Brazil—It was a double-medal day for Team USA at Deodoro Stadium as Maryland’s Christopher Hickey aboard Regent won the coveted Gold medal on a two-day averaged score of 70.725% after performing his freestyle before an appreciative crowd. New Jersey’s Lauren Sammis, who had led the scores at the end of the Team competition, finished in...

Diana DeRosa (Christopher Hickey and Regent in Rio de Janeiro) Rio de Janeiro, Brazil—When most people think of Rio, sunshine comes quickly to mind. However, that was not the case today at Deodoro Stadium and the National Equestrian Center outside of the city. Clouds, the threat of rain showers and cooler temperatures loomed, but it was a rather bright day for the hopes of the American dressage riders as all three of them competed in the first of two rounds that will determine the...

Diana DeRosa (Team USA's Christopher Hickey, Katherine Poulin-Neff and Lauren Sammis) Rio de Janeiro, Brazil—Gold is definitely a color that looks good on the necks of Americans equestrian athletes, and Team USA’s dressage squad were the first to have the honor to wear it among the three disciplines invited to the XV Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro. The three-member team comprised of Lauren Sammis, Katherine Poulin-Neff and Christopher Hickey finished their combined work to...

Lexington, KY – The United States Equestrian Federation announces two changes to the Eventing Team for the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The eventing portion of the competition begins July 19. Better I Do It owned by Adrienne Iorio, and ridden by Darren Chiacchia will replace Bonnie Mosser and Merloch. Phillip Dutton will ride Truluck owned by Ann Jones and Shannon Stimson instead of Connaught Unfortunately Bonnie Mosser’s horse Merloch (owned by Mosser) and Connaught...

When a stable falls victim to the bulldozer or a long-ridden trail gets closed to horseback riding, the leaders of the Equestrian Land Conservation Resource (ELCR) care about it as much as you do. That’s why they’re stepping up their efforts to foster communication and to expand it, working hard to stay ahead of the developers’ bulldozers and cement trucks. “There are many small and diverse equestrian groups around the country,” said John Strassburger of California, a member of the ELCR’s...

Rio de Janiero, Brazil—The U.S dressage riders and horses have settled nicely into the newly constructed National Equestrian Center at the Deodoro Sports Complex located on a military base 26 kilometers outside Rio de Janeiro. Deodoro also includes the competition facilities for archery, field hockey, shooting and modern pentathlon. The U.S dressage team members and the USEF sports staff give their venue high marks. “It is an excellent facility by anyone’s quality standards;...

Lexington, KY -The United States Equestrian Federation is pleased to announce the horse-and-rider combinations it will be sending to Hong Kong for the test event at the Beas River Olympic Equestrian Venue in preparation for the 2008 Olympics. The test event will be held at the CCI** level August 11-13, 2007. Buck Davidson, 30, from Ocala, FL, will ride Ann Glaus and Cassandra Segal’s 7-year-old Irish Thoroughbred Ballynoecastle RM. This combination was second at the Jersey Fresh CCI** in June...

For the second consecutive year and the third time in his career, Steffen Peters was the recipient of the United States Equestrian Team (USET) Foundation's Equestrian Bowl for the National Dressage Championship. The USET Foundation presents the trophy annually to the winner of the National Grand Prix Championship. The Franklin Mint donated the elegant Equestrian Bowl to the USET in 1978. The first recipient was Edith Master. Peters was presented with the trophy at the 2007 Collecting Gaits...