Hector Florentino and Ultimo won the $30,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic at the Kentucky Spring Horse Show. (Photo by Rebecca Walton/PMG). Lexington, KY - It was an exciting night for the first grand prix event in the Hagyard Challenge Series at the Kentucky Spring Horse Show. Thirty-seven horse and rider combinations gathered at the Rolex Stadium in the Kentucky Horse Park to compete for the winning title during the $30,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic. Eight horses advanced to the jump-off, and it...

Hong Kong, China – It was an interesting cross-country day at the Beas River venue today as 70 horses took on Mike Etherington-Smith’s eight minute cross country course. Not one horse achieved the optimum Gina Miles and McKinlaigh (Shannon Brinkman) time, and Australia’s Shane Rose (riding All Luck) was the only pair to have single digit time penalties. The Germans, on 158.10, took a slim lead over dressage winners, Australia (162.00), in the team portion of the competition....

Mara Dean on Nicki Henley during the dressage phase of the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by Farnam. (Marc Manning) If there was one thing that stood out the first day of the 2006 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by Farnam – other than the international-level competitors and their beautiful mounts – it was the abundance of blue skies and sunshine that surprised even veteran Rolex attendees. Legions of fans of eventing came from around the world to watch the highest...

The Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG) has started to receive applications from the domestic spectators for the tickets to the opening and closing ceremonies of the Beijing Paralympic Games. According to the ticketing plan, there will be 21,000 tickets for the opening ceremony and 26,000 tickets for the closing ceremony available. Their bookings will end on December 30. No time preference will be given to any application and all applications will enjoy the...

At an agreement signing ceremony on Sunday, September 30, Kowloon Shangri-La has been appointed as the Olympic and Paralympic families Hotel for the equestrian events to be held in Hong Kong next August and September. Deputy Director of Games Services of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG), Xiang Ping, presided over and witnessed the signing. CEO of the Equestrian Company, Lam Woon-Kwong, and General Manager of Kowloon Shangri-La, Mark Heywood signed the...

Wellington, Fla. – Inside leg to outside rein. A straight line from elbow to bit. Weight in your heels, open shoulders, and eyes up. Participants in the USEF Horsemastership Training Session in Wellington, Fla., heard many of these bedrock equestrian principles during their three days of instruction with Olympians Anne Kursinski, Beezie Madden, and McLain Ward. It was a reminder that while these accomplished athletes have ample wisdom to impart on the finer points of succeeding in elite...

North Salem, N.Y. – Alexander Dawson qualified for his first Adequan®/FEI North American Youth Championships (NAYC) presented by Gotham North two years ago. He anticipated competing against talent from all across North America. Unfortunately, three days before the NAYC he was riding at home and his horse reared, lost his footing, and landed on its side. One of Dawson’s stirrups ended up lodged between his foot and horse, which broke Dawson’s tibia and fibula. This...

North Salem, N.Y. – The Quebec/Alberta dressage team swept into the United States Dressage Federation (USDF) North American Young Rider Dressage Team Championship gold medal at the Adequan®/FEI North American Youth Championships (NAYC) presented by Gotham North at Old Salem Farm in North Salem, N.Y. The three-rider team claimed gold with a combined score of 210.145 ahead of the Region 4/7 combined team (202.646) and the Region 1 team (202.087) on the opening day of NAYC on Wednesday,...

Washington, D.C. - McLain Ward (USA) and HH Carlos Z raced to victory Saturday night in the $125,000 President’s Cup Grand Prix CSI 4*-W, presented by Events DC, at the 56th annual Washington International Horse Show (WIHS). Competing at Verizon Center in downtown Washington, D.C., Ward will have his name etched in WIHS history for now winning the coveted President of the United States Perpetual Cup four times in his illustrious career. The Longines FEI World Cup qualifying grand prix was...

Shannan Gossman and Ever So Clever (AnLi Kelly-Durham/Phelps Media Group) Parker, Colo. - Summer in the Rockies at the Colorado Horse Park came to a close today, but not before the Amateur Owner Hunters took their last trips of the circuit in the Olson Family Main Hunter Ring. Taking home the Amateur Owner 3'3" Hunter Championship this morning was Shannan Gossman and Ever So Clever, a pair that is starting to mesh in the show ring. In the Amateur Owner 3'6" Hunters, it was Amy Gallagher...