Boyd Martin and Otis Barbotiere at the first horse inspection (Shannon Brinkman) Greenwich, UK - The first of the three Olympic Equestrian Disciplines is set to begin on Saturday, July 28 after 74 horses were presented for the first horse inspection. The team from the United States drew second (behind Ecuador's individual) and were first to present their horses before the Ground Jury of President Anne Mette Binder, Nick Burton, and Gillian Rolton. The stunning Greenwich arena hosted horses...

Lexington, KY - The United States Equestrian Federation has named the team for the 2012 Paralympic Games. The four athletes representing the U.S. in London turned heads at the Para-Equestrian Dressage National Championship and Selection Trial held in Gladstone, NJ in June. The following two U.S. team veterans and two rising stars will compose the team: Rebecca Hart (Unionville, PA) and Jessica Ransehousen's Lord Ludger Jonathan Wentz (Richardson, TX) and Kai Handt's NTEC Richter Scale...

(Sportfot/GCT) Chantilly, France - The youngest rider to be selected for the 2012 Olympic Games clocked up a victory at the 5* GCT in Chantilly Sunday. Reed Kessler, only 18 years old, rode a stylish, fast clear on 57.71 in the early morning Prix Vicomte Arthur over 1m45 fences beating experienced show jumping stars, including fellow American Mclain Ward. After the win on her horse Ligist - she will be riding Cylana at the London Olympics - Reed said: “It is my last show before I go to...

Lexington, KY - The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) named its 2012 Olympic Teams in Dressage, Eventing, and Jumping. The USEF will field three full teams in the disciplines of Dressage, Eventing, and Jumping. These teams are comprised of a mix of veterans and rookies, men and women from across the country with 17 Olympic Games between them. Seven men, six women. Eight geldings, three mares, two stallions. Dressage Team: Jan Ebeling (Moorpark, CA) on Amy Ebeling, Beth Meyers, and Ann...

Lexington, KY - The upcoming Olympic Games in London have made U.S. representation at CHIO Aachen this week scarce, but the riders and horses that did make it to Germany have been on top of their game. Lauren Hough has been one of those riders and Saturday morning she was impressive once again in winning the Sparkasse Youngsters Cup Finale and finishing atop the Youngsters Cup standings. See final Sparkasse Youngsters Cup standings here . The Sparkasse Youngsters Cup is a series of two...

Steve Stephens, co-course designer at the 2008 Olympic Games, will be one of six featured grand prix course designers during the 2012 Vermont Summer Festival in East Dorset, VT. East Dorset, VT – Six of the best course designers in the sport of show jumping will be showcasing their work in the grand prix ring during the Vermont Summer Festival running July 4 through August 12, 2012, in East Dorset, Vermont. New England’s largest “AA” rated hunter/jumper horse show, the...

Lexington, KY - The fourth and final USEF Observation Event for the US Show Jumping Team for the 2012 Olympic Games wrapped up a selection process that started with the Selection Trials in March. The $200,000 CN Performance Grand Prix at Spruce Meadows in Calgary hosted 12 Long-Listed American combinations out of the 37 starters who took on Bob Ellis' course. At the culmination of the class, Rich Fellers took top honors again, he was fastest of the seven which jumped first round clears....

Steffen Peters and Legolas 92 (Susan J. Stickle) Gladstone, NJ - Four years ago, Steffen Peters and Ravel, then an inexperienced 10-year-old, won the 2008 Grand Prix National Dressage Championship at the Festival of Champions in California. That performance earned the pair a trip to the Olympic Games where they were fourth. Four years, an FEI World Cup title, a CHIO Aachen victory and two Bronze medals at the FEI World Equestrian Games later - Ravel was granted permission by the USEF selectors...

Lexington, KY - The 2012 Rolex/FEI World Cup Champions have not been in the ring in six weeks - but based on their performance in the Husky Energy Classic on Thursday night at Spruce Meadows in Calgary, it didn’t make any difference. Rich Fellers and Flexible bested a field of 19 and made it look easy, stopping the jump-off clock at 51.237 to score victory by just less than a second over Beezie Madden and Coral Reef Via Volo. This class serves as the first half of the final Observation...

Robin Brueckman and Radetzky at the Veterinary Inspections (Lindsay McCall) Gladstone, NJ - Competition in the National Para-Equestrian Championships featuring the USEF Para-Equestrian Dressage Paralympic Selection Trials is set to begin Monday in five grades. All 24 horses presented at the Veterinary Inspection Sunday afternoon were accepted. Riders will perform three tests over three days of competition held at Pine Meadow which is part of the USET Foundation Headquarters. On Monday, riders...