Laura Graves and Verdades (Laura Graves and Verdades) Fritzens, Austria - The United States closed out a strong showing at CDI4* Fritzens on Sunday as seven members of the Short List for the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games U.S. Dressage Team went to task in Grand Prix competition. In the Freestyle, Steffen Peters led the U.S. effort that saw the Americans take three of the top four placings, while, in the Grand Prix Special Laura Graves was the top placing of four U.S. riders within the...

Amanda Hurd (Waltenberry) Lexington, Ky. - The top youth reiners in the U.S. went head-to-head on June 28 at the State Fair Arena in Oklahoma City, Okla., to stake their claim on coveted National Titles in the Adequan/USEF Youth Reining National Championship. At the competition held in conjunction with the NRHA Derby, Amanda Hurd claimed top honors in the 14-18 division, while Emmy-Lu Marsh earned the 13 & Under crown. Hurd (Wilmington, Del.) and Mark Hurd’s 11-year-old Quarter Horse...

Darragh Kenny of IRL riding Alpha VDL (Spruce Meadows Media Service) Calgary, Alberta – The ‘Canada One’ Tournament at Spruce Meadows continued on Saturday featuring the $33,500 McDaniel & Associates Cup 1.55m with a win for Ireland’s Darragh Kenny and Alpha VDL. The small margin of six one-thousandths of a second separated Kenny from second place finisher Kirsten Coe (USA) aboard Czardas 30. The $8,000 Francis Family Cup 1.45m was also held in the Chinook Ring in...

Maddy Thatcher Earned the Triple Crown at Spring Spectacular with Summer Place, winning the $2,500 Junior Hunter Classic for the third week in a row (Chicago Equestrian) Wayne, Ill. - Another beautiful Chicago summer day set the scene for the final day of Junior Hunter competition and the beginning of the Amateur Owner Hunter Divisions. Derby like jumps and trees in the rings made for an inviting day of competition at Showplace Productions' Spring Spectacular III The Wisconsin Equine Hunter...

On Thursday, the USEF Named the Squad for the Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team for the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games . Below are videos of (or links to videos of) every member of the squad (in alphabetical order). Buck Davidson & Ballynoe Castle RM Phillip Dutton & Trading Aces Sinead Halpin & Manoir de Carneville Boyd Martin & Shamwari 4 See video of Boyd & Shamwari on the Carolina International Cross Country course here . Kim Severson & Fernhill Fearless Lynn...

Lexington, Ky. - The Hermès U.S. Jumping Team has traveled to The Netherlands this week for CSIO5* Rotterdam, held June 18-22. A team of veterans and rising stars, from the Hermès U.S. Show Jumping Short List for the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, will look to repeat the American win from 2010 in Friday's Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup presented by Longines. Lucy Davis (Los Angeles, Calif.) makes her second appearance in Rotterdam’s Nations Cup with Old Oak...

Wayne, Ill. - The final day of Showplace Productions' Spring Spectacular II included the second day of the Amateur-Owner and Amateur Adult Hunter divisions at the Lamplight Equestrian Center. The reputation of Chicago as the windy city was certainly true today, but it proved to be perfect riding weather. Amateur-Owner Hunters Off of Saturday's competition in the Amateur-Owner Hunters, Nicole Hiehle of Dublin, OH, riding Lovely Charity and Alliy Moyer of Carmel, IN, riding Carlson, each...

Gladstone, N.J. - The U.S. Dressage Festival of Champions presented by The Dutta Corp came to an exciting conclusion on the fourth and final day of competition as Grand Prix, Intermediaire I, and Pony Rider Champions were all crowned. In the Grand Prix championship, Steffen Peters and Legolas 92 clinched their third consecutive National Title with their best performance of the week. For the third consecutive test, the top placings remained the same as Peters scored Champion and Reserve honors...

Saugerties, N.Y. - Quality Girl is no stranger to clean rounds with Todd Minikus of Loxahatchee, Florida and at the top of her game as of late. Highlighted by their Open Jumper success at Devon last weekend and Friday, winning the HITS $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix the 11-year-old Oldenburg mare continues to shine. Todd Minikus and Quality Girl were the top pair in Friday’s $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix presented by Zoetis at HITS Saugerties (©ESI Photography) “She’s turning into a...

Armed Forces Day attendees (Photo by Alexandra Kinney) Wylie, Texas - On May 17, 2014, the first Wounded Warrior Introductional Seminar at North Texas Equestrian Center in Wylie, TX, occurred. It was Armed Forces Day, a chance to honor all those who serve or have served. This seminar was an opportunity to reach out to veterans to educate them about a Paralympic sport whose roots are deeply connected to the military. In attendance at the event were veterans and their family members, USO...