Kimberly and Cassidy Palmer performing a Pas de Deux freestyle test on Saturday at CHIO Aachen (barnysphotoshop.eu) Lexington, KY – The first weekend of competition at CHIO Aachen in Aachen, Germany wrapped up Sunday with a day of CVIO3* vaulting competition. Representing the U.S. were sisters Kimberly and Cassidy Palmer (Half Moon Bay, CA) performing their second freestyle test in the Prize of Sparkasse Pas de Duex competition. On Saturday the pair, vaulting on Wolfgang Renz’s Leon...

Major equestrian competitions attended by U.S. athletes, both domestic and overseas, are listed in this weekly preview. Please look below to find competition listings by discipline* and breed. We hope you will follow the competitions that most interest you, but check Equestrian Weekly on Monday for a report of any top finishes by U.S. Equestrians. *lists of competitions in all international disciplines will include only FEI competitions or USEF Championships within the USA and international FEI...

Christine McCrea and Zerly (The Book LLC) North Salem, NY – For the second week in a row, Christine McCrea of East Windsor, CT, won the Friday grand prix event at the Old Salem Spring Horse Show. She and Zerly were fastest to win the $25,000 Grand Prix of North Salem presented by The Hakim Family over World Cup champion Beezie Madden and Coral Reef Via Volo and last week's Sunday grand prix winners, Todd Minikus and Uraguay. Friday's grand prix had 60 entries, and nine of those...

Shane Smith & Shepherd Star (Shannon Brinkman) Lexington, KY For the second time in three years, Shane Brown won the World Championship Freestyle Reining tonight at the Kentucky Horse Park. He rode Shepherd Star to the title, receiving 228 points from the three judges. Brown’s score put him just 1 point ahead of three riders who tied for second with a score of 227—Aaron Ralston on Blue Taris Glo, Drake Johnson on Sonic Chic Dream, and Pete Kyle on A Ruf Gal. The winners split a...

Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum and Bella Donna were the ones to beat in the at HITS Thermal in the AIG Thermal $1 Million Grand Prix, presented by Lamborghini Newport Beach (©Flying Horse Photography) Thermal, CA - With a first-place prize of $350,000 on the line, Germany’s Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum rose to the occasion, piloting Bella Donna to a paycheck she will not soon forget as winner of the first-ever AIG Thermal $1 Million Grand Prix, presented by Lamborghini Newport Beach. The best...

Thermal, CA - The fine tuning of an official rider’s list for the AIG Thermal $1 Million Grand Prix, presented by Lamborghini Newport Beach, was completed during last night’s rider meeting at HITS Desert Horse Park. With the touch-down of the East Coast manger’s picks in California, the final order of go was drawn and revealed that Candice King of Wellington, Florida will clip the hypothetical ribbon of the first-ever West Coast $1 million grand prix aboard Campbell VDL.....

Ashlee Bond and Wistful on their way to a win in the $54,500 HITS Grand Prix CSI-W2*, presented by Zoetis, at HITS Thermal with their sights set on a 2013 World Cup appearance. They topped 24 for the win. (Flying Horse Photography) Thermal, CA - Before the start of HITS Desert Horse Park’s $54,500 HITS Grand Prix CSI-W2*, presented by Zoetis, course designer Florencio Hernandez of Mexico said that his goal was to have between one and three clear. He landed on the low side of that...

Francie Steinwedell-Carvin and Lapsus du Lavoir were in competitive company yesterday, but rose to the top of the $33,000 HITS Desert Classic, presented by Pfizer Animal Health. The class introduced the first of the FEI class at HITS Desert Horse Park this season, which continues this weekend with the $54,500 Strongid® C 2X Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health (Flying Horse Photography) Thermal, CA - It was an explosive start to the HITS FEI series at Desert Circuit II, as Francie...

Susan Hancock Susan Hancock of La Vernia, Texas, received the fourth annual “USDF Region 9 Teaching Excellence Award” at the Great American/USDF Region 9 Championships held in Katy, TX, November 1-4, 2012. She received a $5,000 award for demonstrating adherence to sound dressage principles and the ability to communicate these principles so that students develop themselves and their horses in a logical, progressive and humane way up through the levels. "The methods that Susan used to...

Burbank, CA - The best junior and young riders on the West coast are ready to take part in the Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Finals West during the LA International Jumping Festival in Los Angeles, CA on September 19-23. Thirty-one riders will showcase their skills in three phases of competition judged by Chrystine Tauber and Bernie Traurig. Kilian McGrath (Thousand Oaks, CA) won the Young Rider Individual Gold and Team Bronze medals at the Adequan/FEI North American...