Aaron Vale and Quidam's Good Luck (Kendall Bierer/Phleps Media Group) Lexington, KY – Capturing the first place finish was no easy feat during Saturday night’s $85,000 Mary Rena Murphy Grand Prix, sponsored by Audi of Lexington. Forty-four starters contended for the lion’s share of the earnings in the FEI CSI2* event, but when nine qualified for the jump-off, it came down to the wire. Besting the clock and the short course was Aaron Vale aboard Quidam’s Good Luck,...

Victoria Colvin and Clearway (The Book LLC) North Salem, N.Y. – Equitation riders took their turn in the limelight at The Old Salem Farm Spring Horse Shows today, where Victoria Colvin was crowned winner of the $5,000 Equitation Challenge, presented by EquiFit, inc. She and Betsee Parker's Clearway were the best of 27 entries with scores of 90 and 92 for a 182 total and the win. In the hunter rings, Matti Fisher and Candia Fisher's As You Wish were Grand Amateur-Owner Hunter...

Brian Walker and Tamara 296 (ESI Photography) Culpeper, Va. - Brian Walker and Tamara 296 claimed victory in the first Grand Prix at HITS Culpeper in the Commonwealth National Show on April 19, going last in the four-rider jump-off to complete the course three seconds faster than second-place finisher Filip De Wandel on his Gentley. "The course was difficult enough [Sunday] with only four clear, but that worked in my favor," said Walker, after his win. "The jump-off, with long gallops between...

Washington, D.C. - The 56th annual Washington International Horse Show (WIHS) continued on Friday with an exciting day of hunter, jumper, and equitation competition at Verizon Center in Washington, D.C.. The $25,000 International Jumper Puissance, presented by The Boeing Company, was the highlight class of the evening with a win for 21-year-old Jessica Springsteen (USA) aboard Stone Hill Farm's Lisona after clearing the wall up to 6'10” (2.08m). For the win after clearing all four...

Lexington, Ky. - The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) has named combinations to the Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team for the Military Boekelo CCIO3* and re-allocated USEF Land Rover Competition Grants for that competition and Les Étoiles de Pau CCI4*. Military Boekelo CCIO3* The following horse-and-rider combinations have been named to the Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team for the Military Boekelo CCIO3*, October 9-12, 2014 in Boekelo, The Netherlands (in alphabetical order):...

San Juan Capistrano, Calif. - Amid a weekend packed full of equitation and young jumper finals, the $30,000 Markel Insurance Grand Prix saw twenty-five entries vying for the top prize on Saturday afternoon in the popular 1.40m highlight class. Course designer Anthony D'Ambrosio set a technical track with 16 efforts in a time allowed of 80 seconds. In designing the course for the last qualifying class before the $50,000+ Markel Insurance 1.40m Series Finals at the Las Vegas National in...

Caen, France – The vaulting portion of the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games is underway in Normandy with the Horse Inspection taking place on Monday. All U.S. horses passed and vaulters in the Individual Female, Individual Male, Pas de Deux, and Squad championships are ready to begin the competition and represent their country. The U.S. Vaulting Team (Susie Bors) FEI World Squad Vaulting Championship Having a fantastic year in 2014, the Woodside Vaulters will represent their...

Boyd Martin and Shamwari 4 (Shannon Brinkman Photo) Le Pin-au-Haras, France – The second day of dressage wrapped up Friday for the FEI World Team and Individual Eventing Championship, with 43 combinations performing their tests before the Ground Jury of Gillian Rolton (AUS), James Alain (FRA), and Ernst Topp (GER). The Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team had a respectable day of dressage with Boyd Martin and Shamwari 4 leading the way. Kim Severson and Fernhill Fearless and Lynn Symansky and...

David Beisel celebrates after a speedy round on Ammeretto (A. Glavan/Phelps Media Group) Lexington, Ky. - He may be the smallest horse in the class, but do not let his size fool you. The just barely 16 hand stallion Ammeretto is a fierce competitor with rider David Beisel, and he makes up for what he lacks in height and galloping speed with nimble turns. It was just such a turn that clinched the top spot in Sunday's $40,000 Bluegrass Festival Grand Prix, sponsored by Audi. Beisel was able...

Shane Sweetnam and Bijzonder (Rebecca Walton/Phelps Media Group) Lexington, Ky. - Ireland's Shane Sweetnam is well known for helping produce top young mounts, and Thursday he showed how it is done with the 8-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding Bijzonder. When seven horses go double clear in the $25,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic, the only way to win is with speed, and although Bijzonder is just learning to go fast, he clearly has a knack for it. Sweetnam sped across the finish line two seconds...