A total of 43 riders from 19 countries will compete in the 2009/2010 Rolex FEI World Cup™ Jumping Final at the Palexpo Arena in Geneva, Switzerland, next week from April 14-18. All but one of the competitors have emerged from nine leagues that took place around the world in recent months, the sole exception being the host nation's Niklaus Schurtenberger who has been awarded a Wild Card entry with his top horse, Cantus. A notable absentee from the exciting closing stages will be 2008/2009...

After an exciting evening of competition at the International Polo Club Palm Beach on Saturday evening, Team International The Seley Parker Group of Merrill Lynch performed a beautiful quadrille for a score of 95.3 to take home top honors in the 2010 Challenge of the Americas. The Challenge, in its ninth consecutive year as an annual fundraiser for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, was held under the lights on Piaget Field and was presented by International Polo Club Palm Beach (IPC). The...

A total of 15 riders from 10 nations will compete at the 25th anniversary final of the FEI World Cup™ Dressage series at 's-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands, later this month. The 2008/2009 series champion, Steffen Peters of the U.S., will not be defending his title, but two spots still remain open for riders from the North American league which has just one last qualifier remaining. The Western European League line-up is already decided following last weekend's final qualifying leg in...

Photo by Randi Muster (Katherine Schmidt was victorious in the USEF Show Jumping Talent Search.) The 2010 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) had a busy week of competition on February 24-28. The week featured the start of the USEF Selection Trials for the U.S. Show Jumping Team for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games along with a full schedule of hunter, jumper, and equitation classes. The week seven title sponsor was Fidelity Investments. It was a full night of show jumping and...

The 2010 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) continued a strong circuit this year in the second week of competition held January 20-24. The week featured the $50,000 Purina Mills Grand Prix, CSI** along with a full schedule of hunter, jumper, and equitation classes. The week two title sponsor was Purina Mills, and through Land O'Lakes Purina Feed, they are the exclusive horse feed sponsor of the 2010 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival. Land O'Lakes Purina Feed, LLC (www.landolakesinc.com), is a...

The American Horse Council (AHC) is pleased to announce the availability of a new brochure, done in partnership with AHC sponsors Nutrena, Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health, and the American Farrier’s Association. As many of us are aware, the plight of the neglected horse continues to worsen. As more horse owners step in to help, many are looking for guidance, as they have cared for horses but may not have experience with horses in this particular state before. The Caregiver’s Guide to...

Photo by Amy McCool (Kassandra Barteau and GP Raymeister ) Lexington, KY – Before a packed house at the FEI World Cup™ Dressage Final for Young Riders in Frankfurt, Germany, American rider Kassandra Barteau saved her best performance for last with GP Raymeister and finished second in the ‘B Group’ of the Freestyle. In her last year of Young Rider competition, the 21-year-old from Maple Park, IL and the 10-year-old Holsteiner stallion owned by Grand Prix Equestrian and Ginna Frantz, scored 68....

The United States Dressage Federation (USDF) is pleased to announce that Kariel Swanfeldt of Ayer, MA, has been selected as the recipient of the 2009 USDF Youth Volunteer of the Year Award, presented by The Paddock Saddlery and sponsored by the USDF Youth Executive Board. This prestigious award honors one outstanding youth volunteer who has contributed on a national and local basis to USDF and dressage. As the recipient of this award, Swanfeldt’s name will be engraved on a perpetual trophy,...

The SmartPak Equine/United States Eventing Association (USEA) Area II Adult Riders Training Three-Day Event, October 22-25, at Waredaca Farm in Laytonsville, MD, hosted 37 riders in three divisions. The event was a huge success with all but two riders completing the exciting long-format course. When it came time for the award ceremonies, it was three grey horses that earned the blue ribbons. D.C. McBroom aboard Twain won the A division on a 35.30 having added no additional penalties to their...

As the show season draws to a close, five professionals who regularly attend Langer Equestrian Group (LEG) shows are making plans to head off to Maui for some much needed rest and recreation, courtesy of LEG. The company sponsors the Maui Trainer Incentive as a way to not only encourage participation at the shows, but reward professionals for their efforts, support and success. Larry Langer, President and CEO of LEG, started the Trainer Incentive because professionals are the hardest working...