Shachine Belle and INXS clinch their first $5,000 Devoucoux Hunter Prix at HITS Ocala as they set their sights on the Diamond Mills $500,000 Hunter Prix Final in Saugerties this September. Until now, INXS showed in the amateur-owner hunters with his owner Robin Swinderman (©ESI Photography) Ocala, FL - For best friends Robin Swinderman and Shachine Belle, their 2013 goal is off to a picture perfect start. After competing her horse INXS in the amateur- owner hunters for the past several years,...

It all came down to speed in the $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, at HITS Desert Horse Park in Thermal, CA. Eduardo Menezes and Cruschka who had the speed and rode to the win (Flying Horse Photography) Thermal, CA – It was by all accounts a stellar kick-off to the 2013 HITS Desert Circuit Friday, as 38 horse and rider combinations tested themselves in the $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health. Crisp weather and a light drizzle did...

Aaron Vale and Palm Sunday were two-for-two during the first week of competition at HITS Ocala and capped their streak with a win in the $50,000 HITS Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health. (ESI Photography) Ocala, FL - Week I of the 2013 HITS Ocala Winter Circuit is in the history books with Aaron Vale leading the way. After a win last Thursday in the $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, aboard Palm Sunday, owned by Amen Corner Farm, LLC, the duo kept the...

As an interior designer and avid equestrian, I thought it would be fun to take a few simple tack items (items from the lists below), the ones that that all of us have too many of (come on….you know you do!) and come up with creative solutions to incorporate them into your Holiday Décor. The “I have way too many of these” List: Stirrup Leathers Braided Reins Stirrup Irons Bits Horse Ornaments Tray The From Your Kitchen List: Apple Cranberries Candles Glass vases The...

The twenty fourth in a series of blog posts from Michelle Binder North American Western Dressage receives all kinds of questions at the website and on our FaceBook page. Last week Jen Johnson shared the following in a post and it generated a huge amount of material for consideration. She posted: “I received an email last night from a **** judge who had the following concerns about Western Dressage..... “The problem is that the western horse is going to have to be much quicker in...

The twenty first in a series of blog post from Michelle Binder As this blog has progressed, I have tried to bring awareness about Western Dressage to the equestrian community at large. Now I am going to encourage you to do some research on your own. By now you know that there are several organizations promoting the development of the sport. At this point the question we hear most often from people all over is: “What is the difference?” To some it seems that the differences that...

Jacob Pope completes the Final Test at the Alltech National Horse Show aboard Patrick to win the coveted ASPCA Alfred B. Maclay Finals (Rebecca Walton/PMG) Lexington, KY - It was another fairytale day for Jacob Pope of Columbia, MD, during the 2012 Maclay National Championship for the ASCPA Alfred B. Maclay Horsemanship Classes. The Alltech National Horse Show, 129th Edition, welcomed 152 riders for the prestigious event. At the end of the day, it was 18-year-old Pope whose horsemanship...

Temecula, CA - James Alliston, who won the featured CCI3* at the Galway Downs International Three-Day Event in 2011, has jumped into first and second places after cross-country day at this year’s event. With a faultless round on Tivoli, Alliston has taken over the lead (49.4), and by guiding Jumbo’s Jake, the horse he rode to victory last year, home just 2 seconds slow, he’s also taken over second place (52.6). Michael Pollard and Schoensgreen Hanni, the dressage leaders,...

Lexington, KY - The American Saddlebreds made a triumphant return into the fold of the Alltech National Horse Show on Wednesday night to the delight of the spectators. The favorite breed of enthusiasts like William Shatner and Carson Kressley, the breed is known for its style, stamina and its bold, high-stepping way of moving. Thursday evening at the Alltech National Horse Show, American Saddlebreds showed in Three-Gaited, Park Horse and Five-Gaited classes. "They're both three-gaited-...

Temecula, CA - The Galway Downs International Three-Day event got underway this morning with the first horse inspection for the four divisions, followed by dressage for 30 of the 49 starters in the CCI1*. Competition continues on Friday with the completion of the CCI1* dressage, before all the horses in the training three-day event, the CCI2* and the featured CCI3* perform in the dressage ring. The early leader in the CCI1* is Julie Flettner, of Petaluma, Calif., on Ping Pong, who scored 42.5...