At exactly 8:08 p.m. on August 8, the official one-year-to-go countdown to the 2008 Olympic Games was launched. Eight is considered a lucky number in Chinese culture. In general, eight is an auspicious number for Buddhists. In front of 10,000 people gathered on Tianan’men Square, with the Forbidden City as a backdrop, a sumptuous ceremony took place where Chinese culture and traditions were clearly on show. The International Olympic Committee President handed out the official invitations to the...

Doda de Miranda and AD Nouvelle Europe Z (Sportfot) Wellington, Fla. - Week five of the 2016 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) began Wednesday morning at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) in Wellington, FL, with a win for Brazil's Doda de Miranda and AD Nouvelle Europe Z in the $35,000 Douglas Elliman 1.45m Jumper Classic. WEF 5, sponsored by Fidelity Investments®, runs February 10-14, 2016. The week will feature the $380,000 Fidelity Investments® Grand Prix CSI...

Ashton Alexander & Cafe de Colombia (Captured Moments Photography) Lexington, Ky. – The best junior riders attended the 2014 US Junior Hunter National Championship West Coast July 21-22 in hopes of being crowned the Overall Grand Champion. Over two days of tough competition at the Del Mar Horsepark in Del Mar, Calif., riders competed in three phases: Classic Round, Under Saddle, and Handy Hunter. The Under Saddle phase counts for 20% of the rider's overall score, while both the...

Lexington, Ky. - The U.S. Dressage Team is pleased to announce that in the lead up to the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, pre-Games training will be conducted at Rob van Puijenroek’s Stud Farm de Begijnhoeve in Belgium. Following the Selection Trial for the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games U.S. Dressage Team Short List, which will be held in conjunction with the 2014 U.S. Dressage Festival of Champions presented by The Dutta Corp, horse-and-rider combinations will travel...

Stephanie Riggio with ringmaster Cliff Haines (Anne Gittins Photography) Wellington, FL - After a year away from the show ring recovering from a foot injury, Saline is back in a big way at the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF). Owner and rider Stephanie Riggio of New York City piloted the 15-year-old Swedish Warmblood mare to victory in the La Mundial Adult Amateur Hunter 18-35 Section B division. Riggio and Saline were named champions of the division after placing sixth and...

Lane Clarke and Casseur de Prix, winners of the Villas at Rancho Valencia World Cup Grand Prix of Del Mar (Captured Moment Photography) Del Mar, CA - The zombie flash mob couldn't stop Lane Clarke and Casseur de Prix from putting down two spectacular clean rounds in tonight's Villas at Rancho Valencia World Cup Grand Prix of Del Mar, presented by California Horsetrader. The pair was one of only four horse and rider combinations to make it to the jump-off in course designer Olaf...

Grand Prix de Penn National Kent Farrington and Uceko (Al Cook) Harrisburg, PA - Kent Farrington and Uceko, owned by RCG Farm, thrilled the crowd with a lightning fast ride in the jump-off to win the $85,000 FEI World Cup Grand Prix de Penn National at the 67th Annual Pennsylvania National Horse Show on Saturday evening. It was the third win in the prestigious event for Farrington, but the Wellington, FL resident went early in the line-up and was not convinced that his clear round time of 37.95...

Lexington, KY – Shawn Casady of Harriman, TN, has been named the Show Jumping Hall of Fame Rider of the Month for February. Casady competes in the East Conference Junior division of the Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series aboard Zubantos. The month of February was a success for Casady and his riding partner, as they earned 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 11th place finishes during the fourth, fifth, seventh and eighth weeks at the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, FL, earning...

Nick Skelton and Big Star. (Photo by Sportfot©.) Wellington, FL - February 13, 2011 - The fifth week of competition at the 2011 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival concluded on Sunday with the $25,00 Suncast 1.50m Championship Jumper Series Classic, and it was Nick Skelton (GBR) and Big Star, owned by Beverly and Gary Widdowson, who proved victorious over a field of 65 entries. Alan Wade of Co. Tipperary, Ireland, designed today's courses and set a first-round track that 11 combinations would clear....

Beezie Madden and Coral Reef Via Volo (Al Cook) Eventing The USEF National CCI1* Championships concluded on Sunday with some of the United States' best up-and-coming combinations vying to be crowned champions in one of four divisions. The competition was held in combination with the Hagyard Midsouth Three-Day Event and Team Challenge at the Kentucky Horse Park. Kristen Rozycki claimed the National CC1* Championship with her own Full Circle finishing on a score of 47.2. Rozycki and the...