Lexington, KY - The United States Federation's International Discipline Council has approved the recommendation of Silvio Mazzoni as the Eventing Show Jumping Coach for the Land Silvio Mazzoni (Photo Courtesy of Silvio Mazzoni) Rover U.S. Eventing Team. Mazzoni will work to evaluate and improve the show jumping skills of training-listed riders and the Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team. Following a successful spring season by listed riders and strong performances at the2014 Rolex Kentucky...

David Jennings and Nandy Fontaine were paired again by owner Emily Reiney and jumped to a win in the $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Zoetis, to top a field of 29 at HITS Ocala (ESI Photography) Ocala, Fla. - In front of a dedicated crowd of on-lookers at the HITS Ocala Winter Classic, professional rider David Jennings of Franklin, Tennessee and Nandy Fontaine won the $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Zoetis for owner, Emily Reiney on Thursday. The blue was their first grand...

Lexington, Ky. - The United States’ Kimberly and Cassidy Palmer are set to make history over the weekend as they compete in the pas de deux competition at the 2014 FEI World Cup Vaulting Final in Bordeaux, France. This is the first year the division will be held at the annual FEI championship as it joins the Individual Male and Female competition and will run February 7-8. The Palmer Sisters (www.barny-th.de) The Palmer sisters head to Bordeaux in strong form after earning top finishes...

Jessica Spracklin The Dressage Foundation's Renee Isler Dressage Support Fund has recently awarded a grant to young rider Jessica Spracklin and grants to professional instructors, Kathy Knappitsch and Patricia Deasy, to support their dressage education. Jessica Spracklin of Hamilton, OH, was awarded $800 to attend Lendon Gray’s 2014 Winter Intensive Training program. This three month program takes place in Wellington, FL, and creates well-rounded elite equestrian athletes. “My...

Layla Choate Scottsdale, Ariz - University of South Carolina junior Layla Choate won the 2014 Sun Circuit Shootout Championship on Sunday at the Arizona Sun Circuit horse show. Choate defeated opponents from South Dakota State, West Texas A&M, and Baylor to win the title. "This is a great accomplishment for Layla and we are all thriled for her today," South Carolina head coach Boo Major said. "Layla has proven herself to be one of the best, if not the best reiner at the college level so...

Nancy Becker Lexington, Ky. - The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) is pleased announce that Nancy Becker and Gary Garone have been named coaches of the 2014 U.S. Saddle Seat World Cup Team. They will coach the team before and during the 2014 Saddle Seat World Cup, which will be held July 22-26 at the Blue Ridge Classic Horse Show in the Western North Carolina Agricultural Center. Becker (Nicholasville, Ky.) has supported the Saddle Seat World Cup effort for years, including serving as...

While batting clean-up in the jump-off, Tracy Fenney and MTM Timon won the $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Zoetis, at HITS Ocala (©ESI Photography) Ocala, Fla. - Tracy Fenney is no stranger to the grand prix winner’s presentations that take place at HITS Ocala, and the 2014 circuit is starting off to be no different. She piloted both of her grand prix mounts, MTM Timon and MTM Centano, in Thursday’s $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Zoetis, and it was MTM Timon who...

Natasha Werpy and Liberty jump to a win in the $10,000 Marshall & Sterling Children’s/Adult High Jumper Classic at HITS Ocala (ESI Photography) Saugerties, N.Y. - All eyes were on children and adult jumpers Saturday afternoon at HITS Ocala as 43 competitors took to the $10,000 Marshall & Sterling Children’s/Adult Jumper Classic. Ten returned for the jump-off, but it was Natasha Werpy of Gainesville, Florida who bested the field in the irons of Liberty, a striking 12-year-old...

Lexington, Ky. - The United States Federation (USEF) has named Kai Handt as the U.S. Para-Equestrian Dressage Chef d’Equipe/Technical Advisor. The Search Committee, chaired by Eric Straus, USEF Para-Equestrian Eligible Athlete Committee, and USEF Para-Equestrian High Performance Kai Handt (USEF Archive) Committee recommended Handt for this position. Handt (Wylie, Texas) has a great depth of experience in the equestrian world as a competitor, trainer, and coach. Since August of 1985, Handt...

Tim Maddrix pilots Claudia Styslinger's KT Cher to the win in Saturday night's $10,000 Open Jumper class (A&S 2014) Pensacola, Fla. - The Pensacola community packed the stands Saturday night in the covered arena at the Escambia County Equestrian Center to watch some top show jumpers compete for the $10,000 Open Jumper purse. Eighteen horse and rider combinations took to the course designed by Classic Company's Official Course Designer, Allen Rheinheimer of Zionsville, Indiana. "I...