Emily Chapman is an 18-year-old from Tucson, Arizona who will be attending the University of Kentucky in the Spring of 2013. She is a member of the three-gaited section of the 2012 U.S. Saddle Seat World Cup Team. There is a misconception that equitation is easy, and that the riders who show in this division simply “sit pretty” on a horse. So people often ask why I chose to compete in the equitation division over other divisions. Well, because one of the primary goals of equitation...

Nick Maupin is a 19-year-old student at the University of Wisconsin majoring in Business Marketing and plans to graduate in 2015. From Sussex, Wisconsin, he is on the five-gaited section of the 2012 U.S. Saddle Seat World Cup Team. It would not surprise any member of the Saddle Seat world to hear me say that the discipline is generally, along with Saddle Seat Equitation, a female dominated sport. Quite possibly the only time one will see a male majority in a class is in the Open divisions. Not...

Woodside, CA - James Alliston survived a bittersweet day at the Woodside International Horse Trials, presented by Equine Insurance of California and Professional’s Choice. It was a day of both exciting victory and disconcerting defeat for him. Alliston, of Castro Valley, Calif., did win the CIC3*, but with Tivoli (52.6), not with Jumbo’s Jake, the horse who’d been leading after the first day’s dressage and show jumping. And he also won the CIC2* on Mojo. Jolie Wentworth...

Annie Finch and W.C. Swing. (Shawn McMillen Photography) Upper Marlboro, MD - Annie Finch of Rancho Santa Fe, CA, and W.C. Swing, a 14-year-old KWPN gelding by Guidam, led the victory gallop for the second time this week in the ARIAT National Adult Medal Finals. Just five days ago, Finch won the North American Adult Amateur Equitation Finals. Finch beat 28 other riders in the competitive class by scoring 87.45 in the first round and an 85.4 in the second round for a total of 172.85. Elysse...

Scott Stewart and VIP Z. (Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.) Upper Marlboro, MD – The best six hunter riders in the country this year - Peter Pletcher, Scott Stewart, Elizabeth Boyd, Kelley Farmer, Hunt Tosh, and John French - competed in the WCHR Professional Finals sponsored by the John R. Ingram Fund. The head-to-head unique competition saw Scott Stewart ride four different horses for his fifth win, the most of any rider in the 19 year history of the class. In the afternoon session, Annie...

Upper Marlboro, MD – It was a full day of competition at the Capital Challenge Horse Show with two highlight classes held in the evening session. Peter Pletcher rode Becky Gochman's Sambalino to victory in the $25,000 WCHR Professional Challenge, while Melissa Feller and Serafino won the $5,000 WCHR Emerging Pro Challenge. Havens Schatt took the top place in the $20,000 Added North American Future Hunter Championship with Bacardi and won the Grand Future Hunter Championship with Sans...

Lilly Ulrich and Monetenegro garnered the Grand Junior Hunter Championship at the 66th Buffalo International Horse Show. (Kendall Bierer/PMG) Buffalo, NY - The final day of the 66th Buffalo International Horse Show got underway this morning at the Buffalo Therapeutic Riding Center. The day was filled with fierce competition as horse and rider combinations vied for the top honors in their respective divisions. The Junior, Pony and Children's Hunter divisions concluded their second day of...

Peter Leone and Lincourt Gino fly into The American Gold Cup Winner's Circle North Salem, NY - Peter Leone, aboard Lincourt Gino, sailed to the win as the only double clear horse and rider combination in the starting field of 29 at the $200,000 American Gold Cup at Old Salem Farm in North Salem, NY, on Sunday. The day dawned cool with fluffy clouds dotting the sky, while the wind billowed the tents dotting the show grounds. The weather throughout the week in North Salem has been ideal for...

Devon, PA - Laura Chapot, who has consistently won Open Jumper Leading Rider titles and Open Jumper Championships at the Devon Horse Show and Country Fair in early June, will be competing at the Devon Fall Classic, Sept. 13-16, in an attempt to win those titles at the end of the summer as well as in the beginning. But she will have plenty of tough competition, as a number of Olympic medalists, including Joe Fargis and Lisa Jacquin, are also competing at Devon. Chapot, of Neshanic Sation, N.J.,...

Bridgehampton, NY - Scott Stewart, of Wellington, Fla., won the Triple Crown Custom high performance hunter championship, along with two other hunter championships, on Tuesday and Wednesday at the 37th Annual Hampton Classic Horse Show. Stewart, 48, guided Garfield, 9, to the Triple Crown Custom high performance hunter championship, Dedication, 7, to the second year green hunter championship, and Enjoy, 6, to the first year green hunter championship. Garfield won all five of the...