Dr. John Steele (Kenneth Kraus) Acclaimed veterinarian Dr. John Steele was the linchpin behind the success of some of equestrian sports’ biggest names and their mounts. Up until his passing last month, one could find the 91-year-old Dr. Steele, or “Doc,” as many throughout the equestrian sport community knew him, hustling around show grounds, administering the utmost care to his equine clients. His tireless dedication to the horse and its rider made him one of the most...

Early nights all round for the dressage and eventing teams; and I bet there are a ton of people out there that wish they could turn in to their slumber pits early as well. Overnight equine arrivals plus the huge amount of work that the equestrian experts supporting the Rio 2016 Organising Committee have had to undertake, has ensured that there are many tired people out there. But these experts have done an excellent job getting the venue ready and whilst there remain frustrations and areas...

This may not be a photo likely to win any photographic competitions but it was taken at 2:30 a.m. from my bedroom. No, I am not some weird stalker or peeping tom but this is a photo of the merry bunch of selfish insomniacs that decided to have a very loud speaker (top right quarter of the photo) playing until about 3:30 a.m. Yes, I kinda wish I had something more persuasive to hand than a Canon camera… in fact a canon would have done very nicely. The eventing horses have settled in very...

“ Time spent in reconnaissance is seldom wasted ” the saying goes and that proved true to form today as we set forth to Deodoro for Boot Camp Day 1. Our driver spoke no English and being British clearly I had never seen it as a priority to master a foreign language, in this case Portugese. Add in to the mix that this was the opening day for the TransOlímpica and it was a voyage of adventure. The TransOlímpica is the new road linking Barra (Olympic Village / main...

Aachen, Germany – Members of the U.S. Olympic Show Jumping Team will compete in their final Nations Cup competition prior to the Rio Olympic Games this week at CHIO Aachen. Led by Chef d’Equipe Robert Ridland, the Hermès U.S. Show Jumping Team will include Lucy Davis , Laura Kraut , Beezie Madden , and McLain Ward . The Mercedes-Benz Nations Cup will take place Thursday evening. The U.S. has drawn first in the order of eight teams. McLain Ward and HH Carlos Z (Shannon...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Washington International Horse Show’s wildly popular Shetland Pony Steeplechase Championship Series, presented by Charles Owen, will be held in May and October 2016, commencing Memorial Day weekend at the Devon Horse Show. The high octane sport features junior jockeys in the saddle racing the cutest, fluffiest, Shetland Ponies to the enjoyment of spectators of all ages. The first stop in the series is the historic Devon Horse Show and Country Fair in Devon, Pa., on...

Lucy Davis and Barron (Eric Knoll) La Baule, France - The Hermès U.S. Show Jumping Team took the Silver medal in the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup at CSIO5* La Baule in France on Friday. Led by Chef d'Equipe Robert Ridland, the team of Lucy Davis, Margie Engle, Lauren Hough, and Todd Minikus put in solid rounds to finish on four faults. This performance sets an excellent tone for the summer as the event served as the first of four observation events for members of the Short List for the...

La Baule, France - The Hermès U.S. Show Jumping Team took the Silver medal in the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup at CSIO5* La Baule in France on Friday. Led by Chef d'Equipe Robert Ridland, the team of Lucy Davis, Margie Engle, Lauren Hough, and Todd Minikus put in solid rounds to finish on four faults. This performance sets an excellent tone for the summer as the event served as the first of four observation events for members of the Short List for the 2016 U.S. Olympic Show Jumping Team...

Gothenburg, Sweden – The 2016 Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Final got underway at the Gothenburg Horse Show as a field of 35 athlete-and-horse combinations from 18 nations contested the speed leg of this three-round competition. Using the faults-converted format, the round tested the speed and agility of the combinations over Santiago Varela Ullastres’ 13-obstacle track. The U.S. contingent of eight combinations had some unlucky moments that prevented higher positions on the...

Wellington, FL – February 9, 2016 – The Adequan® Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) is set to host the prestigious CDI 5*, the highest international dressage rating, during the fifth week of the circuit on Wednesday, February 10, through Sunday, February 14, at The Stadium at Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC). Competition will begin at 8 a.m. on Wednesday with the FEI Grand Prix CDI 3*, presented by Wellington Equestrian Realty. Small Tour competition, presented by...