Ravel, Brentina, Harmony's Mythilus (Amy McCool) By Joanie Morris Lexington, KY – The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) has approved the following nominated entry for the dressage team for the 2008 Olympic Games in Hong Kong. Final entries will be made to the USOC on July 15, 2008. The following riders are ranked based on their performance after the USEF Selection Trials for Dressage: Name/Age/Hometown/Horse/Age/Breed/Sex/Owner 1. Steffen Peters/44/San Diego, CA/Ravel/10/Dutch...

Steffen Peters and Ravel (Amy McCool) San Juan Capistrano, CA – Day one of the Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Dressage Festival of Champions was highlighted by the afternoon performances of the 12 best horses in the country competing in the USEF Selection Trials for the 2008 Olympic Team in Dressage. Serving also as the National Grand Prix Dressage Championship, the class featured four Olympic veterans. San Diego rider and Olympic veteran Steffen Peters had plenty of fans on hand to watch him...

Lexington, KY - As per the Olympic Selection Procedures, the USEF is extending an invitation to the top Veteran Olympians Debbie McDonald and Brentina (Bob Langrish) dressage horse/rider combinations in the U.S. to participate in the 2008 USEF National Grand Prix Dressage Championship/USEF Selection Trials for the U.S. Olympic Team in Dressage. These horse/rider combinations are the top 12 from the 2008 USEF Grand Prix Dressage and Selection Trials Ranking List as of June 2, 2008. The following...

Lexington, KY – After five second place finishes with five different horses at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Phillip Dutton and Connaught (Mike McNally) Event Presented by Farnam, Phillip Dutton brought last year’s runner-up, Connaught, back to the Kentucky Horse Park and won convincingly with a masterful clear round in the show jumping. The 15-year-old Irish Thoroughbred gelding, who is owned by Dutton’s longtime supporter Bruce Duchossios, put together three impressive phases...

Lexington, KY - Thursday’s dressage winner Becky Holder got a run for her money early on and an assault continued on her score of 39.3 all day but no one was able to top her effort with Courageous Comet. They Becky Holder and Courageous Comet (Mike McNally) remain the only pair under 40 at the 2008 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event Presented by Farnam. Two points separate the top three horses as they head to the cross country phase on Saturday. The third pair to go, Heidi White and Northern...

Elkton, MD ­ – Unsettled weather continued on Friday for the second day of dressage at the USEF Eventing National CCI*** Championships at Fair Hill International, and Thursday’s leader Boyd Martin (Australia) staved off challenges for almost two entire days on a score of 46.1. It wasn’t until the second to last rider of the day, Phillip Dutton, Martin’s employer, put an end to his reign. Dutton, who is riding for the first year under the American flag put in a...

U.S. Sends Teams to Samsung Super League Final and Spruce Meadows Masters Lexington, KY - The U.S. is fielding a formidable team for one of the most prestigious show jumping challenges in the world, the Spruce Meadows Masters. More than 50,000 spectators turn out over the weekend to watch some of the world’s best show jumpers vie for over $2 million in prize money. The U.S. show jumpers will be fighting a war on two fronts with the top riders divided between the Masters in Calgary,...

Diana DeRosa (Karen O'Connor and the pony Theodore O'Connor take the lead after cross-country.) Rio de Janeiro—Cross-country day at the XV Pan American Games dawned clear and sunny July 21 at the Deodoro venue. With five Americans in the top five places after the first phase, and a firm grip on the team lead after the first phase, there was a lot at stake on the 10-minute track. When the dust settled, a pony took on all the horses and rewrote history. Pathfinder Karen O’Connor, from...

Lexington, KY - The Eventing High Performance List has been changed and the following horse/rider combinations have been named to the Squads. These horse/rider combinations will be invited to participate in training sessions to be held at various locations throughout the country. These sessions will be conducted by USEF Three-Day Eventing Coach Captain Mark Phillips and are currently being scheduled. Rider/Hometown/Horse/Sex/Breed/Age/Owner A Squad Kristin Bachman/The Plains,...

June 15th, the second day of the Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Dressage Festival of Champions, got underway with the Brentina Cup. Organized for young adults and named for Debbie McDonald's World Cup Champion mare, the Brentina Cup is open to Steffen Peters (phelpsphoto.com) riders 21-25 years of age. Performing the Intermediaire II test, the horses in the Brentina Cup are developing their skills for the highest level of dressage competition. The second horse of the day filled up the ring with...