A picture perfect day in Wayne, IL, set the backdrop for another great day of competition at the Showplace Spring Spectacular II on Saturday. In the Grand Prix Ring, Thomas Cerra and United raced to victory in the outstanding $30,000 Showplace Productions Grand Prix, sponsored by Tapestry Farm of Bristol, Wisconsin. The day began with a win for Samantha Wagner and Brosius in the $2,500 Modified Children's/Adult Jumper Classic, and following the grand prix, The Low Children's and Adult Jumpers...

Photo by Lauren Fisher/PMG (Lisa Goldman and Morocco won the $10,000 SJHOF High Junior/AO Jumper Classic.) It was a fantastic day for 21-year-old Denise Wilson of Oconomowoc, WI, and Blue Gate Farm LLC's Life is Life 15 when the pair raced to victory in Saturday afternoon's $30,000 Showplace Productions Grand Prix. Held in the beautiful Grand Prix Ring at the Lamplight Equestrian Center in Wayne, IL, the grand prix was the first of three in the 2010 Showplace Spring Spectacular Horse Show...

John Williams and Sweepea Dean Lead CCI*** (Shannon Brinkman) Elkton, MD – Autumn seemed to bypass the 2009 Dansko Fair Hill International in favor of winter, as cold temperatures and steady rain gripped the USEF National Eventing CCI** and CCI*** Championships for the first day of dressage. John Williams’ faith in Sweepea Dean was finally rewarded with a breakout performance for the Olympic veteran with the 10-year-old Thoroughbred gelding. Their test showcased good lateral work...

Kaitlyn McMorris and Clifton Peekachu (Brant Gamma) Lexington, KY—Cross-country day has come and gone at the USEA North American Junior & Young Rider Eventing Championships at the Kentucky Horse Park. It was a day full of athletic horses cruising around the course and strong riders enjoying every minute of it. The start time was delayed an hour due to strong storms that moved through the area, but the weather improved as the competition went on. The course, designed by Olympic Gold...

Gladstone, NJ – After a four day battle, the rain finally won at the 2009 Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Dressage Festival of Champions, and collectively the Ground Jury and the management decided that, in the best interest of the horses, the competition was suspended after the Young Riders rode first thing Sunday morning. This meant that Leslie Morse was crowned USEF National Grand Prix Champion for the fifth time. Morse GP Raymeister (SusanJStickle.com) and her beloved 15-year-old Swedish...

The Champ (Shannon Brinkman) Las Vegas, NV – The Dressage world has changed. American rider Steffen Peters and Ravel are at the center of the universe. The suspense built throughout the night at the 2009 Rolex FEI World Cup Final in the Thomas & Mack Arena, and with only one American horse remaining in the competition, the crowd had to wait until the third to last horse in the ring. With $102,000 USD on the line and a Rolex watch, the competition was fierce. Ravel, in first World Cup...

Manerbio, Italy – It was a close finish but with a total of 667.5 points Team Italy took the gold medal in the very first FEI World Reining Championship on Friday, September 12. Team USA took the silver medal with 663.5 points closely followed by Team Germany which finished only a point behind the United States. Sixteen countries were represented in the World Reining Championship and in order to determine who would step on the podium for the bronze medal, reining enthusiasts had to wait...

Lexington, KY – Driver Chester Weber continued his stellar European campaign over the weekend with a convincing win at the German Fahrderby in Riesenbeck, Germany. The Fahrderby (Driving Derby) is a unique competition which consists of six separate phases. It began with each competitor driving a pair the first morning - a class that is equivalent to a show hunter class. Four drivers enter a standard driving arena and are directed by the judges to perform specific movements from letter to...

Theodore O'Connor is one of two Horses Named to the USEF Short List for Eventing with Karen O'Connor (Shannon Brinkman) Lexington, KY - The United States Equestrian Federation has approved the following horse/rider combinations to the Eventing Short List for the 2008 Olympic Games in Hong Kong August 8-14, 2008. The combinations are as follows (listed alphabetically): Name/Age/Hometown/Horse/Sex/Age/Breed/Owner Stephen Bradley / 46 / Leesburg, VA / Brandenburg’s Joshua / G / 13 /...

Lexington, KY ­– Becky Holder made it very clear that she was not relinquishing her grasp on the top spot at the 2008 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event as she flew around the cross-country course with Courageous Becky Holder and Courageous Comet (Mike McNally) Comet. “He was foot perfect.” said Holder after her round. “He was just absolutely on his game for every minute of it.” The 13-year-old Thoroughbred gelding flashed the turn of foot that made him a success...