Paul O'Shea and Primo de Revel. Photo (Mancini Photos) Wellington, Fla. - Equestrian Sport Productions (ESP) hosted its Holiday Festival III this weekend on December 20-22, 2013, at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) in Wellington, FL. The competition featured National 'A' rated hunter and 4* jumper competition, including a $10,000 Open Jumper Stake and a $25,000 Holiday III Grand Prix. The $25,000 Holiday III Grand Prix was the highlight event of the weekend, held...

Lexington, Ky. - To reach the highest level of excellence in equestrian sport requires talent, perseverance, a tremendous spirit and often, unwavering courage. In 2013, six horses have shown the world these qualities and more. On January 11, the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) will bestow two of them with the prestigious title of Horse of the Year, the highest honor the USEF awards a horse. Again this year, both a national and international horse will be crowned. The six champions...

Sarah Nieman winner of the $10,000 Show Jumping Hall of Fame West Coast Championship (Amy McCool) Lexington, Ky. - Sarah Nieman of Coquitlam, BC, Canada and her mount Danton won the Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series West Coast Championship, held at the Las Vegas National Horse Show. Prior to the Championship Final in Las Vegas, the 2013 West Conference regular season came to a close at the L.A. National Horse Show. Eduardo Sanchez Navarro and Virgo topped the Amateur-Owner...

Jessica Wuesthofen, winner of the 2013 USEF Saddle Seat Medal Final, aboard CH EQ Chanti's Prayer (Howard Schatzberg) Kansas City, Mo. – A talented field of competitors entered the Kemper Arena on Saturday, November 16, in hopes of winning the USEF Saddle Seat Medal Final at the United Professional Horsemen's Association (UPHA) American Royal National Championship. The judging panel comprised of Kim Cowart (Statesville, N.C.), Sandra Currier (Bellville, Texas) and Cecile Hetzel Dunn...

Welcome to the fourth installment of a different kind of blog from WDAA! The purpose of this post is to allow the reader "into the heads" of both a trainer/judge/competitor, Karen Abbattista and her student, Deborah Herbert, a Florida WDAA member. We would like to share with you some moments in Deb's journey as she pursues her riding goals with her AQHA mare "GenuineArcticSpring", barn name "Belle". Please enjoy as you follow along with these posts that we consider interesting or...

Gladstone, N.J. - The 2013 Platinum Performance/USEF Talent Search Finals East officially got underway on Saturday at the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation Headquarters with competitors completing the first two phases of competition. In the morning, judges Ronnie Beard and Anne Kursinski tested riders on the flat in the Dick and Jane Brown Arena and in the afternoon competitors returned to demonstrate their skill over a gymnastics course. At the end of the first day of competition, Lillie Keenan...

The Show Place Arena offers one of the best indoor horse show environments in the United States (Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.) Upper Marlboro, MD – The Capital Challenge Horse Show kicked off hunter competition today at the Prince George's Equestrian Center in Upper Marlboro, MD. Within its span of two decades, the Capital Challenge Horse Show has set itself apart with a distinct and unique focus on preeminent hunter competition among its many other advancements in the industry. The show...

Sinead Halpin and Manoir De Carneville (Jenni Autry) Unionville, PA - All three CIC divisions saw exciting conclusions to dressage on the first full day of competition at Plantation Field Horse Trials. In the CIC3*, Sinead Halpin and Manoir De Carneville set an incredibly high benchmark toward the end of the division, scoring 37.8 to hold a commanding lead. Halpin and Manoir De Carneville were meant to compete in Europe this fall, but a freak injury in July at Chattahoochee Hills kept Halpin...

Nayel Nassar and Lordan jump their way to Zoetis Million glory at HITS Saugerties during Championship Weekend (©ESI Photography) Saugerties, NY – Nayel Nassar of Stanford, California proved that a 3,000-mile trip across the U.S. was well worth the effort Sunday when he rode Lordan to a hard-fought victory in the fourth-annual Zoetis $1 Million Grand Prix at HITS Saugerties. With the post-competition tunes of Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell playing in the background, Nassar prepared to...

Wayne, IL - The first three of five 2013 Markel/USEF Young & Developing Horse Dressage National Championships presented by HorseShow.com National Titles were awarded Saturday at the Lamplight Equestrian Center, in Developing Grand Prix and Four and Five-Year-Old divisions. All competitors rode in front of the star-studded panel of Lilo Fore, Anne Gribbons and Sandy Osborne. In the Markel/USEF Developing Grand Prix Horse Dressage National Championship presented by HorseShow.com, Zandor...