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...

Diana DeRosa (Christopher Hickey and Regent in Rio de Janeiro) Rio de Janeiro, Brazil—When most people think of Rio, sunshine comes quickly to mind. However, that was not the case today at Deodoro Stadium and the National Equestrian Center outside of the city. Clouds, the threat of rain showers and cooler temperatures loomed, but it was a rather bright day for the hopes of the American dressage riders as all three of them competed in the first of two rounds that will determine the...

Mara Dean on Nicki Henley during the dressage phase of the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by Farnam. (Marc Manning) If there was one thing that stood out the first day of the 2006 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by Farnam – other than the international-level competitors and their beautiful mounts – it was the abundance of blue skies and sunshine that surprised even veteran Rolex attendees. Legions of fans of eventing came from around the world to watch the highest...