American Olympian Leslie Howard and Utah took the $75,000 Ricoh Big Ben Challenge in front of a sold-out crowd to cap the international division at the CSI4*-W Royal Horse Show (Ben Radvanyi) Toronto, On. – America’s Leslie Howard is a legend in the sport of show jumping and she handily won the $75,000 Ricoh Big Ben Challenge tonight at the CSI4*-W Royal Horse Show, Toronto, in front of a standing-room only crowd of equine enthusiasts. Canadian Olympian Beth Underhill was runner-up...

Lexington, Ky. - Horses and riders danced the day away in the Alltech Arena in six freestyle championship divisions during the inaugural US Dressage Finals presented by Adequan® at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY. Despite facing some of the best horses and riders in their divisions from across the country, competitors rose to the challenge in their quest for national titles while also gaining the experience of a lifetime. In the Third Level Freestyle Championship, Region 1 rider...

Glory Days and Katie Dinan clear the Ace Bakery oxer (Ben Radvanyi) Toronto, On. – The phrase “We have a jump off!” is commonly heard around the horse show ring, but it’s rarely, if ever, heard following a speed class at a four-star international event. Friday night the ‘one-in-a-million’ happened. Veteran American rider Laura Kraut (Middleburg, VA) put in an incredible round in what, under normal circumstances would have been the first and only round of the...

Heather Mason of Tewksbury, NJ is off to a winning start at the US Dressage Finals presented by Adequan® (SusanJStickle.com) Lexington, Ky. - For the first time in almost 30 years, national titles for adult amateur and open dressage riders from Training Level to Grand Prix were presented Friday at the inaugural US Dressage Finals presented by Adequan® at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY. A full day of intense competition extended into a festive evening as special celebrations were...

Waco, Tx. – The National Collegiate Equestrian Association on Friday announced its October Riders of the Month, recognizing outstanding performances from the second month of the 2013-14 collegiate equestrian season. South Carolina’s Katherine Schmidt was named the October Equitation Over Fences Rider of the Month. She posted a 4-0 record in equitation over fences in the month of October with two MVP honors. Three of her four wins and one of her two MVPs came in away meets. On Oct....

Lexington, Ky. - The much-anticipated start of the US Dressage Finals presented by Adequan® became official today when the first horses trotted down arena centerlines at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY. As the inaugural national head-to-head competition for Adult Amateur and Open riders from Training Level to Grand Prix, hundreds of exhibitors from coast to coast have gathered to share in what for many will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Today 16 non-championship "USDF...

Montreux, Switzerland - HRH Princess Haya, President of the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) led the applause tonight as the five winners of the FEI Awards 2013 went on stage in Montreux, Switzerland to receive their honours. FEI Award Winners 2013 (© FEI/Edouard Curchod) Master of Ceremonies Jonathan Edwards, Olympic gold medallist in Triple Jump and the current world record holder, described the accomplishments of the recipients of the FEI Awards to more than three...

Lexington, Ky. - Kelsey Thatcher of Bluffdale, Utah has been named the Show Jumping Hall of Fame Rider of the Month for October. Thatcher won the $15,000 Show Jumping Hall of Fame Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show and earned the division Championship with Athena, and also took second place and Reserve Championship with Everything. Thatcher, who is trained by Alex and Maggie Jayne, was also named the horse show's Leading Amateur-Owner Jumper Rider. "I'm...

McLain Ward and Rothchild charge over the GroupBy oxer to take the $100,000 Hickstead FEI World CupTM Grand Prix (Ben Radvanyi) Toronto, Ont. – In a masterful display of horsemanship, America’s McLain Ward (Brewster, NY) and Rothchild blazed a path to victory tonight in the Ricoh Coliseum, taking top honours in the $100,000 Hickstead FEI World CupTM Grand Prix presented by GroupBy for the fifth time in his career. "The Hickstead class” as it is now known, was renamed to honour...

Lexington, Ky. - The USEF Young Horse Championship Symposium is now just days away and anticipation is steadily building for the informative sessions to be held November 8-10, 2013, at the Kentucky Horse Park’s Alltech Arena. U.S. team coaches and their representatives from dressage, driving, eventing, hunter, and jumping will gather to share their excitement about this new program and explain the details of each discipline’s competition criteria for the 2014 USEF Young Horse...