Melissa Feller and Serafino (Shawn McMillen Photography) Upper Marlboro, MD - Twenty-eight-year-old Melissa Feller of Lincoln Park, NJ, rode Serafino for owner Elisabeth McFadden to the win in the $5,000 WCHR Emerging Pro Challenge. Feller rides for trainer Robert Beck and has been training with him since she was 10 years old. This is her second year as a professional and she stated that Capital Challenge is her favorite horse show. Feller won the Ariat National Adult Medal Finals in 2010....

Lexington, KY- The driving championship season comes to a close this weekend, as competitors will vie for National Titles in pair horse and ponies divisions at the Kentucky Horse Park. Held in conjunction with the Kentucky Classic CDE, October 4-7, USEF National Champions will be crowned in Pairs, Single Pony, Pair Pony and Pony Team competition. Competition gets underway Thursday, with the vet check at 9am and the dressage phase beginning at 11:30am. On Saturday, all National Championship...

Trendy and Elizabeth Boyd (Shawn McMillen Photography) Upper Marlboro, MD – Eight championships were awarded today at the Capital Challenge Horse Show presented by The Gochman Family, honoring the best hunters in the country. Along with the Second Year Green Working and High Performance Hunter divisions, championships were given in five Future Hunter divisions and the Performance Hunters 3'6”. The Capital Challenge Horse Show, held at the Prince George's Equestrian Center in...

Jonathan Wentz cheering on his team at the 2012 London Paralympics (Lindsay Yosay McCall) Richardson, TX - The equestrian community grieves today as we remember Jonathan Wentz who passed away over the weekend at the young age of 21. Jonathan was a delightful person and an inspiration to all. He will be greatly missed among his family and friends. Jonathan was in his final year at Southern Methodist University where he was well-respected among the staff and students. Born with Cerebral Palsy he...

Chris Hickey on Witness Hilltop (Hoof Print Images) Devon, PA – Much of the concluding day at Dressage at Devon was composed of Freestyle classes – from the FEI Junior Freestyle to the FEI Intermediare Freestyle CDI W. The afternoon also featured the FEI Olympic Grand Prix Special CDI W. Up and Coming Talent Alexandra Reid, a 20 year-old Canadian, and her mount V.I.P (Rousseau x Nastrade) swept the Young Rider classes this year with winning scores for the FEI Young Rider Individual...

Abigail Mutrux is a 17-year-old junior at University City High School in St. Louis, Missouri. She is the captain of the three-gaited section of the 2012 U.S. Saddle Seat World Cup Team. In addition to riding Saddle Seat, she enjoys fox hunting and has been awarded her junior colors. Perhaps Saddle Seat is something that most children aren’t drawn toward when they first tell their parents that they want to start riding. I was born into it. My mother grew up competing at the same national...

Lexington, KY- The United States Equestrian Federation mourns the loss of a great competitor and advocate for para-equestrian sport. Jonathan Wentz passed away September 30, 2012. Wentz had recently returned from London where he was a member of the U.S. Team that earned seventh place at the 2012 Paralympic Games. At those Games, Wentz also finished fourth in the Individual Test and fifth in the Freestyle Test in Grade 1b competition riding Kai Handt’s NTEC Richter Jonathan Wentz and NTEC...

Sydney Hutchins and Gaudi. (Shawn McMillen Photography) Upper Marlboro, MD – Forty-one qualifiers contested this year's THIS National Children's Medal Finals. After the initial round, the top 10 returned for a second round. Thirteen-year-old Sydney Hutchins of Westlake Village, CA, led from start to finish on Gaudi, owned by Taylor Harris (who, coincidentally, is not related to the sponsor). She scored a 90.5 in the first round and an 86.7 in the second round for a winning total...

Lillie Keenan and Clearway (Shawn McMillen Photography) Upper Marlboro, MD – The Capital Challenge Equitation Championship Weekend, presented by Bigeq.com, hosted three equitation finals today, starting with the North American Junior Equitation Championship, in which Lillie Keenan took home the big win on Clearway, owned by Heritage Farm. Sydney Hutchins was victorious in the Taylor Harris Insurance Services (THIS) National Children's Medal Finals, while Annie Finch won the blue...

Devon, PA – The competition continued today with classes including the FEI Intermediaire I, the FEI Young Rider Individual Text, Fourth Level tests, FEI Team Test Ponies and the highly anticipated FEI Grand Prix Freestyle. The Riders Jacqueline Brooks and D-Niro (Hoof Print Images) “This night is my favorite. I’m thrilled to have won,” said Jacqueline Brooks, winner of the Grand Prix Freestyle. She’s only been riding D-Niro since February of 2011 but has already...