Nicole DelGiorno and Lamborghini Dane (Flashpoint Photography) Lexington, KY—The 2009 Adequan FEI North American Junior Young Rider Championships presented by Gotham North went out rocking with the Junior freestyle dressage tests. The top 15 Juniors came back to perform their choreographed routines in the USDF/Platinum Performance North American Junior & Young Rider Dressage Championships, and the crowds cheered them on under sunny Kentucky skies. After the scores were tallied, Nicole...

The dressage justice in the world continued last night. In a fiercely difficult freestyle, Ravel and Steffen delivered a World Cup Championship performance. It was one of those nights where the planets aligned. How lucky are we to have been a part of it? Ravel got better, and better, and better throughout the Freestyle and they brought down the house for the US. To the music of the Rolling Stones' Sympathy for the Devil, Ravel, who had an introduction to the world in Hong Kong last summer,...

Anyone who said they didn't cry is lying. In fact, photographer Ken Braddick told me that he didn't and I told him he had no heart. From the moment she set foot in the arena, the floodgates were open. Brentina has always moved people with her performances, but today, as she walked around the Thomas & Mack with Debbie McDonald aboard, everyone was astounded with her presence. Debbie had lost her composure by the time she got on the gallant mare. Everyone else was just a few seconds...

Katharine Brunjes and Theatric (Genie Stewart-Spears ) Lexington, KY – 160 km on horseback is no easy feat. But 142 riders from 34 nations will undertake the task when the FEI World Endurance Championships get underway in Terengganu, Malaysia November 6-9, 2008. The US has six horse/rider combinations in Malaysia under the guidance of three-time World Champion Becky Hart, who is serving as Chef d’Equipe. The team includes another multiple world champion: Valarie Kanavy. She is hot...

Beesd, The Netherlands - The 19th edition of the World Four-in-Hand Driving Championship, one of the major highlights of the driving season, opened impressively yesterday in Beesd, the Netherlands. The wonderful opening ceremony marked the start of one of the driving highlights of the 2008 season. Many enthusiastic spectators welcomed 59 competitors from 20 different nations, who were kicked off the competition with a presentation in the large stadium in traditional horse drawn carriages. Team...

Gina Miles and McKinlaigh (Shannon Brinkman) Hong Kong, China – Gina Miles put in a personal best with McKinlaigh at her first Olympic Games to go into third place after the morning session of the first day of dressage. The Creston, CA rider and the giant Irish Sport Horse (owned by Thom Shulz and Laura Coats) had beautiful trot work, quality walk and canter and transitions. The pair received some nines, and would have scored even better but they made a couple of mistakes in their flying...

Morton, IL- In a gesture of goodwill, the American Shetland Pony Club (ASPC) is sending a gift of two American Shetland Ponies to the Hong Kong Equestrian Federation to salute their efforts for hosting the 2008 equestrian events of the Olympics. The two Shetland riding ponies are currently in quarantine in Lexington, KY, awaiting their flight to Hong Kong scheduled for June 6. The two show ponies will fly from Chicago to Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Equestrian Federation (HKEF) will host a special...

Kent Farrington and Up Chiqui (Randi Muster) Wellington, FL – The only clear round in the second leg of the Rolex/USEF National Show Jumping Championship presented by Equine Motorcoach wasn’t enough to wrestle the title away from the consistently impressive combination of Kent Farrington and Up Chiqui. They were the fastest of the four faulters on Sunday, but their stellar performance in the first round on Friday compounded into the best score over the two days. Last year’s...

Jason Canton and Grandioso (By PhelpsPhotos.com ) By Stacey Meier Lexington, KY – With three championships left to go in the final day, it was Christopher Hickey and U.S. bred Cabana Boy who swept the five-year-old championship division and Jason Canton and Grandioso who won the six-year-old championship division of the 2007 Markel/United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) National Young Horse Dressage Championship presented by Collecting Gaits Farm. Beginning with the five-year-old...

Elizabeth Boone and Magic BB took the Gold medal at the 2007 Adequan/USEF National Pony Individual Championship. (Mary Phelps/PhelpsPhotos.com ) Lexington, KY- Continuing the momentum of the previous evening, Day Four of the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) Pony Finals included an evening of fast-paced show jumping by the top 19 riders in the Adequan/USEF National Pony Individual Championship. After the jump off, it was Elizabeth Boone who went triple-clear to win the Gold medal on...