Little Emir and Shane Sweetnam. Traverse City, MI - As Shane Sweetnam walked into the ring aboard Spy Coast Farm LLC's Little Emir for the jump-off of the $30,000 Grand Traverse Bay Grand Prix, he was weighing his options. With just two riders to follow him in the 17-horse jump-off, Sweetnam was figuring out his odds. At the moment, he held the lead aboard his other mount, Rolette, and he was currently sitting on one of his most experienced grand prix partners, the 14-year-old German-bred...

Ken Berkley and Waminka claimed victory in the $30,000 Battenkill Grand Prix on Saturday, July 14, at the Vermont Summer Festival in East Dorset, VT.(David Mullinix) East Dorset, VT – Kenneth Berkley of Flemington, NJ, captured victory in the $30,000 Battenkill Grand Prix held Saturday, July 14, during the second week of the Vermont Summer Festival in East Dorset, VT. The six-week equestrian competition is running at Harold Beebe Farm from July 4 through August 12, 2012. Hot off his win...

Alison Robitaille and Cover Girl 27 Traverse City, MI - Ideal conditions and a bright blue sky set the stage for the $30,000 Grand Prix of Traverse City today at Horse Shows by the Bay in scenic Traverse City, Michigan. Series I came to a close this afternoon reading like a textbook edition of stellar competition with the last chapter highlighting an amazing performance by Mr. and Mrs. Bertram Firestone's Cover Girl 27 and Alison Robitaille. A field of 21 competitors challenged the first of...

Steffen Peters and Legolas 92 (Susan J. Stickle) Gladstone, NJ - Four years ago, Steffen Peters and Ravel, then an inexperienced 10-year-old, won the 2008 Grand Prix National Dressage Championship at the Festival of Champions in California. That performance earned the pair a trip to the Olympic Games where they were fourth. Four years, an FEI World Cup title, a CHIO Aachen victory and two Bronze medals at the FEI World Equestrian Games later - Ravel was granted permission by the USEF selectors...

Victoria Colvin and Inclusive won the $15,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby at the Kentucky Spring Horse Show (Kendall Bierer/PMG) Lexington, KY - The night was filled with anticipation and excitement as the nation's top hunter riders gathered beneath the lights of the Rolex Stadium tonight at the Kentucky Spring Horse Show. The evening began with the $5,000 Hallway Feeds USHJA National Hunter Derby where renowned hunter rider Louise Serio took the championship prize aboard Corvine. The...

a guest blog post fom Mary Cox The following three ideas may take being somewhat adventuresome but trust me, the result will make it all worth it ! First, research a local stone fabricator in your area. A fabricator makes the template and cuts the stone for granite, marble or stone countertops. Once you’ve located one, pay them a visit and remember to put on your best “I’m a Tack Hoarder – help me” face. Then ask them very sweetly if you can do some “Dumpster...

Del Mar, CA- For a second night Marina Azevedo built a demanding course at the Del Mar National Horse Show for the 20 entries to jump in the $100,000 Hermes Grand Prix of Del Mar presented by Intuit. Six of the entries contesting the 13 obstacle course were members of the USEF Long List for the U.S. Show Jumping Team for the 2012 Olympic Games. These combinations were contesting the first of four 2012 US Show Jumping Team Observation Events. And in the second and final class of the Del Mar...

Donna Ponessa (USA) Grade Ia and Silvano (Photo by Lindsay Y McCall) Katy, TX - April 27, 2012- Friday's Para-Equestrian Dressage competition at the Houston Dress Society (HDS) Spring Classic I & II CPEDI3* included the Team Test competition. Each horse and rider combination put forward their best technical execution of their respective test in Grade Ia, Ib, II, III and IV. Friday's FEI Ground Jury included Kathy Amos-Jacob (FRA), David Schmutz (USA), and Carlos Lopes (POR). For the...

Kraut Wins $100,000 FTI Consulting Rider Challenge, Skelton Takes $50,000 Suncast 1.50m Championship Jumper Series Bonus, Lamaze Triumphs In $32,000 Suncast 1.50m Championship Jumper Series Final Wellington, FL - March 31, 2012 - Twenty-two-year-old Daniel Bluman, of Colombia, jumped to an exciting victory on Saturday night in the $500,000 FTI Consulting Finale Grand Prix, CSI 5* at the 2012 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF). Over 7,000 fans filled the stands to see the best...

Wellington, FL - Both youth and experience prevailed at the 2012 USEF National Show Jumping Championship at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center and with three horse/rider combinations tied at the end of the third round - the race for the overall title was wide open. It was standing room only for the second to last Saturday night of the 2012 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival, and Alan Wade’s courses continued to prove influential and challenging in the fourth and final...