McLain Ward and HH Azur (Shannon Brinkman Photo) Whether there is truth to superstitions, many athletes have them and equestrian athletes are no exception. The U.S. athletes at the FEI World Cup™? Finals have various ideas about getting luck on their side. Read on to find out whose superstitions involve boots, back numbers, and more: Kasey Perry-Glass, dressage “I don’t have superstitions. I try to work on my preparation throughout the day so I don’t get as stressed,...

Lexington, Ky. – Participants selected for the 2017 Emerging Athlete Eventing 25 and 18 Programs prepared for the competition season during winter training sessions with US Equestrian Eventing Emerging Athlete Coach Leslie Law. The training sessions held at Meredyth South began January 9-12 with the Eventing 25 participants, followed by the Eventing 18 participants on January 16-19. Law then traveled to California to teach the West Coast Eventing 25 and Eventing 18 participants, January...

Mary Babick, president-elect of the USHJA Dallas, Texas - Today, the United States Hunter Jumper Association Board of Directors elected Mary Babick as the next president of the organization, during the Board of Directors meeting held in Dallas, Texas. Babick will take office on December 15, following the final Board of Directors meeting of the USHJA Annual Meeting, which will be held in Palm Springs, California. The election consisted of brief presentations from both candidates, Mary Babick and...

Jenny Karazissis and Puissance R (Shawn McMillen) Lexington, Ky. - For Jenny Karazissis, making the journey to Kentucky from Calabasas, California has already proven to be worthwhile. Karazissis and Puissance R bested a field of 132 top-caliber entries to win round one of the 2016 USHJA Pre-Green Incentive Championship at the Bluegrass Festival Horse Show on Tuesday. Going later in the order, Karazissis unseated Scott Stewart and Storm Watch from the top spot, taking over his score of 261.5...

Givrins, Switzerland – The U.S. Reining team delivered a great display of showmanship at the 2016 SVAG FEI World Reining Championships, August 11-13, at the CS Ranch in Givrins, Switzerland. Team members Shane Brown, Troy Heikes, Kari Klingenberg, and Nick Valentine all had consistent performances throughout the Team and Individual competitions. They finished fifth in the team competition with a score of 646. Heikes placed seventh in the Individual Final on Saturday to lead the U.S....

Todd Minikus and Quality Girl on their way to a $75,000 UlcerGuard Grand Prix win. (ESI Photography) Saugerties, N.Y. - As the curtain closed on the HITS Saugerties Summer Series, thirty-five horses and riders turned out for Sunday’s $75,000 UlcerGuard Grand Prix for a shot at the money. The field consisted of Olympians and world-cup finalists, in addition to talented juniors and amateurs, but only one could claim the top title. Twelve advanced to the shortened course set by Mark McGowan...

Piber Köflach, Austria – The 2016 FEI World Driving Championships for Singles got underway Thursday with the first of two days of driven dressage. The U.S. contingent is off to a solid start with Donna Crookston, Suzy Stafford, and Leslie Berndl performing polished tests. Stafford and PVF Peace of Mind currently lead the international field with a score of 49.34. Suzy Stafford and PVF Peace of Mind (Krisztina Horváth/Hoefnet.com) Stafford (Wilmington, Del.) had an excellent test with...

Lauren Hester and Warinde B (Lauren Baker/Phelps Media Group) Lexington, Ky. - With only nine career grand prix wins under her belt, the pressure was on as Lauren Hester took the stage with Warinde B in the $25,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic at the Kentucky Summer Horse Show. The only American rider to advance to the jump-off, hometown favorite Hester gave it her all to earn the win, besting veteran five-star riders Pablo Barrios and Shane Sweetnam. "I'm on cloud nine, and I'm really...

I would describe today as a Between Day; somewhere between good and bad, and for my persona, somewhere varying between “sociably acceptable and bear with sore head and irritated butt”. There is a standing guideline within the British Military called the 1/3rd - 2/3rd Rule – of the time available, use 1/3rd for your own planning leaving 2/3rds for your subordinates. I think it works in reverse when preparing for the first arrival of horses, grooms, staff and OMG..they are...

Another day, another waste of time setting the alarm clock; a forlorn hope that I would make it to 5:30 a.m. There are still many loose ends to sort so the “get your lazy arse (aka butt) out of bed” side of my brain is winning the nightly joust with the “go on..be a lazy walrus” side of the aforementioned, alcohol preserved grey matter: I will not pretend that I am not extremely nervous about the arrival of the horse flights and also how we are going to make the...