Chester Weber and his team during the cones phase. (Photo courtesy of PicsofYou.com) Ocala, FL - From a record 11th national title for four-in-hand’s Chester Weber to two-time NFL Superbowl linebacker Max Montoya scoring a win in the Intermediate Pair Horse division, this year’s Live Oak International Combined Driving had it all. Ocala, Florida, known as the ‘Horse Capital of the World’ saw hometown hero, Chester Weber drive Jane Clark’s KWPN geldings to an...

Abigail McArdle and Cosma 20 (Sportfot) Wellington, Fla. - Friday's competition at the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival featured a $34,000 G&C Farm 1.45m speed class with a win for 19-year-old Abigail McArdle (USA) aboard Cosma 20. In the hunter rings, Kyle Owens swept the youngest division of the Adult Amateur Hunters with his horses Voila and Messick. Sponsored by Adequan®, FTI WEF week seven runs February 19-23, 2014. The week will feature the $280,000 Adequan® Grand...

Ramiro Quintana and Largo (Phelps Media Group, Inc.) Wellington, Fla. - The Ridge at Wellington's Turf Tour returned to the International Polo Club Palm Beach wednesday for its sixth week of competition. The 1.30m-1.35m Jumpers kicked off the halfway point of the series, where Ramiro Quintana piloted Largo to the pinnacle of the rankings in the red class, dominating the standings as all other contenders attempted to match their speed. It was Philip Richter and his veteran mount Ray Ray that...

Lars Petersen and Mariett (Susan J. Stickle) Wellington, Fla. - Lars Petersen (DEN) and Mariett have become familiar faces in the winner's circle at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival (AGDF), and Thursday evening was no exception. Petersen topped the FEI Grand Prix 4* presented by The Dutta Corp. with Marcia Pepper's 16-year-old Danish Warmblood mare with a score of 70.960%. For his win in Thursday's class, Petersen was also presented with the Champion Equine Insurance Dressage...

Michael Leon continues his winning ways in the $2,500 USHJA National Hunter Derby (Flying Horse Photography) Burbank, Calif. - Michael Leon, who earned a big check in the 2013 LEGIS Hunter Rider Bonus, is no stranger to winning. He started off the 2014 show year by dominating the $2,500 LAEC Opener USHJA National Hunter Derby at The LAEC Opener Horse Show (Jan 17-19), and if he and Freedom (Anna Sophia Lotman, owner) win a second derby together at LAEC this season, he’ll earn another...

Lexington, Ky. - The USEF and USET Foundation have come together in 2014 through a gift from USET Foundation Trustee Betsy Juliano and Havensafe Farm to host the first ever USEF/USET Foundation Dressage Pipeline Clinic, January 28-29, 2014 at the Global Dressage Grounds in Wellington, Fla. This clinic will showcase the U.S. dressage pipeline of athletes and horses with the four USEF Dressage Coaches: Robert Dover, USEF Chef d'Equipe/Technical Advisor; Debbie McDonald, USEF Developing Coach;...

Lexington, Ky. - Voting is now open for the coveted 2013 USEF Equestrian of the Year award. Following decades of tradition, the winner will again be announced when the horse world meets at the United States Equestrian Federation's annual Pegasus Awards gala. This year's gala will be held on Friday, January 10, 2014 at the Hyatt Regency Lexington in Lexington, Ky., and broadcast live on the USEFNetwork presented by Smartpak. Known as the USEF Equestrians of Honor, eight stars of...

Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping and Reem Acra FEI World Cup™ Dressage Finals Set for April 2015 Las Vegas, NV - The International Equestrian Federation (FEI), the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) and Las Vegas Events, Inc. (LVE) join in announcing that the FEI World Cup™ Finals in both show jumping and dressage will return to Las Vegas in 2015. Las Vegas will host the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Final and the Reem Acra FEI World Cup™ Dressage Final at...

Last week I posted a virtual show entry video from an amazingly brave woman who continues to allow me to use her material for examples in this blog. Her courage and generosity inspire me and I hope that her open heart and willingness to be visible inspire you too. I hope that some of you readers are able to identify with her as a peer, a rider struggling to understand riding and training her stock horse and that you professionals at least respect her courage. Reaction to the video has been...

Thanks to everyone who took the time to send emails to USEF and for sharing your thoughts and feelings about the direction Western Dressage should take. It is so important to hear and listen to different ideas from all directions as the discipline develops. At this point all there is to do is continue to ride and train and show, and most important, to have fun with our horses. With another show coming up this weekend for us, I have put a lot of thought into the questions the last show brought...