Wayne, Ill. – Friday at the 2023 U.S. Dressage Festival of Champions brought cooler weather, a full day of top-level dressage competition, and three newly crowned dressage national champions. The Adequan ® /USEF Junior Dressage National Championship and the Markel/USEF Seven-Year-Old Dressage National Championship divisions both completed their final tests, and the USEF Dressage Seat Medal Final 13 & Under closed out the day with its two-phase competition. All competitors at this...

Wayne, Ill. – A busy day of competition took place at HITS Chicago at Lamplight Equestrian Center with seven classes across two rings for day four of the 2023 U.S. Dressage Festival of Champions . The Neue Schule/USEF Intermediaire I division had its conclusion with the FEI Freestyle Test, culminating in the second national championship title of this year’s show. Madeleine Bendfeldt and Lindholm's Quick Step. ©SusanJStickle.com Markel/USEF Five-Year-Old Dressage National...

Lexington, Ky. – Two athlete-and-horse combinations participated the U.S. Dressage European U25 Tour this spring and summer and scored top results. Ben Ebeling and Status Royal OLD competed in Belgium and France, while Erin Nichols and Elian Royale competed in the Netherlands. USEF Dressage Youth Coach George Williams advised the U.S. athletes to help them achieve strong scores in European competition. Ben Ebeling and Status Royal OLD compete in Crozet, France. (Photos Les Garennes)...

Meet the Beast.... The Beast is a very bad beastie as it has “done a leg” and gone on sit down strike a) right in front of our container and b) on the main horse walk in to the stables. To be more accurate, the Beast can easily be repaired if a) the AWOL driver could be found and b) the driver was given accreditation so he / she / it could access the venue and remove the Beast. I just hope that we are not contributing to the day rate for the Beast to be away from his / her Cave of...

Silvio Mazzoni rides to victory aboard his own Remonta Habano in the $40,000 Purina Mills Grand Prix at HITS Culpeper (ESI Photography). . Culpeper, VA – Silvio Mazzoni of Leesburg, VA, and his own Remonta Habano captured their second Grand Prix victory at HITS this year by winning Sunday’s $40,000 Purina Mills Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, at HITS Culpeper. The duo also won the blue in the $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal...

Wayne, Ill. – The third day of competition at the U.S. Dressage Festival of Champions featured exciting action in four divisions, including the first national champion title of the show won in the Adequan ® /USEF Para Dressage National Championship and the first of the young and developing horse classes with the Markel/USEF Seven-Year-Old Dressage National Championship. Codi Harrison and Katholt's Bossco. ©SusanJStickle.com Neue Schule/USEF Grand Prix Dressage National...

Ocala, Fla . – The Florida Spring Fling Combined Driving Event (CDE) played host to the 2020 USEF Preliminary Combined Driving National Championships and the exciting competition that unfolded at the Florida Horse Park. Four preliminary divisions had athletes take home their national championship titles. USEF Preliminary Single Horse Combined Driving National Championship Raymond Helmuth and Kendro (Picsofyou.com) Raymond Helmuth (Cambridge, Iowa) and Kendro earned the USEF Preliminary...

Wayne, Ill. – The first tests of the 2023 edition of the U.S. Dressage Festival of Champions took place today in the Grand Prix Arena at HITS Chicago at Lamplight Equestrian Center. A total of 12 combinations in the Neue Schule/USEF Intermediaire I National Championship completed their FEI Prix St. Georges Test, while four competitors contesting the Adequan ® /USEF Para Dressage National Championship performed their FEI Para Grand Prix A Test. Christian Simonson and Son of a Lady....

Sarah Hamilton from strategic communications consulting firm Kivvit gave a presentation on social media to kick off Friday’s Workshop Sessions. She reviewed the basics, different platforms, strengths and weaknesses of social media, and best practices. Hamilton concluded by fielding questions from the audience for a thoroughly informative session. Social media is a communication tool “Social media is just one tool in a larger communications and marketing external relations plan that...

Traverse City, Mich. – Two U.S. athletes clinched the final gold medals at the 2023 Gotham North FEI North American Youth Jumping Championships Presented by USHJA , bringing this year’s event to an exciting conclusion at Flintfields Horse Park. Carlee McCutcheon and Coco Mercedes ©Leslie Potter/US Equestrian NAYC FEI Junior Jumping Individual Championship Carlee McCutcheon (Aubrey, Texas) expertly piloted Coco Mercedes, a 2013 Westphalian mare owned by McLain Ward and Old Oak...