In a brilliant display of skill and finesse, Sara Schmitt, of Glen Gardner, NJ, drove her Morgan stallion, High Country Doc, to one of only a few clean and clear rounds in the cones phase at The Laurels at Landhope and her first national championship. The last in the order of go on Sunday, September 11, Schmitt had some wiggle room. Ahead by only four points under the new rules where a ball down is now a three-point penalty instead of five. This gave her a small margin of error, one that could...

The sun shone down on the International Ring for the $1,000,000 CN International Grand Prix on Sunday, September 11, however, the brightest star of the day was Beezie Madden of Cazenovia, NY. She and the 14-year-old Dutch Warmblood stallion Judgement went clear through three rounds of competition to capture a prize of $325,000. It was a class that hosted 49 horse and rider combinations over three very challenging courses set by Leopoldo Palacios. The first round included a very difficult triple...

Lexington, KY – Riding Topsail Ma Cee Blair, 13-year-old Jordan Brown of Selma, North Carolina, took home the Championship title and Gold medal in the 13 and under division at the inaugural 2005 USEF Youth Reining Championship, presented by Markel and Hagyard-Davidson-McGee on Sunday, August 28, at the Kentucky Horse Park, with a winning score of 210. “It was exciting!” said Brown. “It’s a big honor to win. It’s something I’ll remember all my life....

Aachen, Germany - Aug. 25 – The United States show jumping team claimed a victory and a fourth place finish Thursday on the eve of the Samsung Super League Nations Cup competition at the World Equestrian Festival. Jeffrey Welles, of Ridgefield, CT, piloted his nine-year-old Holsteiner gelding, Sampras, to victory in the Youngsters Cup, while Laura Kraut of Oconomowoc, WI, finished fourth on the Dutch Warmblood gelding, Anthem, in the Preis von Nordrhein-Westfalen. Welles and Sampras finished in...

Ramiro Quintana won the testing Speed Challenge at the American Gold Cup last year, and he will return with the same mare, Carousel, to defend his title at this year’s event, September 15-18, at the Devon show grounds in Devon, PA. The Speed Challenge is a very exciting class, which pits professionals against juniors and amateurs, and Quintana, who also won this event four years ago, placed first and third in last year’s event. The five top professionals from their qualifying class on Fast...

PhelpsPhotos.com (Lauren Hogan on High Fashion) (Lexington, KY) – Although storms and much-needed rain poured down on the Bluegrass State Saturday, a young lady from the Sunshine State took home a treasure trove of silver, a Pessoa Saddle, and a Blue Ribbon Cooler appliquéd with their new accolades. Lauren Hogan, 13, and High Fashion, a seven-year-old medium pony mare, won with a score of 1033 points. High Fashion is owned by Laura King-Kaplan, and Lauren is trained by Bill Schaub of Orlando,...

The Vermont Summer Festival is New England's largest 'AA' rated hunter-jumper horse show, and is now sanctioned by Equine Canada, the national body for equestrian sport in Canada. As per tradition, the Vermont Summer Festival will feature a $10,000 Mini Prix every Friday, as well as a $30,000 Grand Prix held each Sunday for the first four weeks. New for 2005, the Vermont Summer Festival will conclude with a grand finale, the $50,000 Vermont Summer Celebration Grand Prix. Each of the five weeks...

SusanJStickle.com (George Williams and Rocher) Gladstone, NJ – George Williams of Delaware, Ohio and his comeback mount Rocher (1991 Westfalen mare), have made their way to the center of the national stage, claiming the title at the 2005 Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF National Grand Prix Dressage Championship, Presented by Paul Miller Auto Group, Inc. on Friday. Clear favorites from the start, the pair earned a 70.333% in the USEF Grand Prix on Thursday, a 73.84% in the USEF Grand Prix...

Gladstone, NJ – Together, Steffen and Shannon Peters of San Diego, California, along with their mounts, Marlando (1999 Dutch Warmblood gelding) and Luxor (1993 Dutch Warmblood gelding), have built a roadblock that won’t be easy for fellow competitors to break through. With light hands and experience on the side of the Peters, and a real desire to master the sport on the part of the horses, both pairs continue to top the score sheets on the second day of the 2005 Collecting Gaits...

Gladstone, NJ – Riding his tried-and-true comeback partner, Rocher (1991 Westfalen mare), George Williams of Delaware, OH, leads the scoreboard for the first phase of competition at the 2005 Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF National Grand Prix Dressage Championship, Presented by Paul Miller Auto Group, Inc. Finishing with a clean performance ranked at 70.333, the pair was happy to be reunited in a competition of this caliber, following Rocher’s 18-month recovery from tendonitis....