Hillary Dobbs, last year's Leading Open Jumper Rider, returned to defend her title at the Washington International Horse Show (WIHS) and retained it for the second consecutive year. The 19-year-old equestrian did this by taking the blue ribbon in the $20,000 Gambler's Choice aboard Marengo, her horse that won two classes last year. A rising star in the show jumping world and full time Harvard student, Dobbs of Sussex, NJ, and Palm Beach, FL, is the daughter of CNN reporter Lou Dobbs. Dobbs...

Lexington, KY – For the second time in three years, 21-year-old Laura Noyes has topped the United States rankings for the FEI World Cup™ Dressage Final for Young Riders. Noyes and her mount Synchro averaged 72.584% in their two best efforts in the FEI Young Rider Freestyle Test in a CDI-Y during the qualifying period (January 1, 2008 –October 27, 2008), and have earned themselves an invitation to Frankfurt, Germany for the Final, to be held December 18-21. Thanks to the generosity of the event...

If you are at all interested in the sport of three-day eventing, you don't want to miss episode 10 of The Stable Scoop Radio Show . Hosts Glenn the Geek and Helena B. start with an early morning chat with Olympic Silver medalist Gina Miles. They explore life since her Silver medal at the Olympics, McKinlaigh's time off and what's next. The second half of the show is devoted to the considerable safety changes in eventing this year. Joanie Morris of the United States Equestrian Federation reviews...

Harrisburg, PA – With 274 riders vying for the title of 2008 Pessoa/USEF Hunter Seat Medal Final, making the top twenty-five is tough enough. But Kels Annabelle Bonham bested the competition to take the championship title, making her last year in the Medal Finals even more special. This was Bonham’s fourth time riding in the Medal Finals and she rode early in the order of go. Judges Alex Jayne and Tammy Provost put her at the top of their card and she stayed there until the conclusion of the...

Lexington, KY - Gold medals from this summer’s CN FEI North American Junior/Young Riders Championship at the Colorado Horse Park Presented by Gotham North spelled good things for competitors Sir Neel and Sophie Benjamin (Jennifer Wenzel/Rein Photography) in the 2008 Platinum Performance/USEF Talent Search Finals. Talent Search Final-East winner Sophie Benjamin followed in her teammate Hannah Selleck’s (who won the West Coast Final two weeks ago) footsteps by winning the East Coast...

If you missed your chance to win champion-bred yearling Gay Bars Christi at last summer’s World Championship Paint Horse Show, you will have one last opportunity to call her yours at the inaugural American Paint Horse Association (APHA) Fall Championship Show in Fort Worth, TX, this November. The filly was donated by Floyd and Maryann Moore of the legendary 6-J Paint Horses in Huntsville, TX, as a fundraiser for the American Paint Horse Foundation’s college scholarship program. The Moores have...

Three Phase Event, Inc., hosted it’s first Training, Education and Development (T.E.D.) clinic on dressage for gaited horses and riders, September 5, at the Kentucky Equestrian Center, in Winchester, KY. The full-day schedule included a lecture/demonstration and a full afternoon of dressage tests. The clinician, Betty Ortlieb, a United States Dressage Federation judge, presided over the event and was warmly welcomed by all who attended. During the morning session, two riders demonstrated some...

The Reining Horse Sports Foundation (RHSF) honors leadership and achievement within the National Reining Horse Youth Association (NRHyA) each year. The RHSF recently awarded five $1,000 scholarships to current National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) and former NRHyA members based on financial need and academic achievement. The 2008 RHSF Scholarship winners are: Ian Barnard, Brandon Boyle, Allison Byrd, Ashley Fuchs and Helen Lauth. Ian Barnard, from Kendallville, IN, majors in pre-veterinary...

The American Miniature Horse Registry (AMHR) National Championship Show announced the two winning young authors of the Youth Essay Contest in Tulsa, OK, this month. The 2008 winners were Katherine Richey and Allison Payne, each of who was awarded a Miniature horse for their efforts. The Youth Essay Contest was open to all current junior members of the AMHR. In the 13 to 17 age group, Katherine Richey from Meridian, MS, wrote a charming piece on why she would be the best person to win the...

An abundance of high-performance riders will call HITS Culpeper home this week as show jumping for the United States Grand Prix League (USGPL) Finals began on September 24 with the $100,000 USGPL Invitational Grand Prix taking the stage on Sunday. Headlining the feature class is Canadian Olympian Jill Henselwood who comes to the USGPL Finals with the Silver medal she earned as a member of Team Canada during the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Hong Kong. The well-decorated grand prix rider won the...