I have said good-bye to Kentucky and am making my way home to sunny California. I'm looking forward to being dry for an entire day! During the first leg of my journey, I thought about the past week and the memories I will be taking home with me. I thought about the Lexington area and the Horse Park, about not only how beautiful it is, but how there is so much to see there and I didn't see a fraction-I will have to go back when I can spend several days and see everything. I thought about...

Besides delighting my readers with scintillating stories (we writers like to use words like "scintillating" because we think it makes us sound writerly), my main purpose for being at Sport Horse Nationals here in beautiful, damp Kentucky is to help out (in other words, provide slave labor for) my good friend and mentor, Patience Prine-Carr. This means that I get a lot of mane pulling and braiding practice every day. While it's good for me to get the practice, it's frustrating because...

Wayne, IL – The sun finally emerged at the spectacular Lamplight Equestrian Center to spotlight the nation’s future dressage talent in the six-year-old and developing horse divisions. It was a competition worthy of champions as presented to judges Linda Zang, Jeanne McDonald, and Hilda Gurney. In the Six-Year-Old division, U.S.-bred “Pikko del Cerro HU” made America proud by claiming the Markel/USEF National Championship with an overall score of 7.9. Ridden by Mikala Munter Gundersen of...

In October 2008, international para-equestrian driver Diane Kastama lost her equine driving partner, Jasper. The 13-year-old Welsh Cob gelding was loved by many. Kastama met Jasper with his tandem and pair mate, Rupert, at the World Championships in 2004. After leasing the gelding for the competition, Kastama found she couldn't leave him in Scotland. Purchasing the cobs, they came back stateside to take on the combined driving world. Not only was Jasper her competitive partner, but they teamed...

The National Walking Horse Association (NWHA), headquartered at the Kentucky Horse Park, is proud to announce that Bold Aggression, better know as "Bo," arrived at the park on May 15, 2008. Bold Aggression is on loan to the park, courtesy of NWHA and Larry Anderson, of Lenoir City, TN, in memory of his late wife, Cindy. Serving as the NWHA Ambassador in the daily Parade of Breeds demonstration, he will be ridden in a custom made Tennessee Walking Horse silver show saddle, handcrafted by Circle...

We want to thank everyone so much for the encouragement shown through your heartfelt emails and postings about our beloved Teddy. We are so overwhelmed by the response of love and sympathy that the global equine community has displayed, and truly appreciate knowing such kindness in your words. Teddy was one of a kind. He was our bright light and Karen's best friend. It was such an honor to have been his rider and caregivers. We are really struggling at this difficult time, and reading your...

Statement by Mark Phillips-- Eventing is a sport I love and have been involved in personally and professionally for more than 40 years. I am always deeply concerned whenever an athlete or horse is injured while competing regardless of circumstances and even more so when it occurs on a course I designed. In every course I have ever designed the top priority has always been for the health and safety of the athletes and the horses. Our great sport is evolving and becoming more technically...

Judy Guden, the owner of Sagacious HF, ridden by Lauren Sammis to Team Gold and Individual Silver medals at this year's Pan American Games, died Friday night. Guden had been undergoing treatment for breast cancer for many months. "Judy Guden passed from this world tonight in the loving arms of her friends and family!" family friends Monica Sinks and Ed Borreson reported. Lauren Sammis was given the ride on the eight-year-old KWPN Sagacious HF—the initials standing for the name of Al and...

Two of the nation’s top horse show jumping events are teaming up to promote grand prix show jumping in Cleveland, OH. Organizers of the Chagrin Valley PHA Hunter Jumper Classic and the American Gold Cup (both held annually at the Cleveland Metroparks Polo Field in Moreland Hills, OH) have established a $50,000 Challenge to encourage the world’s best grand prix riders to travel to Northeast Ohio to compete at both events. Any rider that wins the $65,000 Cleveland Grand Prix in July and the...

Brentina Cup Winner Elisabeth Austin and Olivier (SusanJStickle.com) Gladstone, NJ – The inaugural Brentina Cup was awarded to the winner of the USEF National Young Adult Dressage Championship today as part of the USET Foundation Dressage Festival of Champions. Elisabeth Austin of Williston, VT and her 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood stallion, Olivier scored a 70.39% on their FEI Intermediaire II test despite it being only his ninth show ever and only his third recognized FEI competition....