Photo by Flashpoint Photography (Elizabeth Boyd and Brunello.) The summer season arrived early with plenty of sunshine and blue skies to kick off two weeks of heated competition at the Georgia International Horse Park. “This has been some start-up week—great weather, exciting competition, and new class debuts!” said Bob Bell, president of the Classic Company. Week one was designated a World Championship Hunter Rider (WCHR) event and as such hosted both the United States HUnter Jumper...

With the Langer Equestrian Group (LEG) show season in full swing, there have been several shows at each venue for riders to rack up points and help their trainers win a fabulous trip to the beautiful Marriott’s Maui Ocean Club Resort, courtesy of LEG. The top five finishers also earn a bonus check for their accomplishments. Maui trips are awarded to the professionals whose students earn the most points at the Woodside, Colorado, Verdugo Hills and Woodside Dressage series, as well as a fifth...

After Thoroughbreds have completed their race careers, they are often ideal candidates for another vocation. To call attention to these horses' second career possibilities, nationally-recognized Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital has created a series of annual awards, the first of which will be presented to the top Thoroughbred sport horses of 2009. Divisional awards, named for legendary Thoroughbred sport horses, will be given to those Thoroughbreds who were the top achievers in 2009 U.S....

As the sun set over the Kentucky Horse Park last night seven horses danced their way through the freestyle test for the Kentucky Cup CDI3*. Rain in the early part of the day had given way to a colorful sunset that made for a beautiful setting for the 2,000 plus spectators that came out. Tina Konyot and her big black horse Calecto V put on an exciting show as they piaffed and pirouetted to a modern music mix featuring songs such as “Lets Get Loud” by Jennifer Lopez, “Crazy in...

Photo by Anne Gittins (Jeffery Welles and Armani) It was with speed and grace that Jeffery Welles was able to capture Saturday night's victory with his top mount, Armani, during a three-horse jump-off. The pair raced through the finish line in 44.36 seconds after completing a clear short course during the 2010 $200,000 Gene Mische American Invitational, presented by G & C Farm, at Raymond James Stadium. Peter Leone tried to catch his time with Select, who also left all the rails intact, but the...

Chester Weber Goes for Eight (Joanie Morris/USEF) Ocala, FL, – The Live Oak International sponsored by US Trust kicked off with the FEI dressage on Thursday, and two USEF National Driving Championships bookended the six FEI divisions at the premiere event. Held at Charlotte Weber’s Live Oak Plantation, it is one of the featured events on the US calendar and showcased 40 of the best drivers in the United States. The USEF National Single Horse Championship got the morning started and Leslie...

Although the weather threatened to put a damper on the weekend, it held off just enough to allow the first Gold Coast show of the season (February 19-21), held at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center, to be the fun event exhibitors knew it would be. There was a great mix of familiar faces and new ones to make the show a big success with a record number of entries. One group of new faces came from Hayden Show Jumping and Riding School of Laguna Hills, riding under the tutelage of Mickey Hayden and...

Photo by Flying Horse Photography (Keri Potter and Rockford I) The all-new Devoucoux Hunter Derby kicked off with a bang at the 2010 HITS Desert Circuit when one of the top hunter riders in the country, John French, piloted Victoria Komisar’s Over the Moon to the inaugural win in the $10,000 Devoucoux Derby on the West Coast. French of Gilroy, CA, had the highest score in both the first and second rounds of the popular 3'3" class that featured 29 starters on a course set by John Manning, which...

The final shows have been posted and the 2009 Performance Horse Registry’s (PHR) Silver Stirrup Award winners have been announced. One of the Hunter winners include Krishna Buyalos’s beautiful two-year-old filly, Outstanding. This bay filly is by Popeye K and out of Delilah. She was bred in California by Leslie Nelson. She is the winner of the Hunter Breeding Award. The Anglo-Trakehner gelding Unbelievable (Zarr x Rhapsody II) took home the award for the best Green Working Hunter. The Jumper...

Lexington, KY – You don’t have to be a record-setting quarterback, point guard or track star to letter in high school sports anymore. The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) is writing a new chapter in the recognition of high school sports — one that honors Equestrian athletes. The USEF’s High School Equestrian Athlete program will offer specially designed emblems and pins, exclusively for equestrian athletes in grades 9-12. “High school equestrians have...