Lexington, KY - Sarah Hood is not your typical high school cross country runner. On torrid Georgia afternoons, after classes are over, she joins her teammates for practice and runs for miles. After that, most of her teammates head home. Sarah Hood heads to the barn. "As my teammates and l left every day, drenched in sweat and exhausted," she says, "many complained about being tired and couldn't wait to go home and crash. I just smiled as l left, knowing that I had horses waiting to be...

A retired couple from Western New York and their two young Thoroughbreds are poised to pick up a pair of championships at the Career2 Grand Finale, to be held at the Millbrook Horse Trials in Millbrook, N.Y., Aug. 2-5. Career2 is the new program created to promote eventing as a second career opportunity for retired racehorses. Linda and Jack Walnes of Avon, N.Y., lead the Beginner/Novice and Novice Divisions as Career2 heads into the Grand Finale. Mr. Walnes is also vying for a championship in...

The seventh in a series of guest blog posts from Michelle Binder Before we learn to read we must learn the ABC’s. William Cavendish, Duke of Newcastle (1593-1676) suggested an analogy between the education of a child and horse trainers who made unrealistic demands on young horses. Centuries ago he asked, ‘I would fain ask such stupid people, whether, by beating a boy, they could teach him to read, without first showing him his alphabet?’1 Systematic progressive training is not...

Meg O'Mara and Sinatra IV were awarded the High Junior Jumper Championship for their efforts throughout the week, as well as the blue ribbon for their impressive double-clear victory in the Show Jumping Hall of Fame High Junior Jumper Classic at the Kentucky Summer Horse Show. (Kendall Bierer/PMG.) Lexington, KY - The final day of the Kentucky Summer Horse Show was afoot with the top amateur-owner and junior riders in the country gathering to compete at the Rolex Stadium. It was a day of...

Morocco and Lisa Goldman. Traverse City, MI - Opening Day of the 2012 London Olympic Games was celebrated in Red, White and Blue fashion yesterday during the final Saturday evening of the Horse Shows by the Bay Equestrian Festival in Traverse City, Michigan. Spectators and Grand Prix riders competing in the $30,000 D-Braider Cherry Capital Classic Grand Prix participated in a "Good Luck Send-Off" for the U.S. Show Jumping Team competing at the 2012 London Olympic Games. Video and electronic...

Maggie Ridenour Traverse City, MI - The final Saturday afternoon of the Horse Shows by the Bay Hunter/Jumper Series kicked off with the featured HJAM Junior and Adult Medal Finals. After one course walk prior to the three hotly contested Finals, Horse Shows by the Bay held a moment of silence to honor the recent passing of Richard A. Cram, Sr., a legendary Michigan horseman. His son, Rick Cram, Jr., provided a tribute to his dad that was read to the large crowd gathered to pay respects to a...

Katie Tyler and Seattle 6 won the $10,000 SJHOF High Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic on Sunday, July 29, at the 2012 Vermont Summer Festival in East Dorset, VT. (David Mullinix Photography) East Dorset, VT – Week four of the 2012 Vermont Summer Festival concluded on Sunday, July 29, with two exciting Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Classics featured in the grand prix ring. Katie Tyler, 19, of North Kingstown, RI, rode Seattle 6 to victory in the $10,000 SJHOF High Junior/Amateur-Owner...

Greenwich, UK - The Olympic Eventing dressage concluded today and the U.S. put in two strong performances to settle into seventh place after the first phase. The Germans have a commanding lead on a combined score of 119.10, just clear of Australia on 122.10. The home team sits third on 127. The next five teams are separated by less than 11 points, meaning that Monday’s cross country is destined to be influential. There is an unlikely leader at the top of the leaderboard as Yoshiaki Oiwa...

So we got the competition started yesterday. Literally. Boyd was first in on Otis Barbotiere and did a great job with the French phenom. Still green, Otis tried his heart out and coped remarkably well with the atmosphere. Unfortunately the judges weren't all quite on the same page yet, as the caffeine in the coffee was seemingly NOT evenly distributed. There was a 7 point spread in his scores which in the sport of reining, for instan ce, would be cause for an audit.We got over that, but it...

Aaron Vale and Tibor won the $40,000 Kentucky Summer Grand Prix with a blazing speed, defeating Pablo Barrios for the winning title. (Kendall Bierer/PMG) Lexington KY - The Rolex Stadium was alive with excitement as 34 entrants competed in the $40,000 Kentucky Summer Grand Prix at the Kentucky Summer Horse Show. It turned into a nail-biter as five competitors progressed into the jump-off with a clear first round effort. Trailblazer Pablo Barrios aboard Zara Leandra was the first to post a...