Beginning in 1995 as part of the Volvo World Cup Finals, the Festival of the Horse (March 30–April 2) has become one of the largest dressage shows in Southern California. Cornerstone Event Management strives to combine top competition with special activities surrounding the show. “The sponsors play a large part on the success of the Festival,” said Glenda McElroy, Festival manager. “We try to find a niche for all our sponsors; Markel Insurance, a longtime partner, sponsors the high-point...

Lexington, KY - The Wellpride USEA American Eventing Championships were, like much of the country, the victim of some volatile weather over the weekend of September 13-14. Torrential rain caused for the amendment of some of the Championships and prizes were awarded after the dressage and show jumping. Advanced, Intermediate and Preliminary were all scored as combined tests, despite the organizers’ best efforts, in the interest of safety due to quagmire conditions at Lamplight Equestrian...

Theodore O'Connor is one of two Horses Named to the USEF Short List for Eventing with Karen O'Connor (Shannon Brinkman) Lexington, KY - The United States Equestrian Federation has approved the following horse/rider combinations to the Eventing Short List for the 2008 Olympic Games in Hong Kong August 8-14, 2008. The combinations are as follows (listed alphabetically): Name/Age/Hometown/Horse/Sex/Age/Breed/Owner Stephen Bradley / 46 / Leesburg, VA / Brandenburg’s Joshua / G / 13 /...

Woodside, Calif., May 25-27 – Woodside Horse Trials’ advanced division served as a “mandatory outing” for West Coast candidates for this summer’s Pan Ameircan Games, and U.S. Equestrian Federation officials were there to watch them. Capt. Mark Phillips (the U.S. eventing team’s Chef d’Equipe), four members of the USEF Eventing Selection Committee, and two team veterinarians were at Woodside to evaluate the riders’ and horses’ performances and soundness. The group was evaluating three...

Amy Dragoo (Kristin Bachman and Gryffindor stand on a score of 48.2 heading into Sunday's show jumping phase.) Nearly 47,000 people turned out for a spectacular day of cross-country at the 2007 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, presented by Farnam. A variation of last year’s course greeted horses and riders, and at the end of a tumultuous day, Kristin Bachman, riding in only her second four-star on her own Gryffindor found herself on top of a very classy heap of horses and riders with a...

For the second day in a row, it was American Chris Kappler who stood in the winner's circle at the CSI-W Blainville Jumping International on Thursday, July 6. The international show jumping competition took place from July 5-9 at the Blainville Equestrian Park in Blainville, Quebec, Canada. Having claimed the win on Wednesday, June 5, riding VDL Maseratie, Kappler brought VDL Oranta out of the barn for the July 6 victory in the Open Jumper-Power and Speed. Only two riders managed to go clear...

Christian Rogge on board Monaco for owner Robert Skib of Tulsa, OK, won the $25,000 Juan Hernandez Memorial Grand Prix on July 16 at the Biltmore Estate Summer Classic. Rogge and the 11-year-old Selle Francais gelding had the first clear round among the starting field of 22 riders with a time of 77.453. During the jump-off, owner/rider Michael Tokaruk and Lord Byron of Cordova, TN, were edged into second place by a mere 0.07 seconds in the only other clean round of the jump-off. Course designer...

Some of the countries leading international riders head a strong cast of competitors for the Chatsworth International Horse Trials, April 8-10, in Chatsworth, GA. The event, now in its 18th year, will be hosting its first FEI World Cup Qualifier (CIC***-W) alongside Intermediate and Open Preliminary divisions to offer a total purse of $30,000. Athens Olympic Silver medallist, Kimberly Severson, of Scottsville, VA, and Linda Wachtmeister’s 12-year-old English Thoroughbred gelding, Winsome...

While most of us only dream of running a four-star course, the next best thing is experiencing it through the eyes and insights of Olympian equestrians! Attendees of the 2005 Rolex Kentucky CCI**** can do just that at the SmartPak Equine-sponsored course walk with Kim Severson and Amy Tryon. Severson and Tryon will offer their tips and tactics for riding the toughest cross country course in the U.S. Everyone is welcome to attend this incredible opportunity; just sign up at the SmartPak booth in...

Del Mar, Calif. – After the East Coast and West Coast portions of the Sallie B. Wheeler/USEF Hunter Breeding National Championship presented by Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Oare concluded today, Rotiyas, the East Coast Best Young Horse Champion, was named the Overall Grand Champion. Judges Sue Lightner (Carlsbad, Calif.) and Chris Wynne (Virginia Beach, Va.) evaluated the young hunter prospects on Saturday, August 25, at the Virginia Young Horse Festival in Lexington, Va., and on Wednesday, August...