Note to Self: 1. Prepare classical instructor that you will be appearing before him in western tack and riding an Appaloosa stallion, NOT your third level Westfalen import and 2. Don’t ride in a clinic without a photographer A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…. I got a book from the library called The Schooling of the Western Horse by John Richard Young. It was published in 1945 (practically the dark ages) and outlined progressive training for western horses. Critically...

The Western Dressage world is abuzz with dressage talk. The hot topic of the moment seems to be progressive training, especially as it has to do with pyramids and scales. Pyramids are extremely stable structures that rely on strong, broad foundations and which rise to a point, a pinnacle if you will that represents a point of focus. Without the foundation, the pyramid loses strength. The intrinsic nature of the structure itself necessitates culmination in a point. The pyramid is the perfect...

Lexington, KY – Eduardo Sanchez Navarro of Mexico has been named the Show Jumping Hall of Fame Rider of the Month for August. Navarro competes in the West Conference Amateur-Owner Division of the Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series aboard Virgo. The month of August was a successful for Navarro and his riding partner, as they earned second place finishes at the Showpark August Festival and the Showpark Summer Classic, as well as a fourth place finish at the Blenheim Summer...

The tenth in a series of guest blog posts from Michelle Binder The development of Western Dressage as a discipline is very exciting to riders, trainers, breeders and exhibitors alike. North American Western Dressage is dedicated to finding common ground between the two disciplines, educating riders from all backgrounds, and to making dressage concepts accessible to western riders without minimizing the importance of the training pyramid nor sacrificing the principles that are fundamental to...

The FEI Tribunal has today issued its decisions in the cases of the two Saudi Arabian athletes, Khaled Abdulaziz Al Eid and Abdullah Waleed Sharbatly, whose horses tested positive for Controlled Medication substances. The Tribunal has imposed suspensions of eight months on both riders. The horses, Vanhoeve (Khaled Abdulaziz Al Eid) and Lobster 43 (Abdullah Waleed Sharbatly), tested positive to the Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs, Phenylbutazone and Oxyphenbutazone (a metabolite of...

Lexington, KY - Meagan Nusz, of The Woodlands, TX, has been named the Show Jumping Hall of Fame Rider of the Month for March. Nusz competes in the East Conference Amateur-Owner division of the Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series aboard Vesuvius. The month of March was a success for Nusz and her riding partner, as they earned one 2nd and two 1st place finishes during the eighth, ninth and eleventh weeks at the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, FL, earning 368 points. The...

Lexington, KY – Shawn Casady of Harriman, TN, has been named the Show Jumping Hall of Fame Rider of the Month for February. Casady competes in the East Conference Junior division of the Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series aboard Zubantos. The month of February was a success for Casady and his riding partner, as they earned 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 11th place finishes during the fourth, fifth, seventh and eighth weeks at the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, FL, earning...

Lexington, KY - The Kentucky Horse Park's International Museum of the Horse (IMH), in collaboration with the American Museum of Natural History, is set to open its newest exhibition, The Horse, from October 22, 2011, through April 6, 2012. The eternal bond between horses and humans is explored in the largest equestrian traveling exhibition ever assembled. The Horse graphically portrays the horse's impact on trade, transportation, labor, warfare, culture, and sports. It showcases...

Chester Weber. Photo: Richard Moore. The 25th annual Laurels at Landhope International Combined Driving Event, one of the most prestigious events of its kind in the U.S., is hosting the 2011 U.S. National Four-In-Hand Championship. Four entries in the division include three Americans, Chester Weber, James Fairclough and Josh Rector, who are eligible for the championship and one Canadian, Eugen Hug. Weber, of Ocala, FL, got off to an early lead with a picture-perfect dressage test with...

Lexington, KY - The Kentucky Horse Park's International Museum of the Horse (IMH), in collaboration with the American Museum of Natural History, announced today that it will host the exhibition, The Horse, from October 22, 2011, through April 6, 2012. The IMH is a major lender to the exhibition. "We are thrilled to be able to bring this world-class exhibition to Kentucky," said Bill Cooke, director of the Kentucky Horse Park's International Museum of the Horse. "The American Museum of...