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...

The third in a series of guest blog posts from Michelle Binder I promised you last week I would share more about the informal surveys that have helped give Western Dressage a voice through NAWD, and given me good stuff to share with you. While we believe there is much common ground to be found between western and dressage, there are differences between Western Dressage and BOTH parent disciplines. As Western Dressage continues to develop into a unique discipline in this country it is imperative...

Lexington, KY —The popular helmet awareness campaign Riders4Helmets will be hosting the 3nd Riders4Helmets Safety Symposium on January 14th, 2012, at the Hilton Airport Hotel, Australian Avenue, West Palm Beach, FL (International Room), from 8.30am to 5pm. The symposium is being sponsored by Tipperary , Charles Owen , Samshield , Ovation , One K Helmets , GPA , Equine Risk Management Group LLC , Equestrian Collections and Point Two . For those who cannot attend the symposium in person,...

Steffen Peters and Ravel. Photo: SusanJStickle.com. Gladstone, NJ - Steffen Peters went six-for-six at the 2011 Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Dressage Festival of Champions at the USET Foundation Headquarters. First, he swept the Intermediaire I on Weltino's Magic (earning a place on the team for the Pan American Games in the process) and then dominated the Grand Prix National Dressage Championship on Ravel - scoring 77.660% in the Grand Prix, 80.083% in the Grand Prix Special, and 81.100% in...

San Diego, CA, welcomed American Horse Publications members to “America’s Finest City” and AHP recognized their “finest” in equine publishing media during the AHP “Hoofprints in the Sand” Seminar. The three-day conference held June 16-18 was jammed-packed with educational sessions and activities, but on Saturday evening, the winners in the AHP Annual Awards Competition took center stage. Sixty-nine American Horse Publications members were named...

Photo by Lauren Fisher/PMG (Lisa Goldman and Morocco won the $10,000 SJHOF High Junior/AO Jumper Classic.) It was a fantastic day for 21-year-old Denise Wilson of Oconomowoc, WI, and Blue Gate Farm LLC's Life is Life 15 when the pair raced to victory in Saturday afternoon's $30,000 Showplace Productions Grand Prix. Held in the beautiful Grand Prix Ring at the Lamplight Equestrian Center in Wayne, IL, the grand prix was the first of three in the 2010 Showplace Spring Spectacular Horse Show...

The Los Angeles National Preview, November 4-8, hosted the Los Angeles Hunter Jumper Association’s (LAHJA) Medal Finals for junior, senior, and pony riders. In addition, the West Coast Pony Finals, one of the largest gatherings of ponies outside of the USEF Pony Finals, is in its ninth year of championships for both hunter and jumper ponies. "Many West Coast riders can't make the trek to Kentucky for the National Championship, so we started this event in 2000. It has grown into one of...

Diana DeRosa (Mara Dean and Nicki Henley lead heading into cross-country in Rio de Janeiro.) Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – The American event riders got off to a fantastic start on July 20 at the XV Pan American Games taking the lead in the team portion of the competition and sweeping the top five places individually. American combination Mara Dean riding Nicki Henley went to the head of a quality field of 27 horse-and-rider combinations riding before the ground jury of Barry Roycroft, Jo...

Diana DeRosa (Christopher Hickey and Regent in Rio de Janeiro) Rio de Janeiro, Brazil—When most people think of Rio, sunshine comes quickly to mind. However, that was not the case today at Deodoro Stadium and the National Equestrian Center outside of the city. Clouds, the threat of rain showers and cooler temperatures loomed, but it was a rather bright day for the hopes of the American dressage riders as all three of them competed in the first of two rounds that will determine the...

McLain Ward and Miss Liberty 7 Wind Their Way to The Winners Circle McLain Ward showed the crowd that he deserves his many accolades, as he piloted Miss Liberty 7 to a perfectly planned and executed round to win the $10,000 Gem Twist Sprint Gambler's Choice at the 64th Pennsylvania National Horse Show. The Gambler's Choice competition is very different from the standard style of classes offered at horse shows. In the Gambler's Choice, the course designer places fences around the...