"I shot an arrow in the air. She fell to earth in Berkeley Square"; so goes the line from Kind Hearts and Coronets. Well apparently some mischievous soul shot a rifle round in the air and it fell to ground in the equestrian media centre here in Rio. It has been amusing reading the varying reports and through varying connotations and use of English, differing implications. A round did come through the media tent roof but it was not a large calibre (more rifle size) and had, I would suggest,...

Aachen, Germany – The Dutta Corp. U.S. Dressage Team got off to a solid start in Nations Cup competition Thursday at CHIO Aachen. Led by Chef d’Equipe Robert Dover, the team of Katherine Bateson-Chandler , Shelly Francis , Arlene “Tuny” Page , and Steffen Peters turned in strong performances, putting the U.S. in second on a total of 218.414 heading into Saturday’s second and final day of team competition. Germany took a commanding lead of the eight-nation field,...

Lexington, Ky. - The Brooke, the world's largest international equine welfare charity, has announced the selection of Emily Marquez-Dulin for the newly created position of executive director for their American division, Brooke USA. Ms. Marquez-Dulin will advance Brooke USA's objective to introduce donors in the United States to their unique mission: alleviating the suffering of working horses, donkeys and mules in the world's poorest countries. At least 100 million working equines...

Conor Swail and Tahiti Island (Kendall Bierer/Phelps Media Group) Wellington, Fla. - Ireland's Conor Swail rode Fortis Fortuna to a blazing time of 33.669 seconds in the Ridge at Wellington's 1.40m Grand Prix at Tonkawa Farms to snatch up the win today. Not only did Swail secure the first place, but he also guided his other mount, Tahiti Island to the third place finish, proving that his winning streak is more than just the luck of the Irish. It was Olympian Laura Kraut and Zeremonie...

Lexington, Ky. - Stephanie Danhakl and Golden Rule have racked up quite the list of accomplishments in just the past eight months, and on Friday afternoon at the National Horse Show they added another major one to their resume. Stephanie Danhakl and Golden Rule (Emily Riden/Phelps Media Group) Danhakl, 27, and Golden Rule, won three of the four classes in the Amateur-Owner 18-35 Hunters to clinch the division championship, sponsored by Bruce Duchossois and H 'n D Stables, and, ultimately,...

Lexington, Ky. - USA Equestrian Trust has awarded nearly $300,000 in grants to help fund more than a dozen projects by equine non-profits. Since the inception of the Trust’s grants program, the organization has awarded more than $1.8 million in grants. The projects funded as part of the grant application period ending in May were: AMERICAN MORGAN HORSE EDUCATIONAL CHARITABLE TRUST ($44,500) to develop an online home school module that teaches courses through horsemanship and to purchase...

Raeford, N.C. - The marathon phase of the USEF National Single Horse Driving Championship, which is being held in conjunction with the Southern Pines CDE, proved to be a back-and-forth battle between two of America’s most experienced drivers. Leslie Berndl and Suzy Stafford traded quick times through Richard Nicoll’s eight-obstacle marathon course on a picturesque day at the Carolina Horse Park. While Stafford was able to capture victory on the marathon, it is Berndl who will drive...

Aaron Vale and Spirit of Alena win the $50,000 HITS Grand Prix, presented by Zoetis, at HITS Ocala (ESI Photography) Ocala, Fla. - Thirty contenders showed up to challenge the difficult track set by course designer David Ballard of Tottenham, Ontario, Canada in the $50,000 HITS Grand Prix, presented by Zoetis, on Sunday at HITS Ocala. It was, however, Aaron Vale of Williston, Florida and Spirit of Alena that took the victory. The time allowed was set at 77 seconds, and the course included a...

Wellington, Fla - The Grand Prix Field at the Ridge at Wellington was alive with excitement today as the third week of the Wellington Turf Tour got underway. The 1.30m-1.35m Jumpers stole the show with Chile's Samuel Parot and Thea capturing the first win of the day, and Matt Williams, aboard Jameson, riding to the top of the ranks in the second. The Wellington Turf Tour will continue this Friday at the Ridge at Wellington as the 1.40m Invitational Grand Prix gets underway. Hailed as the...

On their way to a win, Lisa Goldman and Centurion B on course in the $50,000 HITS Grand Prix, presented by Zoetis, at HITS Ocala (ESI Photography) Ocala, Fla. - Lisa Goldman proved that warm weather suits her this week at HITS Ocala. Just two days before bringing her horses to Florida, the temperatures at her home in Hawthorn Woods, Illinois plummeted to -40 degrees Fahrenheit. Sunday, however, Goldman and her family-owned Centurion B basked in the southern sunshine while jumping to a win in...