Hunter Chancellor, winner of the 2012 USEF Saddle Seat Medal Final, riding Imagine My Surprise. (Howard Schatzberg) Kansas City, MO - In an extremely competitive USEF Saddle Seat Medal Final at the United Professional Horsemen's Association (UPHA) American Royal National Championship, Hunter Chancellor (Evansville, IN) demonstrated precise equitation skills in her rail and pattern work on Steven Chancellor's Imagine My Surprise to take the Championship title. After earning Reserve...

Las Vegas, NV - The $50,000 Fisker Automotive World Cup Grand Prix was the pinnacle of the Las Vegas National beginning with a fiery opening ceremony act. Welcoming the local crowds, fans and competitors was a one-of-a-kind fire infused performance that set the stage for some hot competition. Thirty-five rounds of international talent prepared to take on German course designer, Olaf Petersen Jr.'s World Cup Qualifying test. From an early stage it looked as if the young stars were taking...

Lexington, KY - President Lee Vulgaris announced this week that the Paso Fino Horse Association (PFHA) has officially named Sally Walker as its new Executive Director. The association president stated that Walker was chosen to serve as the organization’s Director from over 70 candidates elicited through a nationwide search. Walker comes to PFHA with extensive leadership experience in the nonprofit, corporate, and private business worlds. She is also a lifelong horsewoman. Most recently,...

The twenty first in a series of blog post from Michelle Binder It was an exciting weekend for western dressage in the Pacific Northwest November 2-4. On Friday the Washington State Horsemen (WSH) voted to add Western Dressage as a new discipline on the roster of events offered by the organization statewide. WD has been added as a sub-category of dressage and will utilize NAWD Official Rules and Tests for the 2013 show season so WD classes may now be added to any WSH approved Dressage show...

Lexington, KY - Another evening of electrifying American Saddlebred competition continued Friday. A cheering audience enjoyed the $3,000 Three Gaited Championship Stake, the $1,500 Fine Harness Open Championship the $3,000 Five Gaited Championship Stake and the very first Roadster class of the show, the $25,000 Equine Services Roadster Cup. The Roadster classes are a throwback to the origins of the American Saddlebred breed. The American Saddlebreds were developed from pacing Standardbreds, the...

With a clean sweep of the Regular Conformation Hunters over fences, Elizabeth Boyd piloted Casallo to the prestigious Professional Hunter Grand Championship. Lexington, KY - The Grand Champion Professional Hunter title at the Alltech National Horse Show, 129th Edition, is one of the country's most coveted awards, and this year it went to Elizabeth Boyd aboard Casallo. The pair swept the over fences classes in the Regular Conformation Hunters for the division's championship award, and...

AMHA Youth of the Year Ellery Walker (Howard Schatzberg) Shelburne, VT - The 2012 American Morgan Horse Association (AMHA) Youth of the Year Contest took place at this year's Grand National & World Championship Morgan Horse Show®, held October 6-13 at the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds in Oklahoma City. It is with great enthusiasm that AMHA honors Ellery Walker of Marshall, Michigan, as its 2012 Youth of the Year winner, and Rebecca Jones of Efland, North Carolina, as the reserve...

The seventeenth in a series of guest blog posts from Michelle Binder Last weekend we attended the second Western Dressage classes held here in the Inland Northwest. We rode the NAWD tests through Level 4. The tests are wonderful and the dressage spectators were very interested in how the WD tests are both similar and different from the USEF tests ridden in the USDF shows. The judge was super and even though the day was very long for her, very positive about the work saying "I enjoyed judging...

Boekelo, The Netherlands - Every member of the Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team that entered the show jumping arena at the Military Boekelo CCIO3* Sunday leapt up the leaderboard and helped the U.S. team improve to 6th place in the final Nations Cup standings. Leading the way for the Americans were Jonathan Holling and Downtown Harrison. Holling (Ocala, FL) and Constance Ann Holling's Trakehner/Thoroughbred gelding were just shy of a double clear round. They jumped flawlessly, but came in just...

Boekelo, The Netherlands- The Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team stands eighth in FEI Nations Cup competition as they head into Saturday’s cross country at the Military Boekelo CCIO3*. The final two members of the Nations Cup team, Jennie Brannigan and Jon Holling, performed their dressage today in front of the Ground Jury of Sue Stewart, Eric Lieby, and Helen Christie. All riders on Friday had to contend with heavy rain throughout the day but the weather didn’t deter Holling (Ocala, FL)...