Lexington, KY -The Kentucky Dressage Association Spring Warm-Up and 27th Annual Dressage Show takes place May 23-26 at the Kentucky Horse Park, and for the second year will host a CDI3* in addition to offering attractive prize money and competitive classes. As an added incentive, riders hoping to compete in the U.S. Dressage Festival of Champions presented by Dutta Corp. this fall could have the chance to ride in the Rolex Arena. KDA is the management organization for the U.S. Dressage Festival...

Lili Hymowitz and Westside (Anne Gittins Photography) Wellington, FL - Lili Hymowitz dominated the Voltaire Design Large Pony Hunter division on the last day of competition for week three of the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF). Hymowitz was champion of the division with Scott Stewart's Westside, a ten-year-old Warmblood gelding. The pair won both over fences rounds on day one of competition for the division and placed second under saddle. On day two, Westside and...

Lexington, KY- The dressage world turns its focus to Wellington, Florida this week as many top competitors from throughout the world wi Steffen Peters and Legolas 92 (SusanJStickle.com) ll go head-to-head at the World Dressage Masters Palm Beach presented by Wellington Classic Dressage. This prestigious event will take place once again at the Palm Beach County Jim Brandon Equestrian Center, January 24-26. The United States has a strong presence in this year’s competition as five Americans...

Lexington, KY - To reach the highest level of excellence in equestrian sport requires talent, perseverance, a tremendous spirit and often, unwavering courage. In 2012, six horses have shown the world those qualities and more. On January 18, the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) will bestow two of them with the prestigious title of Horse of the Year, the highest honor the USEF awards a horse. Again this year both a national and international horse will win. The six champions have earned...

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,...

Nick Maupin is a 19-year-old student at the University of Wisconsin majoring in Business Marketing and plans to graduate in 2015. From Sussex, Wisconsin, he is on the five-gaited section of the 2012 U.S. Saddle Seat World Cup Team. It would not surprise any member of the Saddle Seat world to hear me say that the discipline is generally, along with Saddle Seat Equitation, a female dominated sport. Quite possibly the only time one will see a male majority in a class is in the Open divisions. Not...

McClain Ward & Pjotter Van De Zonnehoeve (Curtis Wallis) New Albany, OH - The New Albany Classic Invitational Grand Prix & Family Day celebrated 15 years of support for the fight against family violence at the home of Abigail and Les Wexner in New Albany, Ohio today, attracting a crowd of 18,000 people to cheer on the participants in the Grand Prix competition. U.S. rider McClain Ward prevailed again aboard Pjotter Van De Zonnehoeve (PJ), whom he won the class on in 2011, as well. Ward...

Dale Dedrick (Ann Arbor, MI) rode her Bonifatious to a score of 64.619% in the Grade II Individual Test. Here are her thoughts; On her improvement over the Team Test: “It was a much more forward and obedient test; we still had a lot of Erik’s, ‘Oh, no what’s happening now?’. But I was much more prepared for it today, I knew he was going to pull and I was much more ready to attack the minute he tried that and I said, ‘no, no get in there, get in there, get...

East Dorset, VT - Hunter competitors will enjoy time in the spotlight with the introduction of the $15,000 Hunter Derby, presented by Oughton Limited, at the 2012 Vermont Summer Festival in East Dorset, Vermont. Running July 4 through August 12, 2012, the six-week hunter/jumper competition is the richest sporting event based on purse in the state of Vermont, offering more than $750,000 in prize money. A favorite among competitors, the weekly $5,000 3'3" Hunter Derby will be returning for...

The training session group in Texas. (Photo provided by USEF Archives) Lexington, KY - Continuing the Markel/USEF Young Horse training and observation session program, Twinwood Equestrian Center in Simonton, TX hosted the fourth session of 2012, April 14-15. Led by USEF Young Horse Coach Scott Hassler, this was the first time a session has been hosted in Texas, an area that has proven to produce a wealth of successful young horses. "Texas and the surrounding area have consistently had high...