Lexington, Ky. - The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) has named eight athlete-and-horse combinations to the 2015 Dressage Pan American Games European CDI Observation Event Squad. The squad is composed of four Big Tour and four Small Tour combinations, which will compete in designated European CDI Observation Events. Additionally, Laura Graves and her own 2002 Dutch Warmblood gelding, Verdades, have been approved to be considered for the Pan American Games Dressage Team without...

Lexington, Ky. - The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) has named eight athlete-and-horse combinations to the 2015 Dressage Pan American Games European CDI Observation Event Squad. The squad is composed of four Big Tour and four Small Tour combinations, which will compete in designated European CDI Observation Events. Additionally, Laura Graves and her own 2002 Dutch Warmblood gelding, Verdades, have been approved to be considered for the Pan American Games Dressage Team without...

Lane Clarke and Semira de Saulieu (McCool) San Juan Capistrano, Calif. - Easter weekend was celebrated in style at Blenheim EquiSports Spring Classic II, complete with an Easter bunny, egg hunt, and the exciting $40,000 Spring Classic II Grand Prix, presented by Orange County Register. Indeed an International class, flags representing competitors' nationalities fluttered in the background. Spectators covered the grassy knoll above the Grand Prix field, while 38 entries tried to conquer...

Alexa Bayko and Blue Shamrock top the $5,000 Platinum Performance Hunter Prix at HITS Ocala (ESI Photography) Ocala, Fla. - Alexa Bayko from Haverhill, Massachusetts, added another Hunter Prix win to the books after topping the leaderboard in the last $5,000 Platinum Performance Hunter Prix of the HITS Ocala Winter Show Circuit. This time, with trainer Monica Hunt’s Blue Shamrock, she gracefully sailed through the course besting the runner up by a full six points, with strong scores of 86...

Sunny Drescher and Sting on their way to a HITS Equitation Championship win at HITS Ocala (ESI Photography) Ocala, Fla. - It was a picturesque evening under the lights of the Ocala Horse Properties Stadium for the return of the HITS Equitation Championship. High school senior Sunny Drescher, of Hinesburg, Vermont, and her own Sting proved that determination and drive pay off, moving up five spots from the 2014 event, to take home the blue ribbon and top honors. After ten weeks of qualifying...

Laura Graves and Verdades (SusanJStickle.com) Wellington, Fla. - Laura Graves (USA) and Verdades will clearly be a force to be reckoned with this season, as the duo continues to improve and impress. In just their second show back since the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG) this past August, the pair scored a remarkable 76.680% in the FEI Grand Prix CDI-W 3*, presented by Today's Equestrian and Diane and George Fellows, to start competition in the Large Tour off with a bang at Week 10...

Adrienne Lyle on Fortune and Fame (SusanJStickle.com) Wellington, Fla. - Sunday was an exciting day at the Adequan® Global Dressage Festival (AGDF), host of the Week 9 Palm Beach Dressage Derby's final day of competition. For the first time at AGDF, a Derby Exhibition class was organized, providing a unique opportunity for spectators and fans to further appreciate the sport of dressage. Adrienne Lyle (USA) ultimately won the class, followed by Christoph Koschel (GER), Karen Pavicic...

Laura Graves and Verdades (SusanJStickle.com) Wellington, Fla. - Three American women were victorious at the Adequan® Global Dressage Festival's (AGDF) Week 9 "Friday Night Stars" FEI Grand Prix Freestyle CDI-W, presented by Everglades Dressage. Laura Graves (USA) and Verdades scored an incredible 78.875% to take the win, followed by Lisa Wilcox (USA) and Pikko del Cerro HU in second with a 76.325%, and Shelly Francis (USA) and Doktor in third receiving a 75.950%. Laura Graves and...

Rich Fellers and Flexible, owned my Harry and Mollie Chapman won Friday's $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix at HITS (ESI Photography) Thermal, Calif. - Rich Fellers and Flexible, owned by Harry and Mollie Chapman, won Friday's $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, topping a field of 44 contenders at HITS Desert Horse Park in Thermal, California. Fifteen horses made the jump-off and nine went double-clear. John Pearce, of Bermuda Dunes, California, and Chianto, owned by Forest View Farm, Inc., went second...

Kris Killam and Mandy Killam's Black Diamond win Thursday's $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix at HITS Ocala (ESI Photography) Ocala, Fla. - Kris Killam, of Naples, Florida, won Thursday night’s $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix riding his wife Mandy Killam’s 13-year-old Selle Français gelding, Black Diamond. Killam topped a field of 32 with several riders showing on multiple horses. Ten moved on to the jump-off. Andre Thieme, of Germany, was the first to attempt the short course and set...