Lexington, KY- The United States will field two dressage teams for Wellington Nations Cup CDIO3* presented by Stillpoint Farm held April 11-14 in conjunction with the 2013 Adequan Global Dressage Festival. The U.S. teams will be composed of two Grand Prix combinations and two Prix St. Georges competitors. USA I Team USA I Team will be composed of the following four combinations. Grand Prix Heather Blitz (Wellington, FL) will ride her own Paragon. Paragon is a 10-year-old Danish Warmblood...

I am thrilled to say the Cowboy Dressage Judges Orientation was a huge success on Friday, February 15th in Medford, OR. A stellar cast of presenters spoke on various topics to fifty plus attendees, most of whom were women. I was surprised there were not more men since it is Cowboy Dressage, but was very happy to see that at least seven states were represented including two individuals from as far away as Wisconsin. Beginning with the video called “From Then to Now” and proceeding to...

Lexington, KY - The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) is pleased to announce the winners of two prestigious awards in the discipline of Endurance, the Maggy Price Endurance Excellence Award and the Brunjes Junior/Young Rider Trophy. The awards will be presented at the USEF Horse of the Year Awards gala and dinner on Friday, January 18, 2013 at the Louisville Marriott Downtown in Louisville, Kentucky. Heather Reynolds (left) riding Riverwatch at the 2012 Longines FEI World Endurance...

The twenty fourth in a series of blog posts from Michelle Binder North American Western Dressage receives all kinds of questions at the website and on our FaceBook page. Last week Jen Johnson shared the following in a post and it generated a huge amount of material for consideration. She posted: “I received an email last night from a **** judge who had the following concerns about Western Dressage..... “The problem is that the western horse is going to have to be much quicker in...

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...

Abigail Mutrux is a 17-year-old junior at University City High School in St. Louis, Missouri. She is the captain of the three-gaited section of the 2012 U.S. Saddle Seat World Cup Team. In addition to riding Saddle Seat, she enjoys fox hunting and has been awarded her junior colors. Perhaps Saddle Seat is something that most children aren’t drawn toward when they first tell their parents that they want to start riding. I was born into it. My mother grew up competing at the same national...

Devon, PA - Friday was the first full day of performance classes plus wonderful exhibitions by Aussie horseman Guy McLean and the Delaware Valley Combined Training Association Quadrille. “Remember Hope; this is your dream to do dressage at Devon,” said Guy McLean to his horse, Hope, explaining to the audience that following his performance last year they had a conversation that ended with a commitment by both horse and rider to perform dressage in the Dixon. Later on the Delaware...

The thirteenth in a series of guest blog posts from Michelle Binder With growth comes ‘growing pains.’ The situation surrounding Western Dressage becomes more complicated with each passing day. More and more shows are offering WD classes with tests from several sources. YouTube watchers see a huge variation in the WD videos presented there. At least three different rulebooks now grace cyberspace and you can read articles and letters to the editor in national and local magazines. The...

The top junior riders from throughout the country will also travel to Lamplight to display their skill in the USEF Dressage Seat Medal Finals presented by Dressage Today . Riders will be split into two divisions 13 & Under and 14-18 as they demonstrate their mastery of equitation in the dressage ring. Rebecca Blake (FireandEarthPhoto.com) The 13 & Under championship showcases a field of eight from all parts of the United States. Max Brockway of Enumclaw, Washington will be riding in his...

A guest blog post from Katie Shoultz You touch the future when you embrace the youth. In keeping with this spirit, the Interscholastic Equestrian Association (IEA) has a sharp focus on the future with their efforts to engage younger generations in equestrian sports. The IEA was established to promote horsemanship skills in the middle and secondary education level. The 2011-2012 competition year marks the Association’s 10th Anniversary with their yearly National Finals set to take place...