Lexington, KY – Starting Friday at 5pm ET three- and five-gaited saddle seat equitation teams from the U.S. and the Republic of South Africa will go head to head in the second of two U.S. Saddle Seat Invitationals of 2013. This event is being held at Cascade Stables in New Orleans, LA's historic Audubon Park and will feature three- and five-gaited competitors riding unfamiliar horses in rail work and pattern phases. It will be the second ever competition for the newly formed U.S....

A couple weeks ago a friend and I attended a WSH Dressage Show halfway across the state to ride the NAWD tests. The weather was gorgeous, the drive uneventful, the horses well behaved. The show was at a beautiful facility, with a qualified judge I trust to evaluate our western dressage horses. My stallion was perfectly behaved even in the warm-up area with the little ponies and their tiny children. Sounds like a perfect horse show weekend huh? It was, but for one thing. I was confused! For the...

Kent Farrington and Uceko (Spruce Meadows Media Services) Calgary, Alberta – The 'Continental' Tournament at Spruce Meadows finished with a fantastic day of competition, including another big victory for Kent Farrington and Uceko in the $200,000 CN Performance Grand Prix CSI-W, the second week in a row that they have won the grand prix. Beezie Madden (USA) and Coral Reef Via Volo won the $60,000 Great-West Life Cup 1.50m. The Spruce Meadows Summer Tournaments will continue on June...

Lexington, KY - The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) has named the following four horse-and-rider combinations to the U.S. Dressage Team for the Aachen CDIO5* held during CHIO Aachen in Germany, June 26-30, 2013. Additionally, one Large Tour and two Small Tour combinations have been named to represent the U.S. in CDI4* competition. In 2013, the United States will also be represented for the first time in CDI-U25 competition. The following four combinations have been named to the U.S....

Erin Haas and As Di Chupito earn the victory during the $10,000 American Invitational Stake Welcome at the Tournament of Champions (Kendall Bierer/PMG) Tampa, FL - It was a muddy morning as the Bob Thomas Equestrian Center welcomed numerous horses to the third day of the Tournament of Champions. The jumpers were able to dodge the effects of the inclement weather as they gathered in the Covered Arena to compete for the top prize at the Florida State Fairgrounds. Thursday saw great opposition as...

Shane Sweetnam and Solerina (Sportfot) Wellington, FL - Week eleven of the 2013 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF), sponsored by Artisan Farms, concluded on Sunday, March 24, with a full day of jumper action on the derby field at The Stadium at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. Ireland's Shane Sweetnam and Solerina won the highlight $101,000 Pennfield Feeds CSI 4* Grand Prix in a five-horse jump-off over Marie Hecart (FRA) and Myself de Breve and Kirsten Coe...

Last week I gave you some wonderful numbers that show the tremendous growth we have seen in Western Dressage over the last year. Almost 200 shows and events are already scheduled for 2013… 200! All those events are the brainchildren of people who want to help develop WD in their area. Most riders start by going to audit or participate in a clinic first or by becoming familiar with different philosophies and approaches to western dressage via the FaceBook pages or investigating the...

The Western States Cowboy Dressage weekend in Medford Oregon was held February 16 and 17. It was a very informative and educational weekend with Eitan Beth-Halachmy and a great cast of presenters that included renowned veterinarian Dr. Robert Miller, Modern Vaquero cowboy Jeff Sanders and VERY brave riders from all over the northwest. The event was presented by the Oregon Western Dressage Association, an affiliate of WDAA, despite the split between WDAA and Cowboy Dressage last fall. It was...

The eleventh in a series of guest blog posts from Michelle Binder If I go to a restaurant and order lemonade, I do not expect to receive a glass of ice water with a lemon wedge on the rim of the glass. When I am thinking about what western dressage is to me, I envision a discipline as fully flavored as that glass of lemonade. In fact, my vision for the future of western dressage as an independent and unique equestrian discipline may be more like strawberry lemonade! As a dressage instructor and...

The sixth in a series of guest blog posts from Michelle Binder When on a horse, I wear a riding helmet. My students wear riding helmets. I ride and show western and dressage. The helmet/hat quandary, style vs. safety, the tradition or common sense conversation is therefore a subject near and dear to my heart. On March 22, 2012, I went into the hay barn to get a bale of hay to feed lunch in the barn. To make a long story short, despite my usual care in tipping bales, as I turned to leave the...