The U.S. Dressage Team's Gold medal never looked in doubt today at the 2011 Pan American Games. They started off confidently and with each ride, the margin improved. They stormed to victory and won their fourth consecutive Pan American Games Team Gold medal - a first in the sport of Dressage. Their combined average score of 74.421% left them well clear of the Canadians who won Silver with a combined average of 70.413%. Colombia put in a valiant late effort to surge into the top three with...

Paragon He’s only eight years old but he’s the talk of the dressage world. Yesterday people came to watch him school because they had seen him on YouTube and they wanted to see him in person. Luckily for the U.S. he’s on our team at the 2011 Pan American Games, after claiming reserve championship honors at the 2011 Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Dressage Festival of Champions. Owned and ridden by Heather Blitz, the lanky 18- plus-hand chestnut gelding has jaw-dropping movement in...

Just drifted off for my first nap-during-class. Sorry, ladies/kids/youth/Generation Why Should I….it wasn’t because you didn’t look pretty (you do), but you don’t have silver on your saddle and you don’t have Swarovski, so zzzzzzzzzzz. Wow, that little 5 minute pop felt good! Phew, I just thought that I lost one of my favorite earrings, but it turns out it was stuck in my hair. That’s what I get for doing the head-snap and falling asleep, haha! 1 Gracious...

Bridgehampton, NY - The Hampton Classic Horse Show is spending Monday and Tuesday rebuilding 18 stabling tents with 1600 stalls plus 40 boutique and VIP tents in anticipation of the rescheduled start of the horse show on Wednesday. To ensure the safety of everyone in anticipation of Hurricane Irene, everything had been taken down on Friday and Saturday and the horse show put out the word that no horses would be allowed at the show grounds before Tuesday. A massive collective effort is getting...

Yann Candele and Azzaro took top honors in the $25,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic at the Bluegrass Festival Horse Show (Photo: Heather Bellock/PMG). Lexington, KY - Another incredible crowd turned out at the Rolex Stadium tonight at the Kentucky Horse Park, this time the spectators watched riders compete for the top prize during the $25,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic at the Bluegrass Festival Horse Show. Six horse and rider combinations progressed to the jump-off with Yann Candele riding three of...

Small Affair, shown here with John French, dominated week five of the Colorado Summer Circuit with two championships and two classic wins (Flying Horse Photography). Parker, CO -- Have you jumped at a mile high? If not, you are missing one of the most talked about horse shows of the year. With its expanded six-week schedule, The Colorado Horse Park has been the summer vacation spot with big money for both hunters and jumpers. Of course, this show is also about the parties, including...

Christine McCrea on her favorite horse, Vegas, at the 2009 Rolex/FEI World Cup Final (Photo by Shannon Brinkman/USEF). Thanks to the USEF Facebook fans for these questions for U.S. Team Show Jumper Christine McCrea. For the next "10 Questions With..." visit www.facebook.com/USEquestrian Christine McCrea East Windsor, CT Age: 32 Victoria Kelley : What is your training schedule like? Tuesday through Sunday and I ride the horses. Monday is the day off for them and me. If I am going to a...

Lexington, KY - Building on the success of National Helmet Awareness Day 2010, the popular helmet awareness campaign Riders4Helmets.com has announced plans to host International Helmet Awareness Day 2011 on Saturday, June 11. Riders4Helmets has teamed up with leading helmet manufacturers to offer discounts on helmets to equestrians via participating retailers globally on this day. More than 300 retailers in the U.S. and eight retailers Internationally offered discounts on helmets from eight...

Louise Serio and Phillipa at the Kentucky Spring Classic (Photo by Holly Whiteman). Lexington KY - Hunter riders at the Kentucky Spring Classic enjoyed a day without rain at the beautiful Kentucky Horse Park. Today was the second day of the Kentucky Spring Classic, which is the second week of the Kentucky Spring Horse Shows. This week features the World Champion Hunter Rider Week, which gives riders the opportunity to earn fabulous prize money along with quality points toward year end awards...

Chesterfield, SC - The riders couldn’t say enough nice things about Heart of the Carolinas Three-Day Event in Chesterfield, SC, at Southern Eighths Farm. They loved the facility, the organization, the footing, the courses, the jumps - everything. Anne Lane-Maunder and Penny Lane (photo by Diana De Rosa). When it was all over Jim Baker and Wings claimed the victory in the Beginner-Novice division (58.30). “The format and the organization were topnotch. I can’t say enough about...