Rodrigo Pessoa and HH Let's Fly. (Sportfot) Wellington, FL - Brazil's Rodrigo Pessoa and HH Let's Fly galloped to victory in the $30,000 Ruby et Violette WEF Challenge Cup Round 1 on the second day of competition at the 2013 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF) on Thursday. After kicking the year off with a second place finish in last weekend's inaugural $100,000 Trump Invitational Grand Prix, the duo is off to the races with a win to start their winter circuit. Week...

What is the equestrian demographic in North America? Surveys reveal it consists of women who, after a career, raising children, or both, have either returned to riding or are pursuing it as a life long dream. I fall into this demographic, having returned after both a career and children, and once again after major surgery. But where do we go to find training, a supportive community and a purpose in this endeavor? After much exploration, I was lucky enough to find Western Dressage through the...

This is a truly thrilling time to be a part of Western Dressage and the Western Dressage Association® of America! I recently had the opportunity to chat with Cliff Swanson, who has been instrumental in many facets of the program, including authoring and editing the new tests, working with the Rules Committee, developing the Train The Trainers™ Program and conducting a wonderful series of Skill Set Clinics. Cliff also sits on the Advisory Board for the WDAA. According to Cliff,...

Ashley Holzer and Pop Art danced their way out of competition tonight by once again winning at the Royal. The $20,000 Dominion Regalia Royal Invitational Dressage Cup Freestyle to Music was their last competition together. (BenRadvanyi.com) Toronto, ON – It was Ashley Holzer’s night to shine, and shine she did, with her long-time partner Pop Art piaffing and passaging to one last victory together at the 90th Royal Horse Show. While the scores for tonight’s $20,000 Dominion...

Temecula, CA - Michael Pollard, of Dalton, Ga., rode Schoensgreen Hanni to a narrow lead in the dressage phase of the CCI3* at the Galway Downs International Three-Day Event. Scoring 46.4 penalties, Pollard just eclipsed Phillip Dutton on Atlas (47.0). Hawley Bennett-Awad stands a close third on Five O’Clock Somewhere (48.2) and McKenna Shea is fourth on Landioso (48.4). “I was happy. It was probably the best dressage test we’ve done at a CCI. [We] just had a little bobble in...

Lauren Hough and Quick Study (Rebecca Walton) Lexington, KY - fter spending the summer in Europe, Lauren Hough and Quick Study made a triumphant return to the United States during the Alltech National Horse Show, 129th Edition. The pair bested a 14-horse jump-off with a speedy double clear effort during the $75,000 Double H Farm International Open Jumper class. Ireland's Richie Moloney galloped into second place position aboard Slieveanorra, while Kent Farrington and his young mount Venus...

With a clean sweep of the Regular Conformation Hunters over fences, Elizabeth Boyd piloted Casallo to the prestigious Professional Hunter Grand Championship. Lexington, KY - The Grand Champion Professional Hunter title at the Alltech National Horse Show, 129th Edition, is one of the country's most coveted awards, and this year it went to Elizabeth Boyd aboard Casallo. The pair swept the over fences classes in the Regular Conformation Hunters for the division's championship award, and...

Victory in the final leg at Boekelo (NED) clinched the overall win for Germany in the first FEI Nations Cup Eventing (left to right): Michael Jung, Bettina Hoy, Julia Krajewski and Ingrid Klimke with Chef d'Equipe Hans Melzer (Jon Stroud/FEI) The German team produced yet another first-rate performance to win at Boekelo (NED), the final leg of the inaugural FEI Nations Cup™ Eventing, and rounded off what has been an outstanding year for the country’s senior riders with a comfortable...

Jacob Pope, riding Uno, was the winner of the 2012 Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Finals East (Parker/Russell - The Book LLC) Gladstone, NJ - The country's top young riders were on display Sunday during the 2012 Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Finals East. Leading an exceptional group of 92 entries, 17-year-old Jacob Pope of Columbia, MD scored an exciting victory during the prestigious event at the USET Foundation Headquarters in Gladstone, NJ....

Lexington, KY- The Kentucky Classic CDE came to an exciting conclusion Sunday with the final cones phase. Additional accolades were on the line as competitors in the Pair and Ponies divisions vied for National Titles. The leaders following the marathon refused to yield, driving accurate final phases to clinch coveted USEF National Championships . USEF National Pairs Championship Jimmy Fairclough entered the cones phase with an 11 point lead over second placed competitor Misdee Wrigley-Miller....