Donna Ponessa (West Windsor, NY) had a long time to wait before she was able to make her debut at the 2012 Paralympic Games. But she made it worth the wait as she piloted Wes Dunham’s Western Rose to a score of 70.235% in front of the Ground Jury of Kjell Myhre, Sarah Rodger, Gudrun Hofinga, Freddy Leyman and Anne Prain. Riding in Grade 1a competition, Ponessa produced a steady, rhythmic test with the 9-year-old Oldenburg mare to earn fifth place. Western Rose is well Donna Ponessa and...

Day One at the 2012 Olympic Games It’s been crazy as I landed from one fire (NAJYRC) into another - trying to get my brain to switch over and into Games mode. So far it has been great. Considering it started by me flying from Lexington to Chicago to Boston to Washington, DC to London in one day. It’s a complicated story without a really logical explanation but ground stops in Chicago = desperate. The UNITED staff couldn’t have been more accommodating and they worked it out...

I knew, when accepting this job in December, 2011 that I was under-qualified. My writing credentials are fine enough, I have editing experience, a media background, and a good education. My deficiency was that I knew very little about horses and even less about equestrian sports. Compared to my USEF colleagues, I was in a state of almost complete ignorance. I’ve twice been on group trail rides in western Colorado. Adding that to the rest of my riding experience I’d been on a horse...

Lexington, KY - Following an amazingly successful debut this year, the second edition of the Alltech National Horse Show in Lexington, Kentucky, is set for October 31 through November 4, 2012. The show will once again be held at the Alltech Arena at the Kentucky Horse Park. The Alltech National Horse Show, 128th edition, closed with great excitement, receiving unanimous approval from the horse show community. The Show was a great success with the thousands of attendees, in addition to nearly...

Charlie Jacobs and Leap of Joy won the Ericsson Grand Prix at the CSIO-W Buenos Aires. Photo: Haras El Capricho. Buenos Aires, Argentina - Delaware North Companies and Boston Bruins Principal Charlie Jacobs had great success at the CSIO-W Buenos Aires in Argentina held November 23-27, 2011 at Haras El Capricho, The talented amateur rider won three classes for his family's Deeridge Farm, including the Ericsson Grand Prix aboard Leap of Joy, and the Nissan International Speed Derby with...

Lexington, KY - Soggy footing coupled with Sue Benson's demanding cross country track saw a massive shake-up of the leaderboard at the 2011 Boekelo CCI3*. Boyd Martin led the charge of the Land Rover U.S. Eventing piloting two horses around the course with no jumping faults. Martin (West Grove, PA) lies 23rd and 32nd with the Otis Barbotiere and Remington XXV, respectively, heading into the show jumping. The Otis Barbotiere Syndicate's gelding finished just over the optimum time,...

Everyone in the U.S. camp entered marathon day knowing they needed a strong drive from at least two Americans. What they didn’t anticipate was the order of finish. Throughout the 2011 season, Joe Yoder has proved to be a strong marathon driver and was certainly expected to be the strongest of his 2011 teammates. Kathrin Dancer has also been a good marathon driver in her career but the driver with the least experience and the most to prove was clearly Misdee Miller. Dancer led the charge...

Kent Farrington and Uceko. Photo: Beatrice Scudo. Hickstead, Great Britain - U.S. Nations Cup rider Kent Farrington and the Dutch Warmblood gelding Uceko, owned by R.C.G. Farm, held their own among the best of the British in a packed jump-off on Sunday to win the Longines King George V Gold Cup at the Royal International Horse Show at Hickstead. Out of the 47 starters, 10 went forward to the jump-off. Farrington - the only American - was seventh to go. Farrington won the incredibly fast...

I have said good-bye to Kentucky and am making my way home to sunny California. I'm looking forward to being dry for an entire day! During the first leg of my journey, I thought about the past week and the memories I will be taking home with me. I thought about the Lexington area and the Horse Park, about not only how beautiful it is, but how there is so much to see there and I didn't see a fraction-I will have to go back when I can spend several days and see everything. I thought about...

Lexington, KY —Equipped with a new indoor facility, six strong teams and some of the most outstanding reining horses in North America, the SmartPak™ North American Young Rider Reining Championships came to an emotional and suspenseful close today with the prestigious Individual competition. For only the second time in history, the championships has declared an Individual Gold medalist in Darcy Wilson of Glenwood, Ontario, Canada, who stood on guard for her beloved Canada while...