I met Jan Ebeling in 2003, when he was a clinician at Larkspur in Littleton, MA. While riding in the clinic and observing him work with the other riders, I was impressed with his professionalism and brilliant teaching methods. He encouraged everyone to see the importance of the basic building blocks of dressage, such as straightness and rhythm, and how they related to a perfect shoulder-in and ultimately to the Levels. Jan focuses on the theories of classical dressage. While I still wanted to...

Since my last correspondence, we have experienced many fabulous events here in Conty! The opening ceremonies certainly did not disappoint anyone as several breeds were displayed. There were two Spanish riding horses moving in unison with music and a lovely, young French woman working at liberty with a single horse. A lively ensemble of horns and drums kept the crowd in beat and alert during much of the presentation. We were even treated to a woman and her border collie herding a flock of geese,...

The signature first turn at Churchill Downs (Churchill Downs photo). Louisville, KY - What an extraordinary moment in history. Arabian horses will be racing on June 18 at Churchill Downs, the home of the Kentucky Derby, most popular and widely televised horse race in the world. It’s a moment that has the potential to bring great notoriety to the Arabian breed globally. It’s a doorway to another level that is waiting to be opened so that both the general public and horsemen of all...

Scene from the $75,000 HITS Grand Prix, May 30, 2004. (Courtesy HITS and Fionn Reilly/Ulster Publishing) Lexington, KY – Following a hotly contested open to the 2005 competition season in the warmer climates, and a highly-anticipated fight for the prize at the World Cup Finals in April, claiming the title of U.S. National Champion will be yet another challenge facing some of equestrian sport’s best athletes in June. Truly a headliner competition for the United States Equestrian...

Balmullo’s Azalea (Concord River Roaringwater Bay x Courtney’s April Frolic, by Custusha’s Cashel Rock), shown as Ooh La La and ridden by young rider and new owner Sara Powell of Lexington, KY, qualified for the 2009 USEF Pony Finals at their first "A" rated show together. The pair were champions, winning all over fences classes as well as the conformation class, in the large pony division at the USEF "A" rated Lakeside Arena Winter Series show. Powell, who is 15, and Ooh La La are currently...

Tucker Johnson at the Royal Windsor Horse Show (RWHS/Peter Nixon Photo) Dressage In Germany at the CDI3* Hamburg, US riders Catherine Haddad and Susie Dutta put in very respectable performances in the Grand Prix. Finishing with a solid score in the Grand Prix on Friday, Dutta and Currency DC executed a beautiful test in the Grand Prix Special to finish in second with a score of 68.667%. Haddad, with 10-year-old Hanoverian Winyamaro, her newest Grand Prix partner, were second in the Freestyle...

Elkton, Md . – The first day of dressage took place on a rainy Thursday at the MARS Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill presented by Brown Advisory. The CCI3*-L division started the day off, and Will Coleman and Cold Red Rum took the lead in the USEF CCI3*-L Eventing National Championship. The CCI5*-L division took to the dressage arena in the afternoon with Woods Baughman and C’est La Vie 135 sitting atop the leaderboard after day one of competition. USEF CCI3*-L Eventing National...

Lexington, Ky . - The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) has issued an Extension of Recommended Caution for California Equine Events . The California State Veterinarian recommends that all equine events of any discipline continue to be postponed through March 31, and all non-essential horse movements also be postponed at least through March 31. In line with this extension, USEF-licensed competitions in California scheduled to take place during this window have taken the...

Responding to the devastation left by Hurricane Harvey, equestrians have poured contributions into the USEF Equine Disaster Relief Fund, which is providing aid relief for horses in the Houston, Tx., area. One week after the Category 4 hurricane made landfall in Texas, the USEF Equine Disaster Relief Fund has raised over $400,000 in donations, grants, and pledges, with 100% of those funds slated to boost relief efforts by the Houston SPCA, Texas A&M University, the Texas Equine Veterinary...

This is stressful. Sitting in the Team tack room watching a procession of athletes destroying our supplies of snacks, drinks, and other culinary delights: Clearly they do not get fed at home and this is an enjoyable adventure for them. Ok, I get it, they and the grooms are who matter most but all the bottles and snacks were lined up in regimental rows and now a tornado has destroyed the illusion of order. Rewind. Monday morning (Europe time) Clan Dressage deployed to Rio; horses from Liege...