On October 22, the Junior Hunter divisions began competing at the Washington International Horse Show (WIHS), held at the Verizon Center through Sunday, October 25. Kelsey Thatcher took an early lead in the Older Junior Hunter divisions, winning the first class of the Small Junior 16-17 Hunter division. Earlier in the day, Hasbrouck Donovan stole the show, earning two blue ribbons in the Younger Junior Hunter classes. The Older Junior Hunter divisions got under way late that morning, and it was...

Though the mantra of the day seemed to be "rain, rain, go away," eventers proved once again that they were more than fair-weather fans. The horses were beautifully turned out, rid of the manure stains they incurred overnight, and the crowd was bubbly in spirit. The day started out with the in hand portion for the four- and five-year-olds competing in the United States Eventing Association (USEA)/Spalding Labs Young Event Horse (YEH) Competition. The handlers were told by judge Charles Musco to...

Kona Gold, winner of the 2000 Eclipse Award for Sprinter of the Year was humanely euthanized at the Kentucky Horse Park on the morning of September 29 after suffering a severe fracture to his left front leg while exercising in his paddock. He was 15-years-old. Within minutes of the accident, he was taken to Hagyard Equine Medical Institute for evaluation where it was determined by the surgical staff that his injury was beyond repair. The unanimous decision to euthanize was made by the surgeons,...

Sunday: American Driving Standard raised Sunday morning always brings a mix of emotions. The adrenaline from the marathon has passed and has been replaced by a feeling of certainty for the last phase of competition. The morning routine seems to drag a little for all grooms are feeling the pressure of the week and hoping no unpleasant surprises await. An in barn vet check takes place for American team drivers to make sure all horses are fit after the marathon. Luckily there were no serious...

As every breeder has experienced, the process of breeding mares and raising foals has many highs and lows. So when those moments of success arrive, it is important to savor them. Anne Sparks, owner of Horses Unlimited, had 48 hours to remember when four of her young stallions earned prestigious accolades. Homebred Pikko del Cerro HU won the 2009 Markel/USEF National Young Horse Dressage Championship-Six-Year-Old. Two days later at the Rheinland Pfalz-Saar International (RPSI) inspection,...

When I'm at home, I generally have a pretty good sense of direction. Even when I don't know where I'm going, I can apply logic based on where the mountains are, what direction the freeway is, etc., and keep from getting lost. My husband gets lost often, but I probably shouldn't tell you that because he's reading this. Anyhoo...something about flying to Kentucky has thrown me completely off kilter. I can't tell which way is north or south, in what direction our hotel...

One of the great things about any national show is that you get to meet people from all over the country. You get to see friends you only see once a year, or perhaps friends you've talked to online but never met in person. I'm facebook friends with all kinds of people I don't know at all, simply because we have mutual friends and interests. Some of them are pretty well known, so I always wonder if they think I'm some sort of weird Internet stalker. I'm not! I swear! Can I...

This past weekend, Canterbury Farm in Hampshire, IL, hosted a clinic for the United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) Emerging Athletes Program. Held on Saturday, September 5, and Sunday, September 6, the clinic was conducted by renowned equestrians Melanie Smith Taylor and Ray Texel. Diane Carney of Hampshire, IL, was the on-site coordinator for the event, which was a Level II Training Session. The clinic was part of the Emerging Athletes Program, an educational program that focuses on...

Jeffery Welles Claims $7,500 Prudential Douglas Elliman 1.45m Open Jumper Win Jeffery Welles did it again, winning his second major class this week at the Hampton Classic Horse Show. Welles, of Wellington, FL, piloted Tango to top honors in the $7,500 Prudential Douglas Elliman 1.45m Open Jumper class. On Tuesday, he won the $7,500 1.40m Open Jumper Class aboard his veteran mount, Armani. The 34th Hampton Classic, one of the nation's premiere show jumping competitions hosted hunter/jumper...

Winners in Rome (Courtesy FEI ) By Joanie Morris Lexington, KY – The US Show Jumping squad bounced back with a valiant effort, winning the second leg of the Meydan FEI Nations Cup in Rome, Italy. Chef d’Equipe, George Morris continues to build a show jumping empire with the US. After winning back-to-back Olympic Gold medals in 2004 and 2008, Morris brought a team of mixed experience to Rome and dominated the nine other nations to finish on a two round total of 4 faults. The French...