Lexington, Ky. - U.S. para-equestrians kicked off the 2015 season in winning style by securing CPEDI3* victory over Canada during the first week of the Adequan Global Dressage Festival. Led by Chef d’Equipe Kai Handt, the team of Rebecca Hart, Annie Peavy, Sydney Collier, and Roxanne Trunnell finished on a score of 415.438. Hart (Unionville, Pa.) and her own Schroeters Romani led the way for the U.S., scoring 73.284% in the Team Test and 72.857% in the Individual Test of Grade II...

Lexington, Ky. - It was a night full of costumes and music, but a remarkable performance by Australian Dan James and Smart Little Elan put him at the top of the podium with a score of 227.0 at the World Freestyle Championship at the Kentucky Reining Cup. Drake Johnson, aboard Sonic Chic Dream, and Rocky Dare, aboard Bruce and Sue Kuryloski's Squeaky Clean Genes, tied with a score of 226 for the silver medal. Dan James, winner of the World Freestyle Championship. James' performance...

USA Team 2012 (Left to Right, top to bottom) Chef d'Equipe Missy Ransehousen, Jon Wentz, Rebecca Hart, Dale Dedrick and Donna Ponessa (Lindsay Yosay McCall) London, England - "It has been exciting to compete at the home of Para-Dressage," was the phrase echoed among athletes at the 2012 Paralympic Equestrian Games. It was Great Britain that developed Para-Dressage from the grass roots first and created an entire Para-Equestrian culture. It was Great Britain who aligned with their able-bodied...

Alix Szepesi and William (Susan J. Stickle) Wellington, FL - Alix Szepesi of Hamilton, MA captured the high score of the day at the Global Dressage Festival National Classic 2 on Tuesday. Riding William, owned by Margie Kelk, Szepesi scored 74.189% in the USEF First Level Test 2-Open at the Stadium show grounds of the Global Dressage Festival (GDF). "William is a dream to ride in the ring. He gets really nice scores and he is fun to ride," said Szepesi of the eight-year-old Dutch Warmblood....

Jody Schloss and Inspector Rebus (Susan J. Stickle) Wellington, FL - Jody Schloss, 39, of Toronto, Canada had another banner day at the Global Dressage Festival National Challenge on Wednesday. The Para-Equestrian rider received the highest score on Inspector Rebus receiving 72.500% in the FEI Para Test of Choice class at the Stadium show grounds of the Global Dressage Festival (GDF). Schloss rode her first horse at 11-years of age. She left the sport for a while, but then returned to riding as...

Alix Szepesi and William (Susan J. Stickle) Wellington, FL - Alix Szepesi of Hamilton, MA took top honors at the Global Dressage Festival National Challenge on Tuesday. The FEI dressage trainer, who winters in Wellington, rode William to an impressive 77.432% in the USEF First Level Test 2-Open at the Stadium show grounds of the Global Dressage Festival (GDF). Susanne Dutt-Roth of Canada came close to receiving the highest score with a 77.000% in the USEF Fourth Level Test 1-Open on D2. The GDF...

Chef d'Equipe Missy Ransehousen, Dale Dedrick, MD, Rebecca Hart, Mary Jordan, Jonathan Wentz, and coach Kai Handt, USA Team that earned the needed first place over Canada in Wellington, Florida January 2012 (Lindsay McCall) Lexington, KY - Coming off of a strong performance at the recent Wellington Classic Sunshine Challenge CPEDI3* Team Qualifier for the Paralympics in Wellington, FL USA's Para-Dressage team has earned a spot at the 2012 Paralympic Games in London. "It's very...

Combined Driver Chester Weber, America’s reigning four-in-hand driving champion, shows his winning form in the Four-In-Hand competition at the Riesenbeck CAI. (Photo courtesy of My Elisabeth Weber). Riesenbeck, Germany – If you are superstitious you might credit combined driving champion Chester Weber’s fourth winning weekend in Europe to his team’s “four lucky rabbit’s feet.” Team Weber’s companion mascot, a hefty black rabbit named Kainzi, joined them...

Margie Engle and Ashland Farms' Lord Spezi on course in Friday's $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, at HITS-on-the-Hudson in Saugerties, NY (ESI Photography). Saugerties, NY — With competition taking place in 10 different show rings and more than 1,600 horses on the premises, the opening week of the HITS-on-the-Hudson summer series is going like gangbusters, proving that Saugerties, New York is the place to be this summer. Olympian Margie Engle...

Silvio Mazzoni rides to victory aboard his own Remonta Habano in the $40,000 Purina Mills Grand Prix at HITS Culpeper (ESI Photography). . Culpeper, VA – Silvio Mazzoni of Leesburg, VA, and his own Remonta Habano captured their second Grand Prix victory at HITS this year by winning Sunday’s $40,000 Purina Mills Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, at HITS Culpeper. The duo also won the blue in the $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal...