George Lucas’ Storm Troopers from the blockbuster Star Wars films were created as an elite army with no fears, just a determination to be victorious. This week saw a new breed of Storm Troopers at the Atlanta Spring Classics finale. Shaker Heights, OH-based David Jennings and partner Marcus Aurelius triumphed over Mother Nature in the Lucky Sevens Welcome Stake and the Atlanta Spring Grand Prix, both presented by Classic Company. Despite torrents of rain that came and went throughout most of...

Lexington, KY – U.S. show jumper Hillary Dobbs went to Falsterbo Horse Show in Sweden to jump in Europe for the first time. The 20-year-old Harvard University student may have been looking for some experience. She also found a big win. Riding Corlett, she was one of two US riders to jump in the Swedbank Derby. It was her first attempt at a Derby class in her first European show, but no one would have ever guessed. “She was just brilliant,” said Chef d'Equipe Melanie Smith Taylor. “She was the...

Diane Carney of Telluride Farm led several of her students to top placings this weekend at the Ledge Winter Classic, held January 3-6 at the Ledges Sporting Horses indoor facility in Roscoe, IL. Catie Hope, 16, took home the championship in the Large Junior Hunter division aboard her new mount, Caped Crusader. The pair took a first and a sixth place over fences and won the under saddle for the tricolor. They also placed third in the $1,000 Junior Hunter Classic. Hope's consistency followed her...

Shawn Cassidy of Kingston, TN, was the one to beat in the pony hunter divisions at the Blowing Rock Charity Horse Show I. The 84th Annual Blowing Rock Charity Horse Show was held from August 1-5, 2007, at the L.M. Tate Horse Show Grounds at the Blowing Rock Equestrian Preserve in Blowing Rock, NC. In the Small/Medium Green Pony Hunter division, Cassidy rode First Impression, owned by Katie Dinan, LLC, to the championship with three firsts and two seconds. Cassidy earned both the tricolor and...

The Markel/USEF Young Horse Dressage Selection Trials concluded the 2007 qualifying season for the FEI World Breeding Championships at the CDI-W/Y/J Raleigh and Capital Dressage Classic, June 1–3 in Raleigh, NC. Winning both the Preliminary and Final Tests with an overall score of 8.240 secured the Five-Year-Old Selection Trial Championship for Cabana Boy (Contucci x Britania, by Bordeaux; bred in the United States by Doug and Shannon Langer). Cabana Boy is a bay Hanoverian gelding who was...

Allentown, PA—Dressage for the CCI*** at the Jersey Fresh Three-Day Event got underway Thursday at the Horse Park of New Jersey in Allentown. The first two horses in the ring put in quality performances, and by the lunch break, they continued to hold the top two places. Veteran U.S. team riders Karen O’Connor (aboard Allstar) and Stephen Bradley (aboard From) got the division underway. Bradley held the lead well through the halfway point of the day on a score of 46.5. O’Connor...

For the second day in a row, it was American Chris Kappler who stood in the winner's circle at the CSI-W Blainville Jumping International on Thursday, July 6. The international show jumping competition took place from July 5-9 at the Blainville Equestrian Park in Blainville, Quebec, Canada. Having claimed the win on Wednesday, June 5, riding VDL Maseratie, Kappler brought VDL Oranta out of the barn for the July 6 victory in the Open Jumper-Power and Speed. Only two riders managed to go clear...

Interest and participation in the National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) has never been greater. The association continues to exhibit phenomenal growth, especially in the areas of membership and approved shows. During its June meeting, the NRHA’s Board of Directors announced a year-to-date increase of 4.5% in memberships for 2006. The board also announced a significant growth in NRHA-approved shows, especially in international venues where there’s been an increase of more than 33% in 2006...

Saddlebred.com has a new and valuable feature titled, “Saddle Up a Saddlebred,” which allows anyone interested in seeing, riding or learning more about Saddlebreds to enter their zip code and find a number of stables within a 300-mile radius. It can be accessed by going to www.saddlebred.com and clicking on “About the Breed,” and then going to “Stable Search,” or type in www.saddlebred.com/breed/stables.php . Right now, there are approximately 400 Saddlebred farms and stables in the database...

Laura Linback and Whittaker MVNZ on course in the $40,000 HITS Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer (ESI Photography). Culpeper, VA --- Laura Linback of Mundelin, IL, and Woodrun's Whittaker MVNZ, whom they call "Fred" in the barn, had an amazing week at HITS Culpeper. Last Friday, they captured the win in the $15,000 Brook Ledge Open Jumper Prix and successfully followed up with a big win in the $40,000 HITS Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health. Jerry Dougherty of Bokeelia, Florida was...