Six USEF National Driving Championships Draw Quality Competition to the Kentucky Horse Park Lexington, KY – For the first time ever, all six USEF National Driving Championships are running con Chester Weber Leads USEF National Four-in-Hand Driving Championship (Picsofyou.com) currently, and the first day got off to a fantastic start at the 2009 Kentucky Cup and Lexington Driving Classic which is also serving as a test event for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. All six FEI...

“Excited and overwhelmed,” were how Gallop in the Glen co-chair Kim Burnett Mitchell described the opening week. "I feel the show was a success due to the GREAT exhibitors, GREAT parties every night, GREAT music each night, a GREAT staff, and GREAT officials!” an exuberant Mitchell said. Even Saturday’s downpour of rain didn’t dampen spirits or good times. “Everyone still kept telling me how thrilled with the show they were. Actually this facility can handle an unbelievable amount of rain, and...

In a major new initiative, the American Hanoverian Society (AHS) is pleased to announce a new foal life recording partnership with the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF). The USEF, which serves as the National Governing Body for Equestrian Sport in the U.S., licenses equestrian competitions of all levels across the United States each year and maintains the points and standings for the annual USEF Horse of the Year (HOTY) Awards in its comprehensive database. Through cooperative efforts...

The Washington International Horse Show (WIHS), a leading national equestrian event based in Washington, D.C., since 1958, is proud to announce the appointment of Eric L. Straus as the Chief Executive Officer. Straus joins the executive leadership of WIHS—Juliet W. Reid, President, and Anthony F. Hitchcock, Chief Operating Officer—as the show prepares for its 51st edition in October. “I'm excited about joining the Washington International Horse Show, a championship event...

Lexington, KY - Tucker Johnson (Hobe Sound, FL) drove to the top of the leader board at the CAI-A4 Donaueschingen (GER) after a strong performance in the dressage phase. Driving his team of four horses, Johnson topped a tough field, including some of Europe’s best drivers. His score of 42.75 left him with a narrow lead after the first phase of the competition over Theo Timmerman of The Netherlands on 42.88. The marathon gets underway Friday at 1 pm local time. For complete results and...

Dr. Cesar Parra and Lori Washton’s 13-year-old KWPN gelding, Olympia proved that good things come in threes at the 2009 New England Dressage Association Fall Festival CDI-W/Y/J. The pair went three for three winning the Prix St. Georges, Intermediaire I, and the Intermediaire Freestyle. Parra and Olympia finished the weekend with an exciting victory in the Intermediaire Freestyle with a score of 74.5%. The freestyle performance was fun, and the spectators showed their appreciation by clapping...

Dressage trainer Todd Flettrich and his mount, Otto, owned by Cherry Knoll Farm, made their competitive debut in the United States this weekend at the New England Dressage Association's (NEDA) Fall Festival, held September 9-13, in Saugerties, NY. After spending three months in Germany training with Olympic Gold medalist Hubertus Schmidt, Flettrich and Otto returned to Cherry Knoll Farm's Pennsylvania location just one week prior to the Saugerties competition, and went on to win the CDI Grand...

The success continued more than 1000 miles away in Belgium where, as the lone American, she swept the CSI-YJPCH-A Nieuwpoort, August 21-23. Kessler won two classes each day. On Friday she was the fastest of three clear rounds in the Speed Class. With Ice d’Ancoeur she zoomed to victory, almost six seconds faster than Julian Kok from Holland. She then had another convincing win in the 1.30m class with Ligist, where she was again lightning fast and was only one of two clears in the four horse...

From the United States Equestrian Federation and Equestrian Events, Inc. Lexington, KY – The organizers of the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials and the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event have been able to avoid a clash of dates in the future. Badminton announced earlier this year that it would be running over the weekend of the May Day bank holiday from 2010, with cross-country day on the Sunday and show jumping on the holiday Monday. Unfortunately, this very occasionally clashes with the...

Former United States Equestrian Team (USET) Chairman Finn M.W. Caspersen, whose competitive nature paid off in a shining multitude of medals for America, died September 7 in Rhode Island. He was 67. "His leadership over his 20 years with the team was extraordinary. It brought the team to an entirely new level and we can't be anything but forever grateful to Finn," said Jane Forbes Clark, the USET Foundation's president and CEO. During Caspersen's tenure, which began in 1982 when he was elected...