The U.S. Dressage Team got World Championship competition at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games underway as all four horses were deemed fit and sound to compete at the Horse Inspection Sunday morning. The United States, led by Chef d’Equipe Robert Dover, will be represented by Olympic and World Equestrian Games veterans in addition to a rising star making her World Championship debut. The U.S. has drawn 13th in the order of the 25 nations competing in the Team Championship. The...

The United States during the Parade of Nations (Shannon Brinkman Photo) Caen, France - The 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games officially got underway on Saturday evening with the Opening Ceremonies at the d'Ornano Stadium. The night kicked off with the parade of nations, including many of the 969 competitors that are slated to take part in World Championship competition across the eight FEI disciplines of dressage, driving, endurance, eventing, jumping, para-equestrian dressage,...

Kevin Babington and family watch the Carling King tribute. (Kenneth Kraus/PhelpsSports) Halifax, Mass. - As the 2014 Silver Oak Jumper Tournament drew to a close on the final Sunday, Irish rider Kevin Babington celebrated one of the most special days in what has been a long and highly decorated career. First, during the pre-game ceremonies, his great mount Carling King, who recently passed away, was honored with a wonderful video production on the big video screen ringside. Put together by Jeff...

Kevin McCarthy claiming top honors with Jeffrey Welles (left) and Darren Granziano (Alex Lynch) Halifax, Mass. - Friday was speed day at The Silver Oak Jumper Tournament, but although many were speedy, few were clean in our main event. With an exciting Welcome Stake ending the day yesterday, today's featured class was the 1.30m Cross Insurance Speed Derby. Olaf Peterson Jr.'s unique Speed Derby course design made for an exciting afternoon at Silver Oak. In a field of 29 horse and rider...

Lexington, Ky. - Tori Colvin and Inclusive claimed victory in the Classic Hunter Round of the $180,040 USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship. Their scores of 92, 90 and 95 for a 289 total was unmatched after a field of 75 horses contested today's course in the Kentucky Horse Park's Rolex Stadium. Jimmy Torano, the busiest rider with eight mounts in the class, saved the best for last as he guided Mindful to second place with 90, 92 and 94 for 288 total points. Liza Boyd and...

Gotham and Hunt Tosh during their winning trip in Round 1 of the Pre-Green Incentive (Amanda Oppold/Phelps Media Group) Lexington, Ky. - The second annual 2014 USHJA Pre-Green Incentive Championship kicked off with an opening round Tuesday at the Kentucky Horse Park. While there were many new riders and horses competing in the round, it was the championship's 2013 winner, Hunt Tosh, who took top honors in the opening class, showing the field of 130 how it is done aboard the Douglas Wheeler...

Julie Welles and Twan won the $50,000 Vermont Summer Celebration Grand Prix on August 9 (David Mullinix Photography) East Dorset, Vt. - Julie Welles of Wellington, FL, and Twan triumphed in the $50,000 Vermont Summer Celebration Grand Prix on August 9 during the final week of the Vermont Summer Festival horse show in East Dorset, Vt. The six-week equestrian competition runs July 2 through August 10 at Harold Beebe Farm in East Dorset, Vt. A total of 10 entries found their way to a clear round...

The winning U.S. team in Dublin (Laurence Dunne/Rockmountainstudios) Lexington, Ky. - The full spectrum of the Hermès U.S. Show Jumping Team’s talent was on display Friday as mixture of veterans and young stars claimed the third CSIO5* Nations Cup victory for the U.S. in one week at CSIO5* Dublin, while a group of rising talents gained valuable experience at CSIO3* Bratislava. CSIO5* Dublin Four members of the Hermès U.S. Show Jumping Short List for the 2014 Alltech FEI...

Sophia Calamari and Smitten (Shawn McMillen Photography) Lexington, Ky. - Sophia Calamari (New Milford, Pa.) won the Small Green Hunter Pony Championship Wednesday at the US Hunter Pony Championship presented by Sallee Horse Vans with her own Smitten, completing the competition with a phenomenal overall score of 1011.50. She and the six-year-old Welsh pony cross-bred gelding garnered second place in the Over Fences phase with a score of 249.75, while on Tuesday they earned 260.00 in the Model...

This article was originally published at www.useventing.com . Laine Ashker and Anthony Patch take the top prize for the second year in a row (Brant Gamma photo). Laine Ashker downplayed her chances of a winning the Advanced at Millbrook Horse Trials for the second year in a row all weekend, but she and Anthony Patch remained cool under pressure and rode a beautiful show jump round to defend her title in the Adequan USEA Gold Cup/PRO Tour Series. With less then two points separating Ashker from...