On Sunday April 18, 2010 the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) lodged a formal protest against the disqualification of McLain Ward’s horse, Sapphire at the 2010 Rolex/FEI World Cup Final. Sapphire and Ward were in the lead after the second leg of the Final when Sapphire was disqualified five hours after the second class on the recommendation of the Veterinary Committee that she was unfit to compete, despite being examined before her round by FEI veterinarians and deemed fit to compete....

Lexington, KY and Geneva, Switzerland - The Ground Jury of the 2010 Rolex/FEI World Cup Final in Geneva, Switzerland disqualified US jumping horse, Sapphire; in the early hours of April 17 (CEST) after her runner-up finish in the second leg of the competition with rider McLain Ward. The grounds for disqualification was hypersensitivity of the horse's leg. Sapphire was selected for hypersensitivity testing before she jumped in the class and according to the FEI Press Release: Following the...

It was with speed and grace that Jeffery Welles was able to capture Saturday night's victory with his top mount, Armani, during a three-horse jump-off. The pair raced through the finish line in 44.36 seconds after completing a clear short course during the 2010 $200,000 Gene Mische American Invitational presented by G & C Farm at Raymond James Stadium. Peter Leone tried to catch his time with Select, who also left all the rails intact, but the duo's time of 44.87 seconds would fall just short...

The inaugural $5,000 American Hunter-Jumper Foundation (AHJF) World Champion Hunter Rider (WCHR) Handy Hunter Classic was well received and was a highlight event on April 3rd at the Tampa Bay Classic held at the Florida State Fairgrounds. Samantha Schaefer and Bishonen, owned by Mariana Wade, led the field from start to finish winning out of a field of the top professional, emerging professional, amateur-owner, and junior hunter riders with her two-round total of 171. In her first round...

Photo by Anne Gittins (Jeffery Welles and Armani) It was with speed and grace that Jeffery Welles was able to capture Saturday night's victory with his top mount, Armani, during a three-horse jump-off. The pair raced through the finish line in 44.36 seconds after completing a clear short course during the 2010 $200,000 Gene Mische American Invitational, presented by G & C Farm, at Raymond James Stadium. Peter Leone tried to catch his time with Select, who also left all the rails intact, but the...

Photo by Erica Larson (Hannah Sue Burnett and St. Barths) It was a nail biter to the end at the Fork Horse Trials this weekend as the United States Eventing Association (USEA)/Adequan Gold Cup Advanced division and the CIC*** wrapped up with show jumping. Neither overnight leader was able to hold on to their lead, and even the winners were pleasantly surprised with the outcome of the competition. In the USEA/Adequan Gold Cup division, the "little horse that could" came from behind to take home...

Buck Davidson and My Boy Bobby win at The Fork (US Eventing) Dressage Competition was underway on both coasts this week with the CDI3*/Y/J Burbank, CA (Festival of the Horse) and the Dressage at Equestrian Estates in Loxahatchee, FL. Jan Ebeling dominated the Grand Prix in Burbank, coming in first on Rafalca and second on Sandrina. Guenter Seidel and U II were third. In the Grand Prix Special it was Seidel who triumphed with a score of 69.875%, narrowly beating out Ebeling and Rafalca. Ebeling...

The 114th annual Devon Horse Show and Country Fair will boast brand new, state-of-the-art footing in the Dixon Oval when it opens its 11-day run on May 27. The new footing in the Dixon Oval, a major undertaking, will be installed by Equestrian Services International, which has provided the footing for the 2008 Olympics in Hong Kong and the footing currently in use at the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival. This new, all-weather surface will meet the needs of all the various breeds and disciplines...

Oliver Townend Could Make History by Winning the Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing Once again, the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, this year Presented by Bridgestone, will host a truly international event at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY, April 22-25. The Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, part of the HSBC FEI Classics™ Series, attracts many of the world's best horses and riders as they vie for their share of $250,000 in prize money. Enhancing this year's schedule will be the official...

Expanding its already considerable support of the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF), SmartPak™ has signed on as "Official Tack and Equipment Supplier to the USEF". In addition, SmartPak will be adding sponsorship of the new Adult Amateur Hunter Ranking List to the list of other programs SmartPak supports, which include the USEF Week in Review and the North American Young Rider Reining Championship. "The USEF has done so much for equestrian sport, and we are grateful for their...