Kent Farrington and Voyeur, winners of the $250,000 FTI Grand Prix at the Hampton Classic Horse Show. (Shawn McMillen) Bridgehampton, NY - Kent Farrington set the pace as the first rider to go in the decisive jump-off for the $250,000 FTI Grand Prix at the 37th Annual Hampton Classic Horse Show, and it was a pace his two competitors couldn’t match. Riding Voyeur, Farrington, of Chicago, Ill., was the first starter in the jump-off, and they kept all eight jumps standing as they sped to a...

Breda, The Netherlands - With the cones phase complete the FEI World Para-Equestrian Driving Championships for Singles has come to a close at the Outdoor Brabant. There was little movement in the standings for the U.S. team or individuals, but it was a good experience for America's top para-equestrian drivers. Once again leading the U.S. squad was Diane Kastama (Arroyo Grande, CA). She picked up 12 penalty points and 0 time faults to finish with 12 on cones and a total score of 171.55....

Breda, The Netherlands - Para-equestrian drivers took on the marathon course at the Outdoor Brabant Saturday morning and moved one step closer to team and individual World Para Equestrian Driving Championships for Singles titles. U.S. individuals have not cracked the top ten, but the team is in fourth place heading into the cones phase on Sunday. Diane Kastama (Arroyo Grande, CA) drove the de Ronde's KWPN Ruby R Van Stalle De Maurik to a 13th place finish in the Marathon. Her 102.15 point...

Bridgehampton, NY - McLain Ward is hard to beat at the Hampton Classic Horse Show. On Friday afternoon Ward rode Pjotter Van De Zonnehoeve to victory in the $50,000 Spy Coast Farm/Young Horse Show Series Grand Prix Qualifier, and he grabbed third place on Antares F. As the third rider to start in the 13-horse jump-off, Ward, on Antares F, stopped the timers just 0.02 seconds short of the mark Kent Farrington had set right before him on Venus (42.26 seconds). Four more riders tried and failed to...

Donna Ponessa (West Windsor, NY) had a long time to wait before she was able to make her debut at the 2012 Paralympic Games. But she made it worth the wait as she piloted Wes Dunham’s Western Rose to a score of 70.235% in front of the Ground Jury of Kjell Myhre, Sarah Rodger, Gudrun Hofinga, Freddy Leyman and Anne Prain. Riding in Grade 1a competition, Ponessa produced a steady, rhythmic test with the 9-year-old Oldenburg mare to earn fifth place. Western Rose is well Donna Ponessa and...

Sinead Halpin and Manoir de Carneville sit in first place with a score of 36.3. (StockImageServices.com) Stamford, England - The U.S. riders made a bold statement after the first two days of dressage at The Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials slotting three riders into the top 15. The three Land Rover Competition and Training Grant recipients who have spent the summer training and competing in England produced top tier results in the first phase. Sinead Halpin (Oldwick, NJ) and Allison Springer...

Tulsa, OK – Clearing the first major hurdle at the Adequan/USEF National Open Reining Championship, and after a year of qualifying for the chance to compete for the championship title, all riders cleared the jog today at the Ariat Tulsa Reining Classic in Tulsa, OK. Concurrent with the Open division held on Friday, August 31st, the Adequan/USEF National Reining Championship will feature the nation’s most elite horse and rider combinations all vying for the gold medal and the top of...

It is proving to be a big day for the U.S. at English competitions this morning and it’s only lunch time! At the 2012 Paralympic Games, the fourth U.S. rider, Donna Ponnessa, does not perform her 1a Team Test until 4:33pm, so another 4 hours of anxious anticipation! Her U.S. teammate’s got things off to a good start yesterday as Jonathan Wentz and Becca Hart gained massive scores for the U.S. to keep them in the team hunt. Jonathan scored 70.364% to finish fifth in the Grade 1b Team...

Breda, The Netherlands - Competition at the 2012 FEI World Para-Equestrian Driving Championships for Singles commenced Thursday at the Outdoor Brabant in Breda, The Netherlands. All three competitors on the U.S. Team successfully completed their dressage tests and the team sits in 4th place on a score of 124.0 Veteran Diane Kastama's 57.40 was the best score of the day for the Americans and it has her tied for 13th individually. Kastama (Arroyo Grande, CA), who is driving the de Ronde's...

Bridgehampton, NY - McLain Ward, of Brewster, N.Y., won his second jumper class of the 37th annual Hampton Classic Horse Show on Thursday morning, guiding Vocas to the fastest clean jump-off round in the $7,5000 Prudential Douglas Elliman 1.45m Open Jumper class. Riding about halfway through the 35-horse class, Ward and Vocas recorded a faultless first round and then finished the jump-off clean in a time of 34.98 seconds to take the lead. They then withstood the challenges of 13 other horses in...