Lexington, Ky. – The Team Championship of the US Pony Jumper National Championships took place Friday evening in the Alltech Arena as teams competed in the two-round Nations Cup format. Following the first round, the top teams came back to jump the same Jasen Shelley-designed course in round two, with a total of 32 combinations jumping for individual classification. For the 2016 US Pony Finals presented by Collecting Gaits Farm, the Zones 5/6 team stood atop the podium. The team,...

Allison Brock, Laura Graves, Kasey Perry-Glass, and Steffen Peters (Shannon Brinkman Photo) Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – The U.S. Dressage Team won the Bronze medal at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games on Friday following the conclusion of the second half of team competition, the Grand Prix Special. Led by Chef d’Equipe Robert Dover, the team, comprised of, Allison Brock and Rosevelt, Laura Graves and Verdades, Kasey Perry-Glass and Dublet, and Steffen Peters and Legolas 92 won the Bronze...

Atherton, Calif. - One of the highlights of the Menlo Charity Horse Show is the USHJA International Hunter Derby Presented by Dr. Daryl K. Hoffman, this anxiously anticipated class on Thursday afternoon is steeped in tradition never ever disappoints. John French and Center Court (Alden Corrigan Media) “The Menlo Horse Show, in general, is a very special show, it’s unique event held in the middle of a beautiful residential neighborhood. Menlo is a gorgeous show, with great jumps and...

I am happy to report that today started very well for the Jumping Team. Chef d'Equipe, Robert Ridland, managed a 0 fault round in the Keurig Challenge Stakes. I would say he had a clean round but I did notice a little spillage on the floor. Yes, we have a Keurig machine....life without coffee, no thanks! Trying to get everyone to keep the prep area clean and tidy has been at times, challenging, but Mr. Ridland led from the front disposing of the used K Cup and cleaning up afterwards. His...

Claire Campbell and Roll Call (Shawn McMillen Photography) Lexington, Ky. – Claire Campbell and Roll Call took home the title in the Small Regular Hunter Pony Championship in the US Hunter Pony Championships presented by Collecting Gaits Farm at the Kentucky Horse Park. The pair garnered a total score of 1026.32 through two days of competition. National titles are determined following three phases of competition, with Model and Under Saddle phases each counting towards 25% of the overall...

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - The second day of dressage competition at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games had sunshine beaming down on the Deodoro Olympic Equestrian Center as the remaining 30 athlete-and-horse combinations took to the main arena to perform the Grand Prix test, the first of two tests in team competition. The U.S. team, which held fourth place after the first day of competition on Wednesday, has moved into third in the team standings on an average of 76.971% after anchor riders Steffen...

Givrins, Switzerland – The U.S. Reining Team will compete at the 2016 SVAG FEI World Reining Championships August 11-13, at the CS Ranch in Givrins, Switzerland. The team of Shane Brown, Troy Heikes, Kari Klingenberg, and Nick Valentine will face teams from nine other countries as they go after team and individual medals. They will be led by Chef d’Equipe Jeff Petska. The U.S. Reining Team (Bryn Wells) Heikes (Scottsdale, Ariz.) is no stranger to FEI level competition and will help...

Shane Sweetnam and Cobolt (Lauren Baker/Phelps Media Group) Lexington, Ky. - After winning the $50,000 Rood & Riddle Kentucky Grand Prix last Saturday, Shane Sweetnam and the Blue Buckle Group LLC's Cobolt returned one week later to pick up another victory under the lights, this time in the $50,000 Kentucky Summer Grand Prix, sponsored by GGT Footings. Forty-seven horse-and-rider combinations attempted Marina Azevedo's first-round track, with only four eventually advancing to the...

Exploding wine bottle, flooding hotel, horse inspection, surprise substitutions, interesting team running orders, lost & found luggage, and a Brazilian party in the Maracanã Stadium. Quite a couple of days. So where to start; perhaps with the job in hand. All the U.S. horses looked fit, well and beautifully turned out by the grooms and the horse inspection went without a hitch for the U.S. Running order declared (Boyd, Clark, Lauren & Philip) and the dressage horses having been...

Laura Chapot and Quointreau Un Prince on their way to a $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix win. (ESI Photography) Saugerties, N.Y. - A big day of elite competition commenced with Friday’s $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix. An accomplished field of forty-five tested the course set by Mark McGowan of Kilmarnock, Great Britain, but only one could take home the blue ribbon. There is no slowing down when the Chapot’s are in town. Rider, Laura Chapot, and her mother and trainer, Mary Chapot, have been...