Since my last correspondence, we have experienced many fabulous events here in Conty! The opening ceremonies certainly did not disappoint anyone as several breeds were displayed. There were two Spanish riding horses moving in unison with music and a lovely, young French woman working at liberty with a single horse. A lively ensemble of horns and drums kept the crowd in beat and alert during much of the presentation. We were even treated to a woman and her border collie herding a flock of geese,...

Lene Bruheim and Anyway won the 1,500 NAL/WIHS Children's Jumper Classic and the High Children's Jumper Championship at the Vermont Summer Festival (David Mullinix Photography). Manchester, VT - Lene Bruheim had great success this past weekend while competing for her family's Nordic Lights Farm at the prestigious Vermont Summer Festival in Manchester, VT. The talented junior rider recently purchased a new jumper mount, and the duo has already formed a great partnership. After earning...

Lexington, KY - After claiming the first and second place honors in the $25,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic at the Kentucky Summer Horse Show, McLain Ward has taken over the lead in the 2011 Hagyard Challenge Series. The talented rider completed double clear rounds aboard Pjotter Van De Zonnehoeve and Vocas to earn valuable points towards the $45,000 Leading Rider Bonus. Ian Millar of Canada has moved into the second place position, having piloted Instyle and Star Power to fourth and fifth place...

Combined Driver Chester Weber, America’s reigning four-in-hand driving champion, shows his winning form in the Four-In-Hand competition at the Riesenbeck CAI. (Photo courtesy of My Elisabeth Weber). Riesenbeck, Germany – If you are superstitious you might credit combined driving champion Chester Weber’s fourth winning weekend in Europe to his team’s “four lucky rabbit’s feet.” Team Weber’s companion mascot, a hefty black rabbit named Kainzi, joined them...

Lexington, KY- The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) will be represented by five show jumpers at the CSIO Rotterdam, which runs August 24-28, 2011 in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Please click on any athlete or team name for more information about them. The following horse/rider combinations have been named in ranked order to represent the U.S. Beezie Madden and Coral Reef Via Volo (13-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare owned by Coral Reef Ranch) Laura Kraut and Cedric (13-year-old...

Calgary, Alberta, Canada - Although the International ring at Spruce Meadows was far from dry, 26 internationally ranked riders braved the downpour to compete for the title of Champion of the TransCanada Parcours de Chasse. Through the rain, spectators watched and cheered as such riders as Richard Spooner, McLain Ward, Rich Fellers and Mario Deslauriers jumped the 700m course. They tackled obstacles such as the table top, and the south bank, which is precarious when wet. When all was said and...

Thermal, CA - February 8, 2011 - Rich Fellers of Wilsonville, OR, put an exclamation point on Desert Circuit II when he rode Harry and Mollie Chapman's McGuinness to the blue ribbon in Sunday's $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, at the HITS Desert Horse Park in Thermal, CA. Winning Sunday's feature class was icing on the cake for Fellers who, less than 24 hours earlier, captured Saturday night’s $50,000 Strongid C 2X CSI-W Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal...

Hayley Barnhill and Podest, 2010 ASPCA Maclay National Championships (Photo Credit: Rebecca Walton/PMG.) Syracuse, NY - November 7, 2010 - Today marked the final day of competition at the 2010 Syracuse Invitational Sporthorse Tournament featuring the 127th National Horse Show. The highlight event at the Oncenter Complex in Syracuse, NY, was the 2010 ASPCA Maclay National Championships. Riders worked all year to qualify for this event and after three phases of competition and it was 17-year-old...

Lexington, KY - The University of California Davis Extension and the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) have teamed up to develop an online continuing education program in Equine Event Management that will premiere on January 18, 2011. The first of its kind, this specialized studies program brings together UC Davis' expertise in distance education and the expertise of USEF, the National Governing Body for Equestrian Sport in the United States. The inaugural course, "Competition...

Eirin Bruheim and Cicero 75 represented Zone 7 at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show (Al Cook Photo) Harrisburg, PA - Junior rider Eirin Bruheim of Nordic Lights Farm traveled all the way from Texas this past weekend to compete at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show with her talented mount Cicero 75. The pair showed in the Junior Jumper Prix des States event representing Zone 7 and helped their team garner the fifth place prize. Bruheim began the Junior Jumper Prix des States competition...