The second in a series of guest blog posts from Michelle Binder I started formal riding lessons when I was four years old. English riding lessons. The doctors told my mom it would be good for me. It was 1969. The Academy where I learned is now a national historic landmark. By the time I was 6, I was riding with double reins. My introduction to western riding came when my parents purchased a POA stallion for me the summer of my sixth year. That pony could buck my dad off! ‘Nuff said. When...

Major equestrian competitions attended by U.S. athletes, both domestic and overseas, are listed in this weekly preview. Please look below to find competition listings by discipline* and breed. We hope you will follow the competitions that most interest you, but check Equestrian Weekly on Monday for a report of any top finishes by U.S. Equestrians. *lists of competitions in all international disciplines will include only FEI competitions or USEF Championships within the USA and international FEI...

Lauren Barwick (CAN) and Off To Paris Champion High Point Rider at HDS CPEDI3* (Photo by Lindsay Y. McCall) Katy, TX - April 29, 2012 - The final day of the Houston Dressage Society (HDS) Spring Classic I & II CPEDI3* concluded with the Freestyle Test competition and presentation of the Para-Equestrian accolades. The HDS Spring Classic I & II CPEDI3* was sponsored by The COR Group and ran concurrently with the CDI3* and CDI1* sponsored by the North Texas Equestrian Center. Over three...

Chef d'Equipe Missy Ransehousen, Dale Dedrick, MD, Rebecca Hart, Mary Jordan, Jonathan Wentz, and coach Kai Handt, USA Team that earned the needed first place over Canada in Wellington, Florida January 2012 (Lindsay McCall) Lexington, KY - Coming off of a strong performance at the recent Wellington Classic Sunshine Challenge CPEDI3* Team Qualifier for the Paralympics in Wellington, FL USA's Para-Dressage team has earned a spot at the 2012 Paralympic Games in London. "It's very...

Wellington, FL - The World Dressage Masters Palm Beach presented by International Polo Club Palm Beach got off to an auspicious start on Thursday, when all 15 horses presented at the FEI horse inspection were accepted as fit and ready to compete in the WDM Palm Beach CDI5*, which will begin with the Grand Prix test at 2 pm on Friday at the Jim Brandon Equestrian Centre. The World Dressage Masters presented by Axel Johnson Group is the world's richest and most prestigious dressage series,...

Shane Sweetnam and Little Emir. ManciniPhotos. Wellington, FL - Irish rider Shane Sweetnam and Spy Coast Farm LLC's Little Emir galloped to victory in the $31,000 G&C Farm 1.45m FEI ranking class on Friday at Equestrian Sport Production's Holiday and Horses event. The pair stopped the clock in 42.90 seconds to edge out Katie Dinan and Grant Road Partner's Nougat Du Vallet, who were the only other combination to make it to the jump-off. Dinan and Nougat Du Vallet finished second...

Dublin, Ireland - The U.S. show jumpers dominated the final day of the Royal Dublin Horse Show by picking up three wins. Highlighted by Lauren Hough's major score in the Longines International Grand Prix of Ireland with Quick Study, the U.S. rebounded from a fifth place FEI Nations Cup finish on Friday with a trifecta of success. Hough dominated the star-studded field of 40, and she was one of only two riders to jump two clear rounds. Her second round time was three seconds faster than...

Eventing Will Faudree and DHI Colour Candy. Photo by stockimageservices.com. In preparation of the London 2012 Olympic Games, the CIC2* Greenwich Park Eventing Invitational was held as the London Test Event. Piggy French of Great Britain lead from start to finish with DHI Topper W, finishing on her dressage score of 34.70 in front of the stunning backdrop of Greenwich Park. Michael Jung of Germany and River of Joy came in second, while Pippa Funnell of Great Britain and Billy Shannon...

Wellington, FL - The results of Round 1 of America's Favorite Equestrian are in. Six equestrians in each of the eight disciplines that participated in the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games have moved onto Round 2. America's Favorite Equestrians Round 2 : Dressage : Todd Flettrich, Courtney King-Dye, Debbie McDonald, Leslie Morse, Steffen Peters, Guenter Seidel Driving : Tucker Johnson, Fred Merriam, Lisa Singer, Suzy Stafford, Rochelle Temple, Chester Weber Endurance : Garrett Ford, Becky...

Katie Prudent, pictured here on Sassacaia III, bids to become the first four-time winner of the Amer (Kenneth Kraus/PhelpsSports.) Tampa, Fl - With this year's edition of the $200,000 Gene Mische American Invitational presented by G & C Farms just over a week away, the line-up for the Saturday night showdown is all set, and this year's roster of riders is one of the best in the 38-year history of this long running Tampa tradition. Ten Olympic veterans will go head to head at the 'Super Bowl of...