Lexington, KY- The driving championship season comes to a close this weekend, as competitors will vie for National Titles in pair horse and ponies divisions at the Kentucky Horse Park. Held in conjunction with the Kentucky Classic CDE, October 4-7, USEF National Champions will be crowned in Pairs, Single Pony, Pair Pony and Pony Team competition. Competition gets underway Thursday, with the vet check at 9am and the dressage phase beginning at 11:30am. On Saturday, all National Championship...

Los Angeles, CA - The 2012 Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Finals West kicked off at the Los Angeles International Jumping Festival at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center on September 20. The final consists of four phases: flat, gymnastics, jumping, and a work off. On Thursday, the thirty-three finalists competed in Phase 1 and were split into groups of five to six riders to compete on the flat. Riders were asked to demonstrate the usual flat movements, such as the counter...

Devon, PA - Laura Chapot, who has consistently won Open Jumper Leading Rider titles and Open Jumper Championships at the Devon Horse Show and Country Fair in early June, will be competing at the Devon Fall Classic, Sept. 13-16, in an attempt to win those titles at the end of the summer as well as in the beginning. But she will have plenty of tough competition, as a number of Olympic medalists, including Joe Fargis and Lisa Jacquin, are also competing at Devon. Chapot, of Neshanic Sation, N.J.,...

Bridgehampton, NY - Scott Stewart, of Wellington, Fla., won the Triple Crown Custom high performance hunter championship, along with two other hunter championships, on Tuesday and Wednesday at the 37th Annual Hampton Classic Horse Show. Stewart, 48, guided Garfield, 9, to the Triple Crown Custom high performance hunter championship, Dedication, 7, to the second year green hunter championship, and Enjoy, 6, to the first year green hunter championship. Garfield won all five of the...

Jonathan McCrea and Twisther (Tammy Hardy Photography) Hampton Falls, NH - The Jumper Classic , presented by Fidelity Investments and Audi of America, hosted their $12,000 Welcome Stake Thursday at the Silver Oak Equestrian Center. The winner of the $12,000 Welcome Stake was Jonathan McCrea of East Windsor, CT, on Twisther, owned by Candy Tribble and Windsor Show Stables. Located in the beautiful town of Hampton Falls, NH, The Jumper Classic is New England's premier equestrian event. This...

Greenwich, UK - Clear rounds were the order of the day in the First Individual Qualifier for Jumping in the main arena at Greenwich Park. Of the 75 starters in the Olympic Show Jumping Competition, 32 jumped clear rounds. Of those, two belonged to American riders Rich Fellers and McLain Ward. Reed Kessler added just one time fault at her first Olympic Games meaning the USA heads to the Team Competition with a strong start. Team Competition begins Sunday, August 5. Chef d'Equipe George...

Paige Johnson and Amagedon 3 won the High Amateur-Owner Jumpers at the Kentucky Summer Classic. (Kendall Bierer/PMG) Lexington, KY - August 3, 2012 - Although storm clouds hung sullenly over the Kentucky Horse Park this afternoon, the amateur and junior jumper riders were not deterred as they tackled their respective courses to vie for the top honors in the Rolex Stadium. Paige Johnson topped today's High Amateur-Owner Jumpers with Amagedon 3. Megan Nusz slid into the second place finish...

The seventh in a series of guest blog posts from Michelle Binder Before we learn to read we must learn the ABC’s. William Cavendish, Duke of Newcastle (1593-1676) suggested an analogy between the education of a child and horse trainers who made unrealistic demands on young horses. Centuries ago he asked, ‘I would fain ask such stupid people, whether, by beating a boy, they could teach him to read, without first showing him his alphabet?’1 Systematic progressive training is not...

Aaron Vale and Tibor won the $40,000 Kentucky Summer Grand Prix with a blazing speed, defeating Pablo Barrios for the winning title. (Kendall Bierer/PMG) Lexington KY - The Rolex Stadium was alive with excitement as 34 entrants competed in the $40,000 Kentucky Summer Grand Prix at the Kentucky Summer Horse Show. It turned into a nail-biter as five competitors progressed into the jump-off with a clear first round effort. Trailblazer Pablo Barrios aboard Zara Leandra was the first to post a...

Paige Johnson and Chiron S won the $25,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic at the Kentucky Summer Horse Show (Kendall Bierer/PMG) Lexington, KY - Thunderstorms plagued the Kentucky Horse Park as riders gathered beneath the lights of the Rolex Stadium to compete in the $25,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic at the Kentucky Summer Horse Show. Paige Johnson proved to be the best of the best, controlling the jump-off with one of only seven double-clear efforts aboard Chiron S to lead the victory gallop. Shane...