The first day of dressage began on Thursday for the FEI World Team and Individual Eventing Championship at the Le Pin National Stud in Le Pin-au-Haras, France. The Ground Jury made up of Gillian Rolton (AUS), James Alain (FRA), and Ernst Topp (GER) saw 46 combinations perform their dressage tests, three of whom were representing the U.S. Phillip Dutton and Trading Aces had the best score of the day for the Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team, with Buck Davidson and Ballynoe Castle RM and Sinead...

Darragh Kenny rode Gatsby to victory in the $10,000 Open Jumper class on Wednesday at the Hampton Classic (ESI photo) Birdgehampton, N.Y. - With a victory in the $10,000 Open Jumper class, Irish rider Darragh Kenny, who lives in Ocala, FL, led an Irish sweep in the Grand Prix Ring at the Hampton Classic. On Gatsby, his jump-off time of 36.629 seconds nipped Shane Sweetnam on Cyklon 1083 (37.45) and Sweetnam again on Buzonder (38.38). The 39th annual Hampton Classic Horse Show runs Aug. 24-31,...

The United States kicked off the Para-Dressage Championship at the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games with impressive efforts on Monday in the Grade III and Grade 1b Team Tests at the La Prairie Racecourse. Annie Peavy got the day started for the U.S. in Grade III competition under grey, drizzly skies during the morning session, while Sydney Collier closed out the rain soaked day with her Grade 1b Test. Collier (Ann Arbor, Mich.) and Victoria Dugan’s Willi Wesley were the first team...

The Adequan U.S. Reining Squad got competition underway at the Caen Exhibition Center with the first half of the 82 horse-and-athlete combinations completing FEI Pattern Six in the Team Championship and First Individual Qualifier. After strong performances on Monday from all three American athletes, the U.S. has high hopes to defend their Team Gold and Individual Gold and Silver medal performances from the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Lexington, Ky. Riding as an Individual, Troy...

Manuel Torres and Cinderella top the $40,000 HITS Grand Prix presented by Zoetis (©ESI Photography) Culpeper, Va. - The clock didn’t strike midnight on Cinderella and Manuel Torres at HITS Culpeper this weekend. The eight-year old Westphalian mare carried Torres (Leesburg, Virginia) to top honors in the $40,000 Grand Prix presented by Zoetis. With only a handful of grand prix in her repertoire, Cinderella picked up her second high-performance blue on Sunday. “She’s peaking...

The winning U.S. team in Dublin (Laurence Dunne/Rockmountainstudios) Lexington, Ky. - The full spectrum of the Hermès U.S. Show Jumping Team’s talent was on display Friday as mixture of veterans and young stars claimed the third CSIO5* Nations Cup victory for the U.S. in one week at CSIO5* Dublin, while a group of rising talents gained valuable experience at CSIO3* Bratislava. CSIO5* Dublin Four members of the Hermès U.S. Show Jumping Short List for the 2014 Alltech FEI...

Beezie Madden and Cortes 'C' (Jon Stroud Media for Shannon Brinkman Photography) Hickstead, United Kingdom - Beezie Madden added another coveted title to her extensive resume on Sunday when she rode Abigail Wexner’s Cortes ‘C’ to victory in the The Longines King George V Gold Cup at CSIO5* Hickstead. In doing so she also made history as the first women ever to win the prestigious Grand Prix. Madden (Cazenovia, N.Y.) and the 12-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding were one of 14...

Kevin Babington and Shorapur jump to a win in Friday’s $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix (ESI Photography) Saugerties, N.Y. - When Kevin Babington first laid eyes on Shorapur he knew there was something special about the mare. Despite being told she was too hot for his liking, he had to try her. That first ride was a year and a half ago. Yet, Friday they won the $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix presented by Zoetis as if they'd been together forever. “I was like a kid in a candy store the first...

Juan Pablo Gaspar and Puetras So What (Rebecca Walton/Phelps Media Group) Lexington, Ky. - The South American contingent has had a strong showing during the Kentucky Summer Horse Show, and Sunday was no exception. Mexico's Juan Pablo Gaspar proved that speed is the name of the game when he took home top honors in the $7,500 Show Jumping Hall of Fame Junior Jumper Classic, sponsored by Sleepy P Ranch. Gaspar and his new mount Puetras So What were faultless over the jump-off track with a two...

McLain Ward and HH Ashley were the top pair in Friday’s $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix presented by Zoetis at HITS Saugerties (ESI Photography) Saugerties, N.Y. - McLain Ward was wearing his poker face Friday at HITS Saugerties and gambled his way to win the $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix presented by Zoetis on new mount, HH Ashley. Second to go in a five-horse jump-off, Ward chased down speedster Todd Minikus of Loxahatchee, Florida, who posted an immediate Great American Time to Beat at 37.15...