The eleventh in a series of guest blog posts from Michelle Binder If I go to a restaurant and order lemonade, I do not expect to receive a glass of ice water with a lemon wedge on the rim of the glass. When I am thinking about what western dressage is to me, I envision a discipline as fully flavored as that glass of lemonade. In fact, my vision for the future of western dressage as an independent and unique equestrian discipline may be more like strawberry lemonade! As a dressage instructor and...

Kent Farrington and Voyeur, winners of the $250,000 FTI Grand Prix at the Hampton Classic Horse Show. (Shawn McMillen) Bridgehampton, NY - Kent Farrington set the pace as the first rider to go in the decisive jump-off for the $250,000 FTI Grand Prix at the 37th Annual Hampton Classic Horse Show, and it was a pace his two competitors couldn’t match. Riding Voyeur, Farrington, of Chicago, Ill., was the first starter in the jump-off, and they kept all eight jumps standing as they sped to a...

Breda, The Netherlands - With the cones phase complete the FEI World Para-Equestrian Driving Championships for Singles has come to a close at the Outdoor Brabant. There was little movement in the standings for the U.S. team or individuals, but it was a good experience for America's top para-equestrian drivers. Once again leading the U.S. squad was Diane Kastama (Arroyo Grande, CA). She picked up 12 penalty points and 0 time faults to finish with 12 on cones and a total score of 171.55....

Scott Stewart riding Enjoy, one of the horses that helped him earn the Leading Hunter Rider title at the Hampton Classic Horse Show. (Shawn McMillen) Bridgehampton, NY - Scott Stewart, of Wellington Fla., was the Leading Hunter Rider of the 37th Annual Hampton Classic Horse Show, winning three hunter championships. He was presented with the Charlie Weaver Memorial Trophy for the second consecutive year and for the sixth time in his career. “This means a lot to me,” said Stewart....

Stamford, UK - The Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team showed that the future is bright claiming two spots within the top ten at The Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials. Sunday proved to be an influential day of Show Jumping as the leaderboard saw a huge shake-up from top to bottom. Sinead Halpin and Allison Springer put a summer’s worth of training in England, thanks to Land Rover Competition and Training Grants, to the test producing classy efforts throughout the week to claim second and sixth...

Breda, The Netherlands - Para-equestrian drivers took on the marathon course at the Outdoor Brabant Saturday morning and moved one step closer to team and individual World Para Equestrian Driving Championships for Singles titles. U.S. individuals have not cracked the top ten, but the team is in fourth place heading into the cones phase on Sunday. Diane Kastama (Arroyo Grande, CA) drove the de Ronde's KWPN Ruby R Van Stalle De Maurik to a 13th place finish in the Marathon. Her 102.15 point...

Sinead Halpin and Manoir De Carneville (Shannon Brinkman) Stamford, England - On a day when quick clear rounds were at a premium, Sinead Halpin (Oldwick, NJ) proved that she is amongst the best in the sport as she maintained her dressage lead at The Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials. Halpin is competing at the historic event on a Land Rover Training and Competition Grant and has spent the summer honing her skills in England as part of the program. Captain Mark Phillip’s demanding cross...

After a clear cross country round at the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials Sinead Halpin maintains her lead and will enter Sunday's Jumping phase with the overall lead. Riding Carraig, LLC's Manoir De Carneville, Halpin has a chance to be the first American to win at Burghley since 1993. Interview by Kate Justice

Bridgehampton, NY - McLain Ward is hard to beat at the Hampton Classic Horse Show. On Friday afternoon Ward rode Pjotter Van De Zonnehoeve to victory in the $50,000 Spy Coast Farm/Young Horse Show Series Grand Prix Qualifier, and he grabbed third place on Antares F. As the third rider to start in the 13-horse jump-off, Ward, on Antares F, stopped the timers just 0.02 seconds short of the mark Kent Farrington had set right before him on Venus (42.26 seconds). Four more riders tried and failed to...

Sinead Halpin and Manoir de Carneville sit in first place with a score of 36.3. (StockImageServices.com) Stamford, England - The U.S. riders made a bold statement after the first two days of dressage at The Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials slotting three riders into the top 15. The three Land Rover Competition and Training Grant recipients who have spent the summer training and competing in England produced top tier results in the first phase. Sinead Halpin (Oldwick, NJ) and Allison Springer...