Lexington, KY – Somehow Sapphire keeps getting better. Already the owner of two Olympic Team Gold medals from 2004 and 2008 with rider McLain Ward, the 14-year-old Belgian mare continues to add Sapphire and McLain Ward (Anthony Trollope/stockimageservices.com ) accolades to her sparkling resume across the globe. This time it was the CN International at the Spruce Meadows Masters. One of the most prestigious (and richest – worth $1m CAD) Grand Prixes on the planet, Sapphire and Ward...

Ravel and Steffen Peters (Amy McCool) San Juan Capistrano, CA – Overnight leader Steffen Peters returned to the Oaks Blenheim ring with Ravel in the USEF National Grand Prix Dressage Championship and the USEF Selection Trial for Dressage, and made it quite clear that he was not going to relinquish his lead. Owned by Akiko Yamazaki, Ravel, a 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding took some of the much more experienced horses to task and never looked in danger of making a mistake. The elegant...

Lexington, KY ­ – Following the completion of the USEF Selection Trials for Show Jumping in Wellington, FL, the United States Equestrian Federation's Ad Hoc Committee on Selection has approved naming the following ten horse/rider combinations to the Show Jumping Short List for the 2008 Olympic Games in Hong Kong August 8-24, 2008. As per the Selection Procedures, the top 6 horse/rider combinations are named according to their Final Ranking in the Selection Trials. The remaining...

The Event at Rebecca Farm put on an all around world-class competition the weekend of July 21-23, including a United States Eventing Association (USEA) Spalding Labs Young Event Horse Series division. Held in Kalispell, MT, the beautiful mountains towering in the distance made a fantastic backdrop for the event...but were viewed through shimmering heat waves as temperatures soared up to and over 100 degrees throughout the weekend. With the highest total score of the weekend, Landioso (Legendaer...

The Horse Park at Woodside in Menlo Park, CA, will mark its 25th anniversary in August as a venue for the sport of three-day eventing with the reopening of its most challenging cross-country jumping course and a reception/fundraiser. The August 11-13 Event at Woodside Summer is the first Horse Park event in a half decade to offer an advanced division; this level of three-day competition requires that horses jump obstacles up to four feet tall and six feet wide on a winding, and often hilly,...

David Stephenson/Lexington Herald-Leader (Belle Owen and Show Biz Time waited to take to the show ring in the three-gaited junior exhibitor 14 and under class during the first night of the 70th Annual Lexington Junior League Horse Show.) The Junior League of Lexington is celebrating it's 70th annual Lexington Junior League Horse Show, which runs July 10-15, 2006, at the Red Mile Race Track in Lexington, KY. The Lexington Junior League Horse Show is the first leg of the American Saddlebred...

Chris Kappler of the United States opened the CSI-W Blainville Jumping International with a win on Wednesday, July 5. The international show jumping competition runs from July 5-9 at the Blainville Equestrian Park in Blainville, Quebec. Despite some wet footing in the grass grand prix field, 18 horse-and-rider combinations took advantage of the opportunity to jump the track set by one of the most revered course designers in the world, Conrad Homfeld. Both Kappler and Homfeld are Olympic Team...

How to increase funding for equine research was the primary focus of a collaborative equine research summit held in Lexington, KY, April 19-20. Hosted by the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) Foundation, Inc., over 35 leading researchers, industry leaders and funding agencies gathered to develop a blueprint for future success in the equine research field. While the amount of money dedicated to equine research by the racing industry, private foundations, universities and...

Cara Cheska of Waukesha, WI, and her 11-year-old mare My Fair Lady bested a field of 18 to take home the blue ribbon and winner’s check in the $40,000 Country Heir II Grand Prix sponsored by Skara Glen Stables. Three went clear in the first round, which turned out to be more difficult than originally expected. Course designer Pierre Joliceur set a track of 16 efforts that included three double combinations, a liverpool and the open water. Besides Cheska, Angela Moore riding Claus for Stealaway...

The Colorado Horse Park announced that Olympic Gold medalist and president of the United States Equestrian Federation® David O’ Connor has signed on as course designer for the Park’s three-day events and horse trials. O’Connor brings a lifetime of knowledge of eventing and horsemanship to this position. In addition, his persona as the head of national governing body for equestrian sports adds luster to his skills and talents. “We are extremely fortunate to have David O’Connor join the Colorado...