Indio, CA – With only two World Cup qualifiers left for the West Coast League, Nicole Simpson stakes a new claim in the top spot, positioning herself 15 points ahead of second ranked rider Joie Gatlin. Simpson now boasts an impressive 81 points to Gatlin’s 66. Last week’s first-ranked Richard Spooner is in third place following this latest qualifier, with 65 points. These top contenders are among nearly 30 West Coast riders vying for the three World Cup spots the League is...

Lexington, KY -The qualification period for the 2008 Markel/USEF Young Horse Dressage Program and for the 2008 USEF National Developing Horse Dressage Championship (sponsored by the Dutta Corporation and Performance Sales International) begins on January 1, 2008. In a new qualification format for these programs, only designated “qualifying competitions” held during the qualification period runs from January 1-August 15, 2008, may be used to obtain scores towards selection trials and national...

Ocala, FL - What do you get when you mix beautiful weather, talented horsemen, first-class facilities, exciting events and fabulous prize money? The answer is simple: HITS Ocala. The Ocala Winter Festival marked the second AA rated week of show jumping in the 'Sunshine State'. The two Grand Prix and weekly Devoucoux Hunter Prix saw record-breaking entries this week. In Thursday's $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, Kent Farrington of Chicago, IL, emerged as the...

The FEI World Cup™ Dressage for Young Riders is an incredible competitive opportunity for the world’s future dressage stars. The FEI World Cup™ for Young Riders will take place in Frankfurt, Germany, in December 2007 (exact dates to be determined). The United States will receive an invitation for one representative. Riders may earn qualifying freestyle scores in U.S. CDI-Y competitions, and scores are automatically tracked and rankings are maintained by USEF. For more information and to view...

Annville, Pa. - Summer is heating up and riders in the North American League (NAL) are gaining points that will take them to the top of the standings. The NAL qualifying season runs from September 1 through August 31. NAL qualifying classes are open to all competitors but only current members are awarded points. By joining the NAL, riders can accumulate the points necessary to make it to the National Finals at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show in Harrisburg, PA, October 13-22, and the West...

Colorado Springs, CO - The U.S. Olympic Committee announced water polo player Lauren Wenger and Paralympic archer Jeff Fabry as its June Athletes of the Month, while the USA Women's Senior National Water Polo Team was awarded Team of the Month honors. The U.S. show jumping team took a third-place finish in this month's Team of the Month category. Finishing second for June Team of the Month was Devin Britton and Jordan Cox, who are two of the most promising American junior tennis players. The...

Commandingly leading the 2008 International Jumper Futurity Listings, Reno (Riverman x Caretino) has offspring putting in top performances across the country. His American-bred son, Zero Point (Hilltop Reno x Galoubet A) has certainly been racking up the points during the competition season with his top-place finish in the USEF Five-Year-Old Jumper Horse of the Year division. Bred by Candy Tripple and owned by Matt Yeterian, Zero Point had numerous competitions last season with his rider Maggie...

Simi Valley, CA —Making a name for herself among the top riders at the 2004 FEI Children’s International Jumping Final, Jennifer Stillman of Beverly Hills, CA, rode Masterpiece’s Montero (Bay Hanoverian gelding) to a second place finish at the Final competition November 28, giving champion Daniel Bluman of Columbia a real run for the title. "At first, my goal was just to go clean and when it came down to the final, I knew I had to go out there and I had to do good," says the...

Two-time Olympic Gold Medalist McLain Ward captures his fourth victory of the season at HITS-on-the-Hudson in Friday's $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, aboard Grant Road Partners' Antares F (ESI Photography). Saugerties, NY — For the fourth time this year, McLain Ward led the victory gallop in the Strongid® C 2X Stadium beating out 51 starters to take home the blue in Friday’s $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer...

If you like to keep up with equestrian competitions, you’ve been born into a great time. It has never been easier to stay connected to your favorite atheletes and disciplines. There are plenty of good ways to go about it, but I am going to briefly explain why twitter has become my favroite way to keep up with the equestrian action nationally, and internationally. Finding results and watching live events is part of my job, but I need to discover new sources all the time. Of all the avenues...