Stephanie Sedlacko and Jennifer Alfano rode to the first place finish in the American Saddlebred Hunter Challenge (Brooke Jacobs) Lexington, Ky. - It's not every day that you see riders compete over their first hunter course during a national championship, but when four world champion American Saddlebred trainers take the reins of a hunter and grand prix and professional hunter riders take the reins of an American Saddlebred, it makes for a night of fun and excitement. It was a...

Kelley Farmer and Quotable (Phelps Media Group, Inc. International) Lexington, Ky. - The Kentucky Horse Park hosts numerous, top-of-the-line horse shows throughout the year, but only once a year is the Alltech Arena transformed into the beautiful home of the prestigious Alltech National Horse Show. The final destination on the indoor horse show circuit, the Alltech National Horse Show welcomes the nation's top hunter and jumper riders. Among them are Kelley Farmer and Scott Stewart. Both...

Welcome to the fourth installment of a different kind of blog from WDAA! The purpose of this post is to allow the reader "into the heads" of both a trainer/judge/competitor, Karen Abbattista and her student, Deborah Herbert, a Florida WDAA member. We would like to share with you some moments in Deb's journey as she pursues her riding goals with her AQHA mare "GenuineArcticSpring", barn name "Belle". Please enjoy as you follow along with these posts that we consider interesting or...

Ali Tritschler and Dreamland rode to the top of the $5,000 NEHJA Pony Hunter Classic Finals leader board at the Fieldstone Summer Showcase II. (Kendall Bierer/Phelps Media Group) Halifax, MA - It was a bittersweet victory for pony ring veterans Ali Tritschler and Dreamland, as they claimed their final win in the $5,000 NEHJA Pony Hunter Classic Final Tuesday at the Fieldstone Show Park. Tritschler piloted Dreamland to the first place finish with two impressive rounds over fences. They nabbed...

Lexington, KY - The following horse-and-rider combinations have been named by the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) to represent the U.S. at the FEI World Endurance Championship for Juniors and Young Riders, July 27, 2013 in Tarbes, France. The five following combinations will represent the U.S. at the FEI World Endurance Championship for Juniors and Young Riders: Mary Kathryn Clark (Eatonton, GA) will ride Mustafa Tehrani's Chasing The Wind Chasing the Wind is a 2001 Arabian...

Kristen VanderVeen and Bull Run's Eternal (Carrie Wirth/Mary Adelaide Brakenridge Phelps Media Group) Parker, CO - Brazilian course designer Anderson Lima built what appeared to be a straightforward course for the $40,000 Holiday Inn of Parker Grand Prix for Summer in the Rockies V, considered the peak week of the summer series at the Colorado Horse Park. But the course was tougher than appearances let on. "I decided to do a more technical course than a really big course, which meant they had...

Canada’s Carly Morrison riding Duvel won the $10,000 SJHOF High Junior/Amateur-Owner Classic on Sunday (David Mullinix Photography) East Dorset, VT - Canada’s Carly Morrison and Connecticut’s Wendy Collins were the two big winners on Sunday, July 7, at the Vermont Summer Festival running July 2 through August 11 at Harold Beebe Farm in East Dorset, VT. Morrison took the win in the $10,000 SJHOF High Junior/Amateur-Owner Classic riding Duvel while Collins emerged victorious in the...

Jonathan Asselin and Showgirl (Spruce Meadows Media Services) Calgary, Alberta – The 'North American' Tournament finished today with two fantastic competitions in the International Ring. The highlight of the day was the $140,000 Cenovus Energy Classic Derby 1.60m, and Olympian Jonathan Asselin recorded a victory for Canada as the winner with Showgirl. In the $50,000 Akita Drilling Cup 1.50m, McLain Ward (USA) rode to victory with Cadence. The Spruce Meadows Summer Tournaments...

Matt Cyphert and Lochivar Parker, CO - Summer in the Rockies III kicked off Wednesday with exciting show jumping action in the Kathy and Brad Coors Family Grand Prix Arena. Highlights of the day included the 1.30m and 1.40m Open Jumpers and the Young Jumper Divisions. McLain Ward has called Alan Wade his favorite course designer in the whole world. And here at the Colorado Horse Park's Summer in the Rockies III, the jumper competitors got their first taste of the Irish course designer's...

Reed Kessler and Mika (Rebecca Walton for Phelps Media Group, Inc. International) Lexington, KY - The top horses and riders from across the country have returned to the Kentucky Horse Park this week for the start of the Kentucky Spring Horse Shows. The first day of competition kicked off with the Open Jumper divisions in the Rolex Stadium. Olympian Reed Kessler led the way in the 1.45m Open Jumper class aboard Mika with a double clear effort, while the victory in the 1.40m Open Jumper speed...