Overall Grand Champion Small Affair and Overall Reserve Grand Champion Illusion, both ridden by Olivia Esse, at the 2012 US Junior Hunter Championship West (Captured Moment Photography) Lexington, KY - For the eleventh consecutive year champions were crowned at the US Junior Hunter Championship, utilizing a three round format. On July 23-24, competitors contested the West Coast portion of the championship at the Del Mar Horsepark in Del Mar, CA. With competition for the East Coast held in...

The sixth in a series of guest blog posts from Michelle Binder When on a horse, I wear a riding helmet. My students wear riding helmets. I ride and show western and dressage. The helmet/hat quandary, style vs. safety, the tradition or common sense conversation is therefore a subject near and dear to my heart. On March 22, 2012, I went into the hay barn to get a bale of hay to feed lunch in the barn. To make a long story short, despite my usual care in tipping bales, as I turned to leave the...

Junior Individual Dressage medalists from L to R: Ariel Thomas (Reg 7) - Silver, Ayden Uhlir (Reg 9) - Gold, Laurence Blais Tetreault (Quebec, CAN) - Bronze, and the high score dressage rider of the day, Nicolas Torres Rodriguez representing Colombia. (Susan J. Stickle) Lexington, KY - It was a full day of equestrian sport at the 2012 Adequan/FEI North American Junior & Young Rider Championships presented by Gotham North (NAJYRC), and four podium presentations crowned this year's...

Kerra Goldstein and Krystall won the Hunter Championship at the Brass Ring Horse Show. (Rebecca Walton/PMG) Devon, PA - Blue skies welcomed the Pennsylvania natives as they took center stage at the Brass Ring Horse Show, a local competition included with the Brandywine Valley Summer Series, presented by Taylor Harris Insurance Services. Riders from the surrounding area gathered for a chance to compete at the prestigious Devon Horse Show Grounds. The equitation competitors were the first to be...

Louise Serio and Corvine won the $5,000 Get Real Get RAW USHJA National Hunter Derby at the Brandywine Valley Summer Series (Rebecca Walton/PMG) Devon, PA - For the second time this year, Louise Serio piloted the five-year-old gelding Corvine to a National Hunter Derby victory. During their first derby at the Kentucky Spring Horse Show, Serio and Corvine held the leading score from start to finish, and during the Brandywine Valley Summer Series' $5,000 Get Real Get RAW USHJA National Hunter...

Lindsay Mutschler and Fielding won the Amateur-Owner Hunter Championship at the Brandywine Valley Summer Series. (AnLi Kelly-Durham/PMG) Devon, PA - As the Brandywine Valley Summer Series presented by Taylor Harris Insurance Services (THIS), rolled into its tenth day of the heat wave, the Amateur-Owner Hunters attempted to beat the hot weather early this morning. Taking center ring for the day's first presentation was Lindsay Mutschler and Fielding, earning the Amateur-Owner Hunter...

The fourth in a series of guest blog posts from Michelle Binder Every day I head out to the barn to work. Like other trainers, I work outside in temperatures from 0 to 100 7 days a week, almost 365 days a year, from dawn till dark and sometimes longer. As a professional trainer and riding instructor I am called on to muck stalls, fix fence, buck hay, dump grain, rake footing, fill water buckets, sweep the aisle, clean tack, change bandages, medicate, lead beginners, longe riders, heft children...

The pros were at it again for the first day of the 2012 Spruce Meadows ‘Canada One’ Tournament, with half a million dollars in prize money on the line though Sunday. The day started off well for Kent Farrington (USA). After going up against 46 horse/rider combinations in the 1.50 meter Cargill Cup, designed by Anthony D’Ambrosio Farrington emerged victorious. Nobody could catch the time set by Farrington and his 10 year old Dutch Warmblood mare, Venus. This is...

Lillie Keenan and Veronique win High Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumpers at Brandywine Valley Summer Series (AnLi Kelly-Durham/PMG) Devon, PA - Wednesday afternoon at the Brandywine Valley Summer Series horse shows presented by Taylor Harris Insurance Services (THIS), the Junior/Amateur Owner Jumpers and the NAL/WIHS Child/Adult Jumper Classic were showcased in the Dixon Oval. Course designer Kenny Krome's challenging jumper tracks asked many questions of today's competitiors. Lillie Keenan...

Lexington,KY - The fourth and final USEF Observation Event for the 2012 US Show Jumping Team highlights this week's schedule at Spruce Meadows in Calgary. Eleven riders from the USEF Show Jumping Long List have one more chance to prove their mettle as they vie for a spot on the 2012 Olympic Team. Thursday's Husky Energy Classic serves as the first of the two classes designated by the USEF for observation, and the second is Saturday's CN Performance Grand Prix. Both classes are held...