Courtesy of Karina Benish (Karina and Hawkeye) He was the ugliest male I had ever seen in my life. He had a bloody wound on his nose, hair six inches long on his chest, and he weighed about 700-800 pounds—400 shy of his best weight. His name was Hawkeye, and he was my partner for more than 14 years. Hawkeye was a mustang horse, and it was he who taught me what it is to trust. Horses, in my opinion, given good care and a little attention, are high up in Maslow’s hierarchy. Since...

Gotham North FEI North American Youth Jumping Championships, presented by USHJA, saw its third day of competition in Traverse City, Michigan Friday, August 13. Junior and Young Rider athletes took to their second day of team competition as they battled it out for their shot at the top of the podium. The United States’ Zone 4, led by Chef d’Equipe Kim Land, continued to rack up the gold medals, as they topped both the $35,000 Junior Team Final, presented by Grand Traverse Resort and...

Mill Spring, N.C. - Adrienne Sternlicht competed in hunters and jumpers as a child but became seriously focused on a competitive riding career during her college years at Brown University. Her passion and talent for jumping have taken her to the top echelon of equestrian sport, but she’s also an athlete outside the riding arena and has competed in several other sports, including skiing and squash. Sternlicht graduated from Brown in 2016 with a degree in public policy. The same year, she...

Derek di Grazia’s courses are known for being challenging but fair and safe. (Mike McNally Photo) Derek di Grazia knows what it’s like to ride—and win—the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by Land Rover: he won it in 1985 on Sasquatch, a Thoroughbred/Appaloosa cross. These days, as the Rolex Kentucky event’s cross-country course designer, di Grazia is the man asking the questions of the four-star horses and riders galloping over the Kentucky Horse...

Kent Farrington and Blue Angel (Sportfot) Wellington, Fla. - For the second year in a row, Kent Farrington (USA) and Robin Parsky's Blue Angel emerged victorious in the $85,000 Salamander Hotels & Resorts Grand Prix CSI 3* during week six at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, FL. Farrington and Blue Angel topped a nine-horse jump-off to defend their title, with Harrie Smolders (NED) and Don VHP Z second, and Ben Maher (GBR) aboard Valinski S third. Under the lights of the...

Kyle King and Quigley (Spruce Meadows Media Service) Calgary, Alberta - In the largest starting field in memory for the ATCO Electric 'Circuit' Six Bar competition, 23 horses and riders attempted one of the most popular events at the Spruce Meadows 'Masters'. Excelling through five rounds of competition, the final two riders settled for a tie for first place when both had a refusal at the final jump in a row, an imposing vertical standing at 2.14m, which would have been a...

Reining Young Rider Individual medalists: Jonathan Stepka (USA) - Bronze; Madison Steed (CAN) - Gold; Jamie Erickson (USA) - Silver (Waltenberry) Lexington, KY - The 2013 SmartPak Reining Championships concluded Saturday in the Alltech Arena at the Kentucky Horse Park with two high-scoring rounds of high-level reining. For the Young Riders, it was the scorching hot score of 219 from Canada’s Madison Steed to secure the Gold medal showing Jumpin Jac Trash (2007 AQHA Gelding). Steed, a...

Nick Skelton and Big Star. (Photo by Sportfot©.) Wellington, FL - Week 10 of the 2011 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) concluded with two great events at The Stadium, the grass field venue at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. Nick Skelton (GBR) and Big Star, owned by Beverly and Gary Widdowson, notched another big win this circuit by taking the top prize in the $78,000 Pennfield Feeds Grand Prix, CSI 2*. The FTI Winter Equestrian Festival's feature event, the $500,000 FTI...

Ben Maher and Oscar. (Photo by Sportfot©.) Wellington, FL - February 9, 2011 - Ben Maher (GBR) scored a win this morning in the $8,000 G&C Farm 1.45m Jumpers on the opening day of week 5 of the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival. Maher and Oscar put down a winning time of 60.806 seconds for the win over Peter Wylde (USA) on Lipton De L'Othain (62.987 seconds) and McLain Ward (USA) on Domino (64.050 seconds). The FTI Winter Equestrian Festival's fifth week of competition continues through Sunday,...

Shannon Brinkman (McLain Ward and Sapphire.) Lexington, KY - The top 30 horse-and-rider combinations going for the Gold medal in the World Jumping Championship presented by Rolex at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games battled it out in the Rolex Arena at the Kentucky Horse Park on Friday night in a two-round competition. The U.S. Team was represented by the world-class grand prix duo and two-time Olympic Gold medalists McLain Ward and Sapphire who have had an exceptional year in 2010....