Margie Engle on Wapino (Ken Braddick/Phelps Media Group) Wellington, FL – The order of finish from day-to-day at the World Equestrian Games Selection Trials changes about as quickly as the weather has through the three trials, yet one thing remains the same…Margie Engle continues to shine. Currently Engle and Lauren Hough are tied for first place with five total faults while Engle is also a close second place with nine total faults on her second mount, Hidden Creek’s Wapino....

Alison Hartwell (Lauren Hough on Casadora) All Three Finish with One Time Fault Wellington, FL – The price of real estate in South Florida is among the most expensive in the nation, and the riders in today’s Trial #1 of the USEF Selection Trials for the FEI World Equestrian Games had to cover a lot of it in a time allowed of only 90 seconds. The distance of ground in the vast Internationale Arena in Wellington and the tight time for the challenging Leopoldo Palacios-designed course...

Gladstone, NJ – Riding through the chill, the rain and the mud of New Jersey’s wettest weekend in months, Julie Welles of West Simsbury, Connecticut, was awarded the Championship title at the 2005 USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Finals East on October 8-9, proving she not only had the stamina required to win the multi-phase Finals, but the skill and ingenuity to make her riding skills shine, despite the elements. “I had a positive outlook coming in. I went in and rode the best...

Suzy Stafford, first U.S. driver to take Individual Gold at FEI World Combined Pony Driving Championships (Jim Graham) Results from the 2005 FEI World Combined Pony Driving Championships Derbyshire, England – When Suzy Stafford set out to compete in the 2005 FEI World Combined Pony Driving Championships, she didn’t realize she was about to make history—as the first American driver ever to win an Individual Gold Medal at the World Championships. But the Bear, Delaware native...

Indio, CA – Richard Spooner, Joie Gatlin, and Nicole Simpson are one step closer to securing their spots as U.S. representatives from the West Coast League for the 2005 World Cup Finals in Las Vegas, April 20-24. Each separated by a mere point, Spooner stands at 63 qualifying points, Gatlin at 62, and Simpson at 61. While Spooner placed first on Hilton Flight at the $75,000 HITS Grand Prix February 6, the sixth qualifier for the West Coast League, it was actually his fourth place finish...

Air Force Flight Surgeon, Captain Amy Coleman, in Iraq. (Courtesy Major Mark Seldes) When the Air Force Called Her to Serve in Iraq, This Soldier Kept her Mind on a Future Flight—of Olympic Proportion Colonel Gayle O’Rear and Captain Amy Coleman with Poseidon Courtesy John Fernald The call to serve in Iraq came as a welcome challenge for Captain Amy Coleman. The 29-year-old Flight Surgeon was ready to serve her country and help her fallen comrades, no matter the cost. “There...

Lexington, KY —The Grand Ballroom was packed as United States Equestrian Federation members and staffers joined to celebrate the men and women of the media for their contributions to the coverage of equestrian sport in 2004. The USEF Media Awards Luncheon hosted a total of 12 industrious nominees January 13, at the Seelbach Hilton in Louisville, KY. These reporters, photographers, editors, managers and producers gathered from across the country to hear USEF President and Olympic Gold...

Lexington, KY —Aaron Ralston captured the win in the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) Open Reining Championship Qualifier at the National Western Stock Show in Denver, CO on Monday, January 10. The International Reining Competition (CRI) was the second in the USEF series, but the first for the Carbondale, CO resident, who defeated a group of veterans on Smart Paul Olena. “It’s amazing to be able to compete with the likes of these guys,” said Ralston. “I...

West Grove, PA— World Class drivers and horses battled it out for the USEF National Pairs Championship in Pennsylvania Sunday, but a local woman beat the out-of-towners, claiming the title in her own backyard. West Grove native Lisa Singer came through victorious, surpassing a record number of competitors to take home the national title. Set apart by less than five points, Singer drove to the finish amid screaming fans and family, with a combined score of 121.96 points. "It is so special to...

Kent Farrington and Gazelle (Spruce Meadows Media Services) Calgary, AB, Canada – The ‘Continental’ CSI 5* Tournament at the Spruce Meadows Summer Series had more exciting show jumping competition at the Meadows on the Green with Kent Farrington and Gazelle capturing the top prize in the Scotiabank Cup 1.55m as the only clear round. Second place went to Kara Chad (CAN) on Bellinda, and third place was awarded to Peter Lutz (USA) on Robin de Ponthual. Victory in the Altagas Cup...