McLain Ward and Sapphire (Photo by Shannon Brinkman for USEF) Lexington, KY - After a fantastic start to the Individual competition on Monday, four members of the U.S. Show Jumping Team returned to the Rolex Stadium as the Jumping World Championships presented by Rolex began on Tuesday morning at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Lexington, KY. Monday's action set the stage for big things for the U.S. Team after two riders ended the Speed Round in the top two places. Mario...

Kayce Redmond and Latino (SusanJStickle.com Photo) Gladstone, NJ –The National Young Adult ‘Brentina Cup’ Dressage Championships bridges an important gap between the young rider ranks and the Grand Prix level, and the nine riders that contested the final USEF National Dressage Championship of the weekend put on a promising display for the future. Rounding out a weekend of sweeps in the 2010 Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Festival of Champions, Kayce Redmond (Alpharetta, GA) held on to her lead from...

Jamie Pestana and Winzalot (SusanJStickle.com) Gladstone, NJ – The USEF National Junior Dressage Championship was the second Championship to be completed during the two weekends of the Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Dressage Festival of Champions and the top three places remained unchanged from the first leg of the championship. That meant that Jamie Pestana (Livermore, CA) and Winzalot defended their lead and swept both tests to score another convincing victory. This pair has won across the...

Photo by Flashpoint Photography (Shakira do Jacare and owner Sarah Owen during the retirement ceremony.) Shakira do Jacare, the brilliant 14-year-old Brazilian-bred chestnut mare owned by Sarah Owen and Muny Sunk Stables officially retired from the sport of show jumping in an emotional ceremony during the 2010 Atlanta Summer Classics. Dubbed the “Queen of Speed” by her competitors, Shakira’s presence alone at many a grand prix was enough to rattle the nerves of most seasoned jumpers. However,...

Phillip Dutton and Woodburn (Shannon Brinkman) Lexington, KY - William Fox-Pitt put in a foot-perfect show jumping round to complete a weekend during which Cool Mountain exceed expectation and made his first CCI4* a winning one at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by Bridgestone. Riding for Great Britain, Fox-Pitt was the man to catch all weekend and finished on his dressage score of 42.8. But Rolex Kentucky had always eluded him so his flawless round in the Johnson Stadium at the...

Beginning in 1995 as part of the Volvo World Cup Finals, the Festival of the Horse (March 30–April 2) has become one of the largest dressage shows in Southern California. Cornerstone Event Management strives to combine top competition with special activities surrounding the show. “The sponsors play a large part on the success of the Festival,” said Glenda McElroy, Festival manager. “We try to find a niche for all our sponsors; Markel Insurance, a longtime partner, sponsors the high-point...

Photo by Anne Gittins (Jeffery Welles and Armani) It was with speed and grace that Jeffery Welles was able to capture Saturday night's victory with his top mount, Armani, during a three-horse jump-off. The pair raced through the finish line in 44.36 seconds after completing a clear short course during the 2010 $200,000 Gene Mische American Invitational, presented by G & C Farm, at Raymond James Stadium. Peter Leone tried to catch his time with Select, who also left all the rails intact, but the...

Photo Courtesy HITS (The beautiful Grand Prix arena at the HITS-on-the-Hudson show grounds in Saugerties, NY.) As riders gear up for the 2010 grand prix season, qualifying for the Pfizer $1 Million Grand Prix on September 12 in Saugerties, NY, is topping the list of priorities. Kent Farrington, Jimmy Torano, and McLain Ward were among those announcing intentions to become one of only 46 potential riders to vie for a top prize of $350,000 in September. With a limited number of spots available on...

On October 22, the Junior Hunter divisions began competing at the Washington International Horse Show (WIHS), held at the Verizon Center through Sunday, October 25. Kelsey Thatcher took an early lead in the Older Junior Hunter divisions, winning the first class of the Small Junior 16-17 Hunter division. Earlier in the day, Hasbrouck Donovan stole the show, earning two blue ribbons in the Younger Junior Hunter classes. The Older Junior Hunter divisions got under way late that morning, and it was...

Each year endurance riders from around the U.S. and Canada gather to compete for the American Endurance Ride Conference’s (AERC) top honors in the National Championship rides. This year, tiny Greenville, CA, (population 1,150) will be the launching point for the 100-mile ride on September 11 and 50-mile ride on September 13. Midway between Redding and Reno, the Northern California location has all that riders ask of a trail: elevation changes, gorgeous views, shallow creek crossings, and...