Lexington, KY - The United States Equestrian Federation has named the team for the 2012 Paralympic Games. The four athletes representing the U.S. in London turned heads at the Para-Equestrian Dressage National Championship and Selection Trial held in Gladstone, NJ in June. The following two U.S. team veterans and two rising stars will compose the team: Rebecca Hart (Unionville, PA) and Jessica Ransehousen's Lord Ludger Jonathan Wentz (Richardson, TX) and Kai Handt's NTEC Richter Scale...

I knew, when accepting this job in December, 2011 that I was under-qualified. My writing credentials are fine enough, I have editing experience, a media background, and a good education. My deficiency was that I knew very little about horses and even less about equestrian sports. Compared to my USEF colleagues, I was in a state of almost complete ignorance. I’ve twice been on group trail rides in western Colorado. Adding that to the rest of my riding experience I’d been on a horse...

Things are nearly in full swing here in ‘s-Hertogenbosch. The jumping horses all jogged yesterday and looked quite well. As I type they are familiarizing in the main arena. They also had the option to get in the ring yesterday afternoon. Some just flatted while others jumped the mini-course (I say mini because there were just 6 numbered jumps but set at heights that were anything but small). Flexible, Cortes ‘C’, Baronez, Indigo and Uceko (who was quite fresh for Kent) took...

Alix Szepesi and William (Susan J. Stickle) Wellington, FL - Alix Szepesi of Hamilton, MA captured the high score of the day at the Global Dressage Festival National Classic 2 on Tuesday. Riding William, owned by Margie Kelk, Szepesi scored 74.189% in the USEF First Level Test 2-Open at the Stadium show grounds of the Global Dressage Festival (GDF). "William is a dream to ride in the ring. He gets really nice scores and he is fun to ride," said Szepesi of the eight-year-old Dutch Warmblood....

Laurie Moore rode Cynthia Hunting’s Zonnerhall to the highest score at the International Sport Horse Palm Beach Show Loxahatchee, FL – Dressage trainer Laurie Moore reunited with her former equine partner Zonnerhall, owned by Cynthia Hunting, at the International Horse Sport Palm Beach Show and the reunion proved to be award winning as the duo captured the high score at the show. Moore and Zonnerhall earned a 77.903% in the USEF First Level Test of Choice to ride away as the winner of The...

It’s not Fair Hill if there’s no rain . Well, we are defiantly at Fair Hill. It could have been far worse but rain is still rain. The morning was grey but just threatened rained. Most of us lucked out as they majority of spectators, riders and connections were tucked under tents out of the elements when the rain started at the lunch break. However, there were a few competitors using the down time in the main ring to school in the warm-up. Needless to say they got wet! I was planning...

It takes a lot of people to keep our U.S. show on the road, so the first Barn Notes will be fairly basic introductions of the Dressage staff: Barn Manager Dougie Hannum first travelled with the U.S. Team in 1966 as a show jumping groom and he hasn't missed much over the last four decades. The first team horse he looked after was called Ilan, he belonged to James Paxton but Frank Chapot rode him on the team and Dougie was part of the deal. He was around when a jumping horse named Sloopy had...

Team USA Celebrates (Photo by Murray Kessler). Lamprechtshausen, Austria - In an incredible finish, the U.S. Young Rider Show Jumping Team scored their first Nations Cup victory of their summer tour, triumphing over the Swiss with a total of five faults. The U.S. and Switzerland were tied after the first round, each country carrying only one time fault forward to the second round. Catherine Pasmore led things off for the U.S. - she had one rail in the first round on My Boy, but bounced back to...

Washington, D.C. – Let the horses inspire you! The Washington International Horse Show (WIHS), the leading indoor equestrian event in the U.S., is seeking an original poster design for its 53rd annual event, to be held Oct. 25-30, 2011, at Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. The six-day equine extravaganza features the country’s leading horses and riders in exciting jumping competition. The poster contest is open to U.S.-based artists, both amateur and professional, 18 years and...

Elizabeth Benson and San Remo VDL. (Photo by Sportfot©.) Wellington, FL - The 4th Annual George Morris Excellence in Equitation Championships, presented by Artisan Farms, were held on Friday evening in the International Arena at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. A feature event for the junior riders at the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival, the class saw an exciting win for 16-year-old Elizabeth Benson of Whitehouse Station, NJ, trained by Stacia Madden of Beacon Hill Show Stables....