Another eventful day in Smartie’s world. It all started off pretty well, with me and Smartie both in a great mood. Smartie was especially happy because we got to graze her for a really long time. Since her middle name tends to be “Piggy,” she was very happy with her clover-filled breakfast. As the day went on, I began to get very excited. This made for a very long time of excitement since our class did not even start until 10 o’clock at night, but that didn’t stop...

North Salem, NY - Patricia Griffith had a new mount this year for the $10,000 USHJA Hunter Derby at the Old Salem Farm Spring Horse Shows, but the result was the same as last year, a win. Sienna, the horse that Griffith piloted around the two rounds of competition this year, is a lovely 16.2 hand chestnut mare, owned by Lexi Maounis of Jupiter, FL, herself a junior rider and student of Griffiths. “We got her in August of last year,” said Griffith. “She had won a Derby in Texas...

Imagine the scenario. Sitting under a shaded tent facing a perfectly manicured and maintained hunter ring. Free food abounds. Dozen upon dozen of pony riders are mounted upon the most gorgeous ponies you have ever seen in your life. You get to kick back, relax and take in this awesome environment, free of stress or cares. Just another day in the life of this very lucky journalist and editor. Yes…the 2009 USEF Pony Finals is under way at the Kentucky Horse Park, and for the first time in...

Brian Sosby (The Thomas and Mack Center on the UNLV campus.) Riders from around the world have gathered to battle it out for the World Cup titles in dressage and show jumping at the 2007 Rolex FEI World Cup Finals in Las Vegas, Nevada, at the Thomas and Mack Center, and they are certainly ready to take to the stage. But before the curtain rises on the horses and riders, there was some unexpected news that could potentially shake up the final standings in the dressage competition. Out of the...

San Juan Capistrano, Calif. – Two days of exciting hunter competition came to a close on Tuesday, July 25, at the 2023 Adequan®/USEF Junior Hunter National Championship – West (JHNC). Eight section champions and two grand champions were named across the 3’3” and 3’6” heights. A pair of mares took the grand champion titles, repeating a pattern of mare domination from the East edition of JHNC earlier this summer. Eleanor Rudnicki and Evermore. ©Leslie...

Traverse City, Mich. – A dream came through for Erin Nichols on Saturday at the 2022 FEI North American Youth Championship (NAYC) as she finished in gold-medal position for the Individual Young Rider Dressage division. Erin Nichols and Handsome Rob AR. ©KTB Creative Group Nichols (Yorba Linda, Calif.) expertly guided her own Handsome Rob AR, a 2012 Dutch Warmblood gelding, through a precise and flowing test that earned a 69.000% from the judges. The victory comes after Nichols and...

Traverse City, Mich. – The Region 4 Team comprised of Lexie Kment (Palmyra, Neb.) and Montagny von der Heide, Kylee Kment (Pamyra, Neb.) and Honor, and Ella Fruchterman (West Lakeland, Minn.) and Holts Le’Mans, rode to the top of the podium in the Junior Team Test at the North American Youth Dressage Championships, finishing with a final team score of 202.667 to take team gold. Region 7 finished in second place to take the silver medal with a team total of 197.787 following rides...

Schildau, Germany – U.S. driver Tracy Bowman (Martinez, Calif.) and her Welsh Pony gelding, Albrecht’s Hoeve’s Lars, had a golden week in Schildau, Germany at the 2021 FEI Para Driving World Championship. The pair had three exceptional phases to win the championship title for Grade I at the conclusion of competition on Aug. 8. Tracy Bowman and Albrecht's Hoeve's Lars. ©Jürgen Sendel/ Pictureblind.de Bowman and “Lars” started off strong, landing in...

Wellington, Fla. – The Adequan U.S. Para Dressage Team continued with strong performances at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival in Wellington, Fla. in the Perrigo CPEDI3* presented by Adequan and Nutrena. With Chef d’Equipe Michel Assouline at the helm, the team of Beatrice de Lavalette (Loxahatchee, Fla.) and her new mount Clarc, a 14-year-old KWPN gelding owned by Elizabeth and Nicolas de Lavalette; Rebecca Hart (Loxahatchee, Fla.) aboard El Corona Texel, a 12-year-old Dutch...

Lexington, Va. — Caroline Martin (Miami, Fla.) captured four championship titles during her weekend at the Virginia Horse Trials in Lexington, Va., and capped her impressive weekend piloting her own QC Diablo Hit to the top of the 2020 USEF CCI2*-L Eventing National Championship. Starting in seventh place after dressage, the pair jumped two faultless rounds to finish on their initial score of 33.8 and were presented the Richard Collins Trophy for their win. “He gets a little nervous...