Richard Spooner riding Tuxedo (Spruce Meadows Media Service) Clagary, Alberta - Competition kicked off in the Chinook Ring Friday morning with the $8,000 Francis Family Cup 1.45m where Richard Spooner (USA) got his third win in a row this week. Held in a faults converted format, the competition saw 30 entries jumping a course set by Manuel Esparza of Mexico. About halfway through the order, Spooner and Tuxedo cleared the course in a time of 66.44 seconds that would hold on for the win. The...

Lexington, Ky .- The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) has named six athlete-and-horse combinations to the Squad for the Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team for the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. Additionally, eight athlete-and-horse combinations have been named as alternates. Preparation Events for squad members and alternates will be held for United States-based combinations at Great Meadow in The Plains, Va. July 26-27 and for European-based combinations at Wilton in the United...

Steffen Peters & Laura Graves are #1 and #2 on the Dressage Short List for WEG in 2014 (Susan J. Stickle) Lexington, Ky. - The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) has named eight horse-and-athlete combinations to the Short List for the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games U.S. Dressage Team. Mandatory Outings will be held for Short Listed combinations at CDI4* Fritzens in Fritzens, Austria, July 4-7, and CDIO5* Aachen in Aachen, Germany, July 15-20. The following eight...

Burbank, Calif. - Kristin Hardin had all of the answers to Mauricio Garcia-Ballesteros’ (PUR) $30,000 Memorial Day Grand Prix course, placing first and third on Aran (Pamela Levin, owner) and Bert (Emily Cohodes, owner), respectively. “I’m just really excited. This win is huge, particularly for Aran’s owner. She bought Aran herself and surprised me with her a couple of years ago,” Kristin recalled. “Pamela is a great horsewoman and saw the potential in her....

Saumur, France - Land Rover Competition Grant recipient Doug Payne closed out a successful weekend with Crown Talisman at the Saumur CCI3* on Sunday with near faultless performance in the show jumping to earn a sixth-place finish. Doug Payne and Crown Talisman (Les Garennes) The excitement began early in Saumur as France’s overnight leader Propriano de l’Ebat ridden by Luc Chateau was not accepted at the Final Horse Inspection. A total of 41 combinations went forward into the show...

Saumur, France - As anticipated Pierre Michelet’s technical cross country track proved extremely influential on Saturday at the Saumur CCI3* as the leaderboard saw a great shake-up. Of the 69 competitors to start the second phase of competition, 45 completed. Including Land Rover Competition Grant recipients Doug Payne and Crown Talisman who maintained their top 10 position heading into the show jumping. Payne (Apex, N.C.) and his own and Larry and Amelia Ross’ 11-year-old...

Pablo Barrios and Romeo (Rebecca Walton/Phelps Media Group) Lexington, Ky. - It has become a Thursday tradition to see Venezuela's Pablo Barrios in the winner's circle at the Kentucky Horse Shows, and this Thursday was no exception. The speedy rider once again topped the $25,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic, this time aboard the Romeo Group's Romeo, while the ZL Group's Zara Leandra settled for third. Todd Minikus slipped into the second place position with a quick and clear...

Lexington, KY- The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) and its High Performance Dressage Committee have awarded training grants to six participants of the 2014 USEF Developing Dressage Program. The grants have been made possible by a generous gift from Akiko Yamazaki and Red Husky Foundation through the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation and donations from the USET Dressage Solid Gold “Prancing with the Stars” Fundraiser. These grant recipients were chosen following review of...

Christopher Payne and Truman (Shawn McMillen Photography) Lexington, Ky. - Maypine Farm's Truman has bundles of talent and, as of Thursday, a Kentucky Spring Horse Show championship tricolor to his name. This morning, Christopher Payne rode the 7-year-old gelding to the First Year Green Hunter championship title at the Kentucky Horse Park. Truman and Payne came in to the day with a first and third place finish over fences under their belts, sitting neck-and-neck in the points race with...

Megan Nusz & Vesuvius (From Kent Farrington's Facebook page) Antwerp, Belgium – A good weekend for U.S. jumpers in Belgium got even better on Sunday when Americans won big CSI2* and CSI4* classes at CSI Antwerp. First, it was Carly Anthony (Redmond, Wash.) jumping clear over two rounds with Artisan Farm’s Rosana du Park. The University of Georgia Equestrian Team alum was one of only two competitors able to finish the jump-off with no faults, and her time of 37.88 was well ahead...