Spruce Meadows, Calgary, AB - The sun shone on Saturday at the 2012 Spruce Meadows ‘Canada One’ Tournament. This was particularly true for American veterans McLain Ward and Mario Deslauriers. Fifty nine horse/rider combinations saddled up for the 1.45 meter Direct Energy Cup this morning, competing for top spot over the 500 meter long course designed by Anthony D’Ambrosio (USA). Over 16 jumping efforts, the field was narrowed down to the 13 combinations who moved into the jump...

Chester Weber and his team tackle the cones phase during the 2012 CAI Lähden. (Marie de Ronde-Oudemans) Lähden, Germany – American Combined Driver Chester Weber kicked off his summer European tour in style, proving that he truly is “Mr. Dressage” and that Team Weber-Clark has the ability to take Europe by storm. Weber, the nine-time USEF National Four-In-Hand Champion, competed at CAI Lähden in Germany where he set the dressage ring on fire with a score of 36.35 to...

Hungary, one of five countries confirmed as official candidates to stage the FEI World Equestrian Games™ in 2018, has withdrawn from the bidding process. The Hungarian capital Budapest had been named as one of the five 2018 bid cities earlier this month, but in a letter to FEI Secretary General Ingmar De Vos this week, the President of the Hungarian National Federation Vilmos Lázár confirmed that the Hungarian bid has now been withdrawn. In the letter Mr Lázár...

Craig Stanley rode the 5-year-old U.S.-bred "Caliente DG" to victory in the opening round of the Markel/USEF Western Dressage Selection Trial on the first day of competition at the Dressage at Flintridge CDI*/Y/J. (Jennifer M. Keeler) Burbank, CA - A small but talented group of young horses contested the opening round of the Markel/USEF Western Dressage Selection Trial, part of the Dressage at Flintridge CDI*/Y/J in La Cañada-Flintridge, CA. Judges Lilo Fore (4* USA), Lois Yukins (4*...

Wellington, FL - Equestrian Sport Productions (ESP) wrapped up its fourth week of the 2012 spring horse show series at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) this week. The ESP Spring 4 show ran May 4-6 featuring "A" rated hunter and 3-star jumper competition. The five-show spring series will conclude this week with ESP's Spring 5 horse show on May 12-13 featuring "C" rated hunter and 3-star jumper competition. Highlights will include a $1,500 NAL Child/Adult Jumper Classic...

The Region 12 show is always a great show and the foundation of the annual show season for Arabian and Half-Arabian horses in the southeast. Most years it ranks well into the top three regional Arabian horse shows in the United States. Frequently it is the largest and the best and this year’s show looks to be reaching toward the top spot once again. One of the first regional shows held each year, Region 12’s dates in 2012, May 7th through the 12th insure that there are few other...

Scott Brash and Sanctos van het Gravenhof (Sportfot) Wellington, FL - Great Britain's Scott Brash guided Sanctos Van Het Gravenhof to victory in Saturday night's $200,000 FEI World Cup™ Grand Prix CSI 4* presented by The Bainbridge Companies at the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF). In a suspenseful jump-off, Brash beat out Richard Spooner (USA) and Cristallo, and Kent Farrington (USA) and Voyeur, who finished second and third. Sponsored by the Bainbridge Companies,...

Jennifer Alfano & Jersey Boy- USHJA International Hunter Derby (©Flashpoint Photography) Green Cove Springs, FL - The Jacksonville Winter Series wrapped up its three week run on January 29th with the naming of Circuit Champions and a lot of fond memories for those attending. Alexis Newman of the North Florida Hunter Jumper Association summed up the series, “We enjoyed a fantastic three weeks of shows that were marked with great exhibitor parties, superb competition, wonderful...

Wellington, FL - Following Ashley Holzer's winning ride with Pop Art in the Wellington Classic Sunshine Challenge CDI3*, a qualifier for the World Dressage Masters Palm Beach presented by International Polo Club Palm Beach, competition organizer Wellington Classic Dressage and the WDM management found themselves faced with a sports issue that has necessitated a decision to amend the schedule of the show. American Heather Blitz on Paragon, second in the CDI3* Grand Prix behind Holzer and Pop...

The FEI has today given final sign-off on the footing that will be used for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Equestrian Events at Greenwich Park. The London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) conducted footing tests at a site near Preston in the north of England on 20 and 21 December 2011. The mix for the footing is now composed of non-waxed sand, felt and fibre. Testing of the new footing concluded on 21 December when international riders Geoff Billington...