Paris, France – With the FEI World Cup Dressage Final title on the line, Laura Graves and Verdades defended their 2017 second-place finish with a personal record score Saturday evening in the Freestyle to Music in Paris. Graves (Geneva, Fla.) and the 16-year-old KWPN gelding she owns with Curt Maes finished on a score of 89.082 percent, just behind the reigning World Cup Final champion Isabell Werth (GER). Werth and Weihegold OLD scored a 90.657 percent, while Germany’s Jessica von...

Paris, France – Two strong dressage combinations will represent the U.S. in the 2018 FEI World Cup Dressage Final at the AccorHotels Arena in Paris, France, April 13 and 14. Coming off high scores at the Adequan® Global Dressage Festival (AGDF), both Laura Graves and Shelly Francis, and their horses, are prepared and ready to compete. Laura Graves and Verdades Olympic bronze medalist Laura Graves (Geneva, Fla.) will look to defend her FEI World Cup Dressage Final second-place finish...

Lexington, Ky. – US Equestrian (USEF) is pleased to announce that 12 athlete/horse combinations have been selected for the Combined Driving Program for Elite Athletes, a new program overseen by the Driving Sport Committee. The Combined Driving Program for Elite Athletes replaces the previous High Performance Program for Combined Driving. The new program seeks to identify and support combinations who have proven to be internationally competitive in the current two-year cycle. The following...

Lexington, Ky. – US Equestrian is pleased to introduce the 2017 Equestrians of Honor. Voting is now open online .The 2017 Equestrian of the Year will be awarded Thursday evening, January 18 at the Pegasus Awards dinner during the US Equestrian Annual Meeting in Lexington, Ky. Learn more about the eight 2017 Equestrians of Honor: Nancy Leigh Fisher Oconomowoc, Wisc. American Saddlebred The C.J. "June" Cronan Trophy is presented to those excelling in under saddle show breeds. In her final...

Barcelona, Spain - The Hermès U.S. Show Jumping Team finished strong on Saturday evening at the FEI Nations Cup Jumping Final at CSIO5* Barcelona, claiming second over Belgium. After technical issues with one of the stadium lights that caused nearly a two-hour delay in competition start time, the U.S. team of Lauren Hough, Laura Kraut, Beezie Madden, and McLain Ward proved their experience and fortitude, finishing on a mere four faults. The U.S. team took home third in 2016, only to...

Barcelona, Spain - The Hermès U.S. Show Jumping Team rode determined in Thursday’s preliminary round to advance to the Final Competition against the top eight teams on Saturday, September 30. Lauren Hough and McLain Ward both delivered clear rounds, allowing the U.S. team to finish on a mere four faults. Drawing eighth in the order, U.S. team Chef d’Equipe Robert Ridland selected Hough (Wellington, Fla.) and Ohlala as the leadoff Lauren Hough and Ohlala (Photo by: Libby Law...

Lipica, Slovenia – The world’s best pair drivers have traveled to the famed Lipica Stud Farm to prove their mettle against stiff competition in the FEI World Driving Championships for Pairs from September 20-24. The U.S. team of Kathrin Dancer, Vernon Helmuth, and Steve Wilson will drive under the expert guidance of Chef d’Equipe Laurie Astegiano, Assistant Chef d'Equipe Danielle Aamodt, and Team Coach Thorsten Zarembowicz. After a week of intensive training in Austria,...

Aachen, Germany – The United States sent 18 equestrian athletes and fielded two FEI Nations™ Cup teams to compete at the World Equestrian Festival CHIO Aachen, in Aachen, Germany July 14-23. “It’s the Wimbledon of our sport, there is no question,” said Robert Ridland, Chef d’Equipe of the Hermès U.S. Show Jumping team. “It is one of the most prestigious places to compete. The top riders are all saying: we are bringing our ‘A’ game...

Falsterbo, Sweden - The Dutta Corp. U.S. Dressage Team looks to continue to build its depth as it prepares for the final three events of the 2017 FEI Nations Cup Series. At CDIO5* Falsterbo, July 14-16, the team looks for a strong finish against three other teams. The U.S. team of Chase Hickok, Mette Rosencrantz, and Charlotte Jorst will compete in the following order: Mette Rosencrantz and Marron : Rosencrantz (Topanga, Calif.) and Marron will participate in their second Nations Cup...

Lexington, Ky. - US Equestrian has named a group of up-and-coming athletes to the U.S. teams for 2017 SVAG FEI World Reining Championships for Juniors and Young Riders, August 9-12, in Givrins, Switzerland. Platinum Performance will serve as the title sponsor for the junior and young rider teams at the inaugural championships. The following athlete-and-horse combinations will represent the U.S. (in alphabetical order): Platinum Performance U.S. Junior Team Sam Flarida (Springfield, Ohio) with...