Isabelle Leibler and Watson 108 National Young Rider Dressage Championships. Photo: SusanJStickle.com. Lexington, KY - Isabelle Leibler and Watson 108 performed flawlessly Friday while representing the U.S. at the FEI Young Rider World Cup Dressage Final Grand Prix, and are moving forward to the B Final on Sunday in the Freestyle. "We were mistake free and I finished the first day very proud of myself and of Watson for staying focused throughout the exciting distractions," Leibler said. "The...

Lexington, KY - It was a thrilling night of competition in the Alltech Arena at the Kentucky Horse Park as the Alltech National Horse Show, 128th Edition, made its debut at its new home. The top horses and riders from around the world showed up tonight to compete during the Sasco Creek Farm International Open Jumpers $50,000 Welcome Stake, benefiting the Alltech Sustainable Haiti Project. Riders raced over the technical track set by Richard Jeffery, and with a blazing pace of 57.93 seconds the...

McLain Ward, winner of the Hagyard Challenge Series' $45,000 Leading Rider Bonus. Photo By: Shawn McMillen. Lexington, KY - On Friday, September 23, McLain Ward of Brewster, NY, was presented with a check for $45,000 after earning the most points during the 2011 Hagyard Challenge Series. The Hagyard Challenge Series is a show jumping competition that is held at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY, throughout the summer months. Composed of seven grand prix events, the Hagyard Challenge...

Charlie Jacobs and Flaming Star (Anne Gittins Photography). Halifax, MA - The Fieldstone Summer Showcase completed competition today with the highlight class of the week, the $25,000 Herb Chambers Companies Grand Prix. Charlie Jacobs of Boston, MA, rode Flaming Star, owned by CMJ Sporthorses LLC, to victory. It was Jacobs' second win of the week. The Massachusetts Hunter Jumper Finals were also held, and eight winners were awarded. The Fieldstone Summer Showcase features top hunter/jumper...

Caitlin Ziegler and Valencia (photo by Spruce Meadows Media Services). Spruce Meadows, Calgary, Alberta - History was made at Spruce Meadows Thursday with 16-year-old Caitlin Ziegler (USA) becoming the youngest ever winner of an FEI event in the Spruce Meadows International Ring. Riding her 13-year-old mare, Valencia, Ziegler bested an international field of 32 horse/rider combinations with a convincing double clear, and a 3-second margin of victory in a seven-horse jump-off in the 1.5m AON Cup....

Richard Spooner and Pariska 2 (Spruce Meadows Media Services). Spruce Meadows, Calgary, Alberta - The Pepsi Challenge 1.45 m led off competitions in the International Ring on Friday of the North American Tournament. Twenty of the 49 entered moved forward to the jump-off of the Werner Deeg (GER) designed course. In a truly international field, with entries representing nine nations, it was Richard Spooner (USA) aboard the 14-year-old Dutch mare, Pariska 2, who proved to be unbeatable with a...

Calgary, Alberta, Canada - Although the International ring at Spruce Meadows was far from dry, 26 internationally ranked riders braved the downpour to compete for the title of Champion of the TransCanada Parcours de Chasse. Through the rain, spectators watched and cheered as such riders as Richard Spooner, McLain Ward, Rich Fellers and Mario Deslauriers jumped the 700m course. They tackled obstacles such as the table top, and the south bank, which is precarious when wet. When all was said and...

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...

Chesterfield, SC - The riders couldn’t say enough nice things about Heart of the Carolinas Three-Day Event in Chesterfield, SC, at Southern Eighths Farm. They loved the facility, the organization, the footing, the courses, the jumps - everything. Anne Lane-Maunder and Penny Lane (photo by Diana De Rosa). When it was all over Jim Baker and Wings claimed the victory in the Beginner-Novice division (58.30). “The format and the organization were topnotch. I can’t say enough about...

Lexington, KY - Mary King was not going to be stopped in her quest to take a Rolex watch back to Great Britain. Lying first and second after the cross-country at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by Bridgestone - with Kings Temptress and Fernhill Urco - she did not flinch in the final show jumping phase and jumped an immaculate double-clear round on both horses. Mary King and Kings Temptress (Photo by Shannon Brinkman/USEF). For the first time in history, the champion and reserve...