Gonzalo Azcarraga and Richard Cimble (Photo: Horse in Sport). Del Mar, CA – An impressive 1.50M track set by Canadian Michel Vallaincourt tested 34 horse and rider combinations representing six countries in the $30,000 Racing Festival Grand Prix, presented by Royal Champion. On this idyllic Sunday afternoon at the Del Mar Horse Park, 11 pairs answered the questions asked on course and qualified for the jump-off. Of the 11, four were in the Azcarraga family, including every entry Jaime...

Chester Weber. Courtesy of HippoEvent. Altenfelden, Austria - The 20th anniversary of the CAI Altenfelden is history. It was an event with top sport performances by competitors from 18 nations. Chester Weber, the American driving sport star and winner of the king class (the four-in-hand horse class) said, “I like the nice atmosphere of the Altenfelden competition. The people are all very friendly and try to support the competitors the best they can. During this competition I have the...

Leipzig, Germany - The Rolex/FEI World Cup Final came to a close Sunday afternoon in Leipzig, Germany, with two final rounds of jumping. The U.S. had strong representation in this competition as they sent seven of the 27 riders into the ring. In the third and final competition, riders jumped two rounds over Frank Rothenberger's demanding 1.60m courses. The entire field would contest the first round, with 19 riders returning to the arena one last time to determine who would be crowned...

Leipzig, Germany - The Leipzig Exhibition Center hosted the first round of the Rolex/FEI World Cup Final - the speed leg - this afternoon and all 10 American combinations looked to get a head start on the competition. Frank Rothenberger set a scopey yet technical course that tested all 43 competitors in the 2011 Final and allowed for a number of different lines and options to be ridden. With the faults converted format, finding the correct balance between forward and efficient riding and...

Leipzig, Germany – Beezie Madden kicked off the 2011 Rolex/FEI World Cup Final with a win for the U.S. Wednesday morning in the Opening Competition. Madden and Coral Reef Via Volo bested the field of 24 as the only combination to jump faultlessly in the first round. Beezie Madden and Coral Reef Via Volo. (Photo by Rebecca Walton/PMG) Madden (Cazenovia, NY) was the first U.S. rider in the ring and set the tone immediately. The Belgian Warmblood mare owned by Coral Reef Ranch jumped...

Lexington, KY - The United States will have strong representation in Germany for the 2011 FEI World Cup Finals (April 27-May 1), with 20 of the country's best riders ready to leave their mark on Leipzig. For the first time the World Cup Finals in dressage, driving, jumping and vaulting will all be held under one roof, with the US sending competitors to vie for top honors in the dressage and jumping. The US will also use the Leipzig Exhibition Hall to showcase up-and-coming jumping riders in...

Lexington, KY - The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) will be represented by three American dressage riders at the 2011 Reem Acra FEI World Cup Dressage Final to be held in Leipzig, Germany, April 27-May 1. The United States will be represented by two combinations from the North American League and one from the Western European League. The following horse/rider combinations qualified during World Cup Qualifying Events held throughout the 2010-2011 season:...

Nick Skelton and Big Star. (Photo by Sportfot©.) Wellington, FL - Week 10 of the 2011 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) concluded with two great events at The Stadium, the grass field venue at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. Nick Skelton (GBR) and Big Star, owned by Beverly and Gary Widdowson, notched another big win this circuit by taking the top prize in the $78,000 Pennfield Feeds Grand Prix, CSI 2*. The FTI Winter Equestrian Festival's feature event, the $500,000 FTI...

In the first of regular blogs from the USEF High Performance Eventing Riders 2006 World Equestrian Games and 2003 Pan American Games veteran, Will Faudree, talks about dressage practice, dog shows and new horses. See https://www.willfaudree.com/index.html for more information about Will. For a list of riders on the 2011 Eventing High Performance Training List please click here: https://www.usef.org/_IFrames/newsdisplay/viewPR.aspx?id=6447&star=true . From Will: 2011 is upon us and I am...

Photo by Randi Muster (Victoria Birdsall and Baheera captured the Third Annual George Morris Excellence in Equitation Exhibition.) The 2010 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) is winding down as it finished its 11th week of competition on March 24-28. The week featured the highlight event of the season, the $500,000 FTI Consulting Finale Grand Prix, CSI*****, along with a full schedule of hunter, jumper, and equitation classes, including the prestigious Third Annual George Morris Excellence in...