Lexington, Ky. - The top young horses from across the country displayed their qualities in hopes of claiming a title at the 2014 Sallie B. Wheeler/US National Hunter Breeding Championship. Judges Linda Andrisani and Daniel Robertshaw traveled to both coasts to assess the entrants. The Championship began on August 27th at the Showpark All Seasons Summer Tournament in Del Mar, Calif., then moved east on August 30th to the historic Warrenton Horse Show in Warrenton, Va. For the eighth time in the...

The 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ (WEG) U.S. Para-Equestrian Dressage Team and Chef d' Equipe Kai Handt left Aachen and Training Camp for Caen, France, August 22. Riders had a successful week working with Chef d'Equipe Kai Handt, their coaches, and the U.S. support staff. Horses and riders will now settle in at La Prairie Racecourse in Caen, France, at the Para-Dressage facilities before their August 24, trot-up. The U.S. Team and Individual athletes include: Sydney...

Saugerties, N.Y. - Quality Girl is no stranger to clean rounds with Todd Minikus of Loxahatchee, Florida and at the top of her game as of late. Highlighted by their Open Jumper success at Devon last weekend and Friday, winning the HITS $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix the 11-year-old Oldenburg mare continues to shine. Todd Minikus and Quality Girl were the top pair in Friday’s $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix presented by Zoetis at HITS Saugerties (©ESI Photography) “She’s turning into a...

Lane Clarke & Kiss The Sky (Del Mar National Horse Show Facebook Page) Del Mar, Calif. - Friday’s $25,000 Surfside Grand Prix speed class at the 2014 Del Mar National horse show was a r for Saturday’s Grand Prix of Del Mar. That inspired more than 50 horse and rider combinations to enter the class, with the top 30 horses earning qualification. Leading the field were Lane Clarke & Horsemanship Unlimited’s Kiss the Sky. They were the fastest of the combinations that were...

Lexington, Ky. - The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) will be well represented at the Longines FEI World Cup Jumping Final April 17-21 as 12 American show jumpers will head to Lyon, France for the 2014 Final. As the reigning FEI World Cup Jumping Final champion, Beezie Madden is pre-qualified to defend her title in Lyon. Beezie Madden (Cazenovia, N.Y.) will ride Abigail Wexner’s Simon. Simon is a 1999 Dutch Warmblood gelding. After 24 North American World Cup Qualifying Events...

Lauren Hough and Böckmanns Lazio (Sportfot) Wellington, Fla. - - Lauren Hough led the victory gallop in an exciting top four finish for the women of USA in Saturday night's $100,000 Engel & Völkers Grand Prix CSI 4* at the 2014 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF). Hough and Böckmanns Lazio topped a six-horse jump-off over Laura Kraut and Nouvelle (2nd), Lucy Davis and Barron (3rd), Lillie Keenan and Pumped Up Kicks (4th), Ben Maher and Urico (5th), and Kent...

Kent Farrington and Blue Angel (Shawn McMillen Photography) Washington, D.C. - The 2013 Washington International Horse Show (WIHS) continued on Thursday with the first day of classes for the Junior Hunters and several International Open Jumper and Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper classes at Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. The International Open Jumpers had two classes with a win for Kent Farrington (USA) and Robin Parksy's Blue Angel in the $33,000 International Open Jumper Welcome Stake. Top...

Burbank, CA - Judges Jimmy Torano and Mandy Porter wasted no time posing questions to the 33 riders who tackled the Gymnastics Phase of the Platinum Performance/ USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Finals West. The course started with a canter rail to a vertical with a landing rail, and the rail fell often. Riders then had to trot into a grid comprising a trot rail to a vertical then 23 feet to an oxer followed by 21 feet to another oxer. Hannah Von Heidegger (Will Simpson, trainer) found the best...

Christine McCrea and Romantovich Take One (Spruce Meadows Media Services) Calgary, Alberta - The $35,000 Progress Energy Canada Cup had 35 entries and five of those would advance to the jump-off, but it would be the first in the ring over the shortened course that would lead the way. Christine McCrea and Romantovich Take One, 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding by Numero Uno x Karandasj owned by Candy Tribble, put in the all-important clear round in a time of 42.58 seconds. McCrea said of her...

Tiana Coudray and Ringwood Magister on their way to a tenth place finish (Shannon Brinkman) Aachen, Germany – Cross country day proved to be influential at the Aachen CICO3* at the 2013 CHIO Aachen. Tiana Coudray and Ringwood Magister tackled the final phase with determination and finished in tenth place in a field of world-class horses and riders. The Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team finished in seventh place after unfortunate results plagued them throughout the day. Though a disappointing...