Everyone will remember something different from 2011: exactly how long seven-hundredths of a second can be, the vast desolation of the Abu Dhabi desert, the joy of going undefeated or the nagging ache of defeat. Whatever you recall, 2011 was a year of tremendous success for the USEF High Performance programs. When the dust settled over Guadalajara, Mexico the USEF's teams had recorded a record Pan American Games medal haul. Ten medals - that is every medal but two - came back to the United...

Dressage The Lamplight Equestrian Center hosted the 2011 Markel/USEF National Young Horse Dressage Championships and USEF National Developing Horse Dressage Championship sponsored by The Dutta Corp. and Performance Sales International. Last, but not least, was the USEF Dressage Seat Medals Finals presented by Dressage Today. Alyssa Pitts Alyssa Pitts & Furst Fiorano. Photo: Chuck Swan/Swan Studios, LLC. The 2011 Markel/USEF National Young Horse Dressage Championships held three separate...

Dublin, Ireland - The U.S. show jumpers dominated the final day of the Royal Dublin Horse Show by picking up three wins. Highlighted by Lauren Hough's major score in the Longines International Grand Prix of Ireland with Quick Study, the U.S. rebounded from a fifth place FEI Nations Cup finish on Friday with a trifecta of success. Hough dominated the star-studded field of 40, and she was one of only two riders to jump two clear rounds. Her second round time was three seconds faster than...

Danielle Torano and Capitano won the $30,000 Otter Creek Grand Prix, presented by Devoucoux Saddles, on Sunday, July 24, 2011 at the Vermont Summer Festival (David Mullinix Photography). East Dorset, VT — Danielle Torano of Ft. Lauderdale, FL and the amazing Capitano, owned by Sir Ruly, Inc., sped around the course to win the $30,000 Otter Creek Grand Prix, presented by Devoucoux, on Sunday, July 24, at the Vermont Summer Festival in East Dorset, VT. The six-week equestrian...

Aachen, Germany - Team USA notched another win today at the World Equestrian Festival CHIO in Aachen, Germany. Chester Weber and his four-in-hand team won the second dressage test in driving. Weber handled the reins of Jane Clark's team - Para, Senate, Splash, and Uniek - in the dressage test, which was a rating competition for team classification. Weber competed as an individual for the United States, and he was given scores of 193, 203, 194, 196, and 193 from the judges. He and his team...

Calgary, Alberta, Canada - Two-time Olympic Gold medalist McLain Ward (USA) bested an international entry of 52 to score his first victory of the Spruce Meadows “Canada One” Tournament in the WESTJET Cup. Riding his 10-year-old Dutch gelding, Pjotter, Ward piloted two clear rounds, with a blazing trip around the jump-off course of 42.52 seconds to defeat American teammate Mario Deslauriers. Fourteen horse/rider combinations had advanced to the jump-off over the technically demanding...

Sinead Halpin was awarded the USET Foundation's Pinnacle Cup Trophy as the highest placed American rider at the 2011 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event CCI**** (Photo by Amy Dragoo). Lexington, KY - The USET Foundation is pleased to announce that this year's recipient of the Pinnacle Cup Trophy at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event CCI**** is Sinead Halpin of Gladstone, NJ. Halpin rode Manoir de Carneville to a third-place finish at the top event and was the highest placed American rider, which...

Leipzig, Germany - The Rolex/FEI World Cup Final saw a shuffle throughout the standings after the conclusion of the second round this afternoon. With 44 World Cup points up for grabs and the chance to head into the final round on zero faults, clear rounds were at a premium. Forty horse/rider combinations jumped Frank Rothenberger’s impressive track, with seven riders representing six different nations returning for the jump-off. In Sunday’s final only the top 29 riders from the...

Leipzig, Germany - The EY Cup, held in conjunction with the Rolex/FEI World Cup Final, came to a close in Leipzig this morning with the final round of the CSI2*. The six Americans riders that have been contesting the competition all week looked to complete their time in Germany on a high note. With each competitor limited to riding one horse, there was all to play for over Frank Rothenberger’s 1.45m course. Twenty-nine combinations would start the first round with six returning to the...

Eventing Tamra Smith stormed to victory with Mar de Amor by nearly 14 points in the CIC3* at the Twin Rivers Ranch in California. The pair won the dressage and never looked back, adding just a few time faults on both the cross country and the show jumping. Their final score was 53.6. Barbara Crabo and Eveready II were second on a score of 67.3 after picking up 13.6 time faults on the cross country, and Pam Fisher and Sea Lion rounded out the top three on the strength of a clear show jumping...