Lexington, KY - The dressage phase of the 2011 Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials concluded on Friday with incredibly close scores under sunny skies. Only 10 points separate the top 21 places. The riders representing the Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team are very much in the running heading into Saturday's cross country. Eighty of the best eventing horses in the world are vying for top honors at one of the most prestigious CCI4* events in the world, and four of the five American horses are in the...

Fear of the unknown often darkens our dream of buying the young horse that will become the next show star. Perhaps we are drawn to this idea by the harmony that arises between human and equine when raising a horse from his first years; possibly it's the chance to be able to buy him before he costs six figures. But will this charming youngster transform into that fancy show horse we had envisioned? Here is a way to peek into a crystal ball. Start from the bottom up — your bottom line Clearly...

Nick Skelton and Big Star. (Photo by Sportfot©.) Wellington, FL - February 13, 2011 - The fifth week of competition at the 2011 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival concluded on Sunday with the $25,00 Suncast 1.50m Championship Jumper Series Classic, and it was Nick Skelton (GBR) and Big Star, owned by Beverly and Gary Widdowson, who proved victorious over a field of 65 entries. Alan Wade of Co. Tipperary, Ireland, designed today's courses and set a first-round track that 11 combinations would clear....

Beezie Madden and Coral Reef Via Volo (Al Cook) Eventing The USEF National CCI1* Championships concluded on Sunday with some of the United States' best up-and-coming combinations vying to be crowned champions in one of four divisions. The competition was held in combination with the Hagyard Midsouth Three-Day Event and Team Challenge at the Kentucky Horse Park. Kristen Rozycki claimed the National CC1* Championship with her own Full Circle finishing on a score of 47.2. Rozycki and the...

Every two years, while the selection committees ponder who will represent the United States, another selection process is under way to determine who will feed our horses while they represent our country. For the last four games—2002 Jerez World Equestrain Games (WEG), 2004 Athens Olympics, 2006 Aachen WEG, and 2008 Beijing Olympics—Pennfield Feed was the feed of choice for our equestrian teams, because just like them, Pennfield demonstrates the highest level of consistent quality....

Brazilian superstar Rodrigo Pessoa headed the winning line-up of international riders in Sunday's $75,000 Grand Prix de Penn National on the final day of the 64th Pennsylvania National Horse Show. Pessoa, Olympic Gold medalist and three-time World Cup winner, aboard Let's Fly, was the eighth rider on course and the first to navigate the course designed by Steve Stephens without a rail down. "I have been riding him for a little over a year and a half," said Pessoa. "I started him in the bigger...

A strong international field descends on the stylish French seaside town of Deauville, France, this week to contest the HSBC FEI World Cup™ Eventing Final in what should be the most competitive finale yet. It all starts on September 18 with the first horse inspection. The 2008 FEI World Cup™ eventing standings leader Kevin McNab of Australia, will be making his first competitive visit to Europe, and has earned the right to pole position, while the Australian challenge is completed...

Diana DeRosa (Christopher Hickey and Regent in Rio de Janeiro) Rio de Janeiro, Brazil—When most people think of Rio, sunshine comes quickly to mind. However, that was not the case today at Deodoro Stadium and the National Equestrian Center outside of the city. Clouds, the threat of rain showers and cooler temperatures loomed, but it was a rather bright day for the hopes of the American dressage riders as all three of them competed in the first of two rounds that will determine the...

New Jersey's Sammis and Sagacious HF in Rio De Janeiro. (Diana DeRosa) Rio de Janeiro, Brazil —Equestrian competition began on Saturday morning at the National Equestrian Center at Deodoro, outside of Rio de Janeiro. Up first for the three disciplines contested in the Pan American Games was dressage, and there was one American to take to the arena—Lauren Sammis. At the end of the 13 riders going on Saturday (one from Columbia withdrew), she sat in the early lead headed into...

Saddlebred.com has a new and valuable feature titled, “Saddle Up a Saddlebred,” which allows anyone interested in seeing, riding or learning more about Saddlebreds to enter their zip code and find a number of stables within a 300-mile radius. It can be accessed by going to www.saddlebred.com and clicking on “About the Breed,” and then going to “Stable Search,” or type in www.saddlebred.com/breed/stables.php . Right now, there are approximately 400 Saddlebred farms and stables in the database...