Julie Welles and Twan (Emily Riden/Phelps Media Group) North Salem, N.Y. - The 2014 edition of the American Gold Cup CSI4*-W kicked off today at Old Salem Farm, and from the perfectly manicured jump field to the phenomenal weather and the equally phenomenal competition, there was no place better to be horse showing today - particularly if you were Julie Welles or Shane Sweetnam. Welles and Sweetnam each rode away with victories in the $8,000 Danbury Porsche Audi 1.40m Open Jumpers. With over...

CPHA Junior Medal Final Winner Abby Jorgensen with family, trainers and CPHA representatives (Captured Moments Photography) San Juan Capistrano, Calif. - Kicking off the medal finals season, Blenheim EquiSports hosted the California Professional Horsemen's Association (CPHA) Junior and Adult Finals at the Blenheim Summer Classic. An impressive crowd gathered at Blenheim Farms' indoor ring for the Final Round. Three experienced female equestrians made up the judging panel, Stacia Madden,...

Traverse, Mich. - Redemption was the name of the game during the $2,500 USHJA National Hunter Derby, presented by Walgreens, the featured hunter class on July 25 during Horse Shows by the Bay Series IV. Molly Ashe and Kennzo had returned to the Traverse City show this year as the defending champions in the $25,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby, presented by The Gochman Family, held during Series III. An unfortunate rail in the Classic Hunter Round, however, cut short their time in the show...

Traverse City, Mich. - July 20, 2014 - Amanda Derbyshire and Attack II left no prisoners during the $40,000 Grand Prix of the Great Lakes. Derbyshire had the luxury of going sixth of the seven competitors who had qualified for the jump-off in the featured jumper class, held during Horse Shows by the Bay Series III. Derbyshire was able to win the battle by leaving out a stride that second-placed Kim Farlinger hadn't. "I did five strides after the double, where most people did six, and I...

Hunter Holloway (AnLi Kelly Durham/Phelps Media Group,) Parker, Colo. - Friday at the Colorado Horse Park, all eyes were on the equitation riders, where many talented juniors vied for valuable points in the two phases of the WIHS Equitation and the ASPCA Maclay. The riders from Equi-Venture Farm of Topeka, KS left no blue ribbon unclaimed in the three medal classes. Hunter Holloway finished on top in both WIHS Equitation classes, while Misty Redd took the blue in the ASPCA Maclay. In the WIHS...

Kim Carey and Legato (Tricia Booker Photography) Traverse City, Mich. - When Kim Carey traveled to Europe to look for a new horse for client Michelle Carroll, they went with high hopes. But after a long and fruitless search, they faced a trip home horseless. Then, the night before they were to leave, Carey heard about one more prospect. "The people we were with said, 'Oh, you don't want to go see that horse.' A couple of good trainers had looked at it and didn't like it. I said,...

John Pearce and Chianto (Phelps Media Group) Parker, Colo. - It was a true battle to the finish in the $30,000 McElvain Energy Grand Prix at Summer in the Rockies III, with rider after rider fighting to lay claim to the top prize. Spectators were on the edge of their seats as they shouted the names of their favorites and anxiously waited for the times to flash on the scoreboard in the Kathy and Brad Coors Family Grand Prix Arena. As the last to go, and having already seen his lead with Johnny B...

Melissa Orlick-Zbierski and Viekie won the $20,000 SJHOF High Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic at Showplace Spring Spectacular III, presented by LUXMAX U.S.A (Phelps Media Group) Wayne, Ill. - The fifth day of the Showplace Spring Spectacular III opened to blue skies and strong jumper competition as the Junior and Amateur-Owner Jumpers took the limelight in the LUXMAX U.S.A Grand Prix Ring at the Lamplight Equestrian Center. Seventeen horse and rider combinations faced off in the $20,000...

John Pearce and Johnny B Good (Phelps Media Group) Parker, Colo. - It's been a long road to the top for Johnny B Good, but now he's proving himself well worth the effort. He and John Pearce were the final and fastest competitors in the jump-off and clinched the victory in the $15,000 Open Welcome Stake at Summer in the Rockies III. "Johnny has been amazing here," Pearce, of Bermuda Dunes, CA, said. "He's been such a slow horse to develop. I never thought he would ever do this, to be...

Gladstone, N.J. - The U.S. Dressage Festival of Champions presented by The Dutta Corp came to an exciting conclusion on the fourth and final day of competition as Grand Prix, Intermediaire I, and Pony Rider Champions were all crowned. In the Grand Prix championship, Steffen Peters and Legolas 92 clinched their third consecutive National Title with their best performance of the week. For the third consecutive test, the top placings remained the same as Peters scored Champion and Reserve honors...