Sappire Wins Again for McLain Ward (Erin Cowgill) Lexington, KY and La Baule, France – McLain Ward topped off a phenomenal week for the United States show jumpers with a brilliant win in the Grand Prix Longines de la Ville de La Baule at CSIO La Baule with his superstar mare, Sapphire. He topped teammate Mario Deslauriers on Jane Clark’s Urico by nearly a second. There were 13 first round clears out of 50 starters, and Ward went last in the jump-off. Riding for Tom Grossman’s Blue Chip...

Café de Colombia and Ashton Alexander (Captured Moments Photography) Del Mar, Calif. - Directly after wrapping up the final jumper classes on Sunday of the Showpark Summer Festival, the striped poles were set aside to welcome a prestigious annual event. Decorated flower boxes, walls, rolltops and such were carefully set on the gorgeous grand prix field in preparation for the 2014 US Junior Hunter National Championship, West Coast, on Monday morning. With three phases over two days, Monday...

Conor Swail and GAME READY (photo © AlCookPhoto.com) Harrisburg, Pa. - It was a thrilling finale on the last night of the Pennsylvania National Horse Show as many of the world's top riders competed in the $85,000 FEI World Cup Grand Prix De Penn National. You could hear the crowd collectively hold its breath as each horse sped around the course, but it was Irish rider Conor Swail and GAME READY who pulled out all the stops to clinch the win. Twenty four competitors attempted course designer...

Reed Kessler and Soraya l'Obstination (Global Champions Tour) 2012 US Olympian and history-maker Reed Kessler was determined to shake off Friday's second place finish, and knowing the young 19 year old's competitive drive, Saturday was an opportunity to beat Friday's winner Patrice Delaveau and land a Longines Global Champions Tour winning title. Reed was aboard her new mare Soraya l'Obstination and won with an impressive time of 55.99 seconds; almost a whole second faster then...

Ashlee Bond and Cornancer July 27, 2015 - Del Mar, CA - Truly a race up until the last ride, the $40,000 Racing Festival Grand Prix, presented by Equestrian Almanac, kept everyone on the edge of their seats. In the end, the talented Ashlee Bond and Little Valley Farms' Cornancer earned the mare's first Grand Prix win against a field of talented competitors. International FEI course designer Anderson Lima of Mexico set a precise course that tested both the horses and riders. With three...

Peter Lutz and Robin de Ponthual (Spruce Meadows Media Services) Calgary, AB, Canada – It was a picture perfect day for the biggest event of the Spruce Meadows ‘Continental CSI 5* Tournament, and it was a storybook ending for Peter Lutz (USA) and Robin de Ponthual, who scored their biggest victory together in the $375,000 CP Grand Prix. Second place went to Charlie Jacobs (USA) with Cassinja S, while Andrew Ramsay (USA) and California 62 were third. This marked the final day of the...

Kristen VanderVeen and Bull Run’s Faustino de Tili Star in the $50,000 Horse Power Grand Prix at HITS Ocala (ESI Photography) Ocala, Fla. - The bleachers were full and the grass berms surrounding the Ocala Horse Properties Stadium were lined with spectators for Sunday’s $50,000 Ring Power Grand Prix, and fans were treated to an exciting class with a race to the finish. Kristen VanderVeen from St. Charles, Illinois, came out on the top with an all-out gallop to the finish on Bull Run's...

Harrie Smolders and Exquis Walnut de Muze (Sportfot) Wellington, Fla. - The 2015 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) began its sixth week of competition, sponsored by Salamander Hotels & Resorts, on Wednesday with a win for Harrie Smolders (NED) and Exquis Walnut de Muze in the first international jumper class of the week. Smolders and his veteran partner of eight years blazed to victory in the $34,000 1.45m speed class to kick off the week. Richard Jeffery of Great Britain is the course...

The American Saddlebred Horse Association (ASHA) has announced the activation of the new My Trails feature of its website at www.asha.net . ASHA members can access this new application from the My Membership page, found under the "Members" section of the website. The My Trails feature is one of the many advances continuously being made by ASHA to improve the online experience of its members. This tool is a trail riding tracking application, which provides a utility for users to track their...

Raul de Leon was awarded the designation of Master Instructor by the American Riding Instructors Association (ARIA) in July. A former Cuban junior jumping champion, de Leon furthered his career in the U.S., working closely with former United States Equestrian Team coach Bertalan de Nemethy and eventually settling on Long Island. From 1994 to 1990, de Leon served as co-director of the Westmoreland Davis Equestrian Institute at Morven Park with his friend and former student, 1976 Olympic...