Para-equestrian drivers and their supporters enjoyed some time off and toured the Hague on Monday. They got an up-close look at Queen Beatrix's Golden Coach Breda, The Netherlands - International para-equestrian drivers are in Breda, The Netherlands right now ready to compete at the 2012 FEI World Para-Equestrian Driving Championships for Singles. The first vet check took place Wednesday and the three horses that will be driven by Americans passed with ease. Athletes schooled in dressage today...

Lexington, KY - The best vaulters from across the U.S. are ready to begin competition at the FEI World Vaulting Championship at the Pole Europeen du Cheval in Le Mans, France from August 16-19, 2012. Vaulters will be vying for World Championship titles in the Individual Female, Individual Male, Pas de Duex, and Team competitions. The recently crowned Gold Individual Female National Vaulting Champion Mary McCormick (Woodside, CA) hopes to continue her success in France. Having also won the...

Lexington, KY- The excitement of vaulting comes to the Lexington this weekend with the USEF/AVA National Vaulting Championships being contested August 2-5, 2012 at the Kentucky Horse Park. A total of 10 USEF national titles will be up for grabs this weekend as the best vaulters from across the United States descend upon the Alltech Arena. This is the same venue that hosted the 2010 Vaulting World Championships as part of the Alltech/FEI World Equestrian Games, where the U.S. claimed the Gold...

Lexington, KY - The upcoming Olympic Games in London have made U.S. representation at CHIO Aachen this week scarce, but the riders and horses that did make it to Germany have been on top of their game. Lauren Hough has been one of those riders and Saturday morning she was impressive once again in winning the Sparkasse Youngsters Cup Finale and finishing atop the Youngsters Cup standings. See final Sparkasse Youngsters Cup standings here . The Sparkasse Youngsters Cup is a series of two...

Major equestrian competitions attended by U.S. athletes, both domestic and overseas, are listed in this weekly preview. Please look below to find competition listings by discipline* and breed. We hope you will follow the competitions that most interest you, but check Equestrian Weekly on Monday for a report of any top finishes by U.S. Equestrians. *lists of competitions in all international disciplines will include only FEI competitions or USEF Championships within the USA and international FEI...

Spruce Meadows, Calgary, AB - The sun shone on Saturday at the 2012 Spruce Meadows ‘Canada One’ Tournament. This was particularly true for American veterans McLain Ward and Mario Deslauriers. Fifty nine horse/rider combinations saddled up for the 1.45 meter Direct Energy Cup this morning, competing for top spot over the 500 meter long course designed by Anthony D’Ambrosio (USA). Over 16 jumping efforts, the field was narrowed down to the 13 combinations who moved into the jump...

Chester Weber and his team tackle the cones phase during the 2012 CAI Lähden. (Marie de Ronde-Oudemans) Lähden, Germany – American Combined Driver Chester Weber kicked off his summer European tour in style, proving that he truly is “Mr. Dressage” and that Team Weber-Clark has the ability to take Europe by storm. Weber, the nine-time USEF National Four-In-Hand Champion, competed at CAI Lähden in Germany where he set the dressage ring on fire with a score of 36.35 to...

Hungary, one of five countries confirmed as official candidates to stage the FEI World Equestrian Games™ in 2018, has withdrawn from the bidding process. The Hungarian capital Budapest had been named as one of the five 2018 bid cities earlier this month, but in a letter to FEI Secretary General Ingmar De Vos this week, the President of the Hungarian National Federation Vilmos Lázár confirmed that the Hungarian bid has now been withdrawn. In the letter Mr Lázár...

Calgary, AB - There was a championship feel in the air for the Saturday of the 2012 Spruce Meadows ‘National’. The $60,000, 1.45 meter TransCanada Parcours de Chasse got underway with an international entry of 22 horse/rider combinations. With only one round to come out on top, Mario Deslauriers (USA) was the fastest to conquer the 600 meter Guilherme Jorge (BRA) course, which included 17 jumping efforts, including the south bank. The American veteran was close to being usurped by...

Scott Brash and Sanctos van het Gravenhof (Sportfot) Wellington, FL - Great Britain's Scott Brash guided Sanctos Van Het Gravenhof to victory in Saturday night's $200,000 FEI World Cup™ Grand Prix CSI 4* presented by The Bainbridge Companies at the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF). In a suspenseful jump-off, Brash beat out Richard Spooner (USA) and Cristallo, and Kent Farrington (USA) and Voyeur, who finished second and third. Sponsored by the Bainbridge Companies,...