Lauren and Royalty des Isles (Photo from Lauren Hough's Facebook page) Lexington, Ky. - A strong contingent of Americans was in Paris, France over the weekend competing at one of December's marquee international show jumping events, the Gucci Paris Masters. None had more success than Lauren Hough. On Saturday night Hough (Wellington, Fla.) was only tenths of a second off the wining pace in the Longines Guerre Des Sexes. With Royalty Des Isles she jumped one of only five clear rounds and her...

Lexington, Ky. - Mette Rosencrantz of Topanga, Cal. was grinning from ear to ear as she accepted congratulations for becoming the first Finals champion crowned in 2014. Her long journey all the way from the West Coast ultimately proved worthwhile as she guided Anne Solbraekke's elegant black Hanoverian gelding De Noir 3 (De Niro x Maharani by Matcho) to a resounding victory in the Open Intermediate I Championship, earning the unanimous win under all three judges for a total score of 72.632%....

The vaulting portion of the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games is underway in Normandy with the Horse Inspection taking place on Monday. All U.S. horses passed and vaulters in the Individual Female, Individual Male, Pas de Deux, and Squad championships are ready to begin the competition and represent their country. FEI World Squad Vaulting Championship Having a fantastic year in 2014, the Woodside Vaulters will represent their country in Normandy in the FEI World Squad Vaulting...

Le Pin-au-Haras, France – The eventing portion of the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrians Games kicked off Wednesday with all horses of the Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team passing the first horse inspection. A field of 95 combinations from 27 nations presented at the first horse inspection, with 94 horses passing and one, Alexander, the mount of Ludwig Svennerstal (SWE), withdrawing from the holding box. The Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team, led by Chef d’Equipe David O’Connor, is...

Ben Maher & Aristo Z (Stefano Grasso/LGCT) Paris, France - Friday evening’s feature class of the Longines Global Champions Tour Paris Eiffel Jumping presented by Gucci, the Prix du Qatar, was won by Ben Maher (GBR) and Aristo Z from the most difficult position in the draw, first to go in the jump-off. Second went to a very happy Abdelkebir Ouaddar (MAR) and Quickly de Kreisker, and third to Harrie Smolders (NED) and Don VHP Z. Uliano Vezzani’s first round design was a technical...

The Bronze medal-winning U.S. Team (Marie de Ronde-Oudemans) Sandringham, England- The United States closed out a successful weekend at The Royal Estate in Sandringham, England on Sunday by capturing Team Bronze at the 2014 FEI Para-Equestrian Driving Championships for Singles and adding Individual Silver to their medal haul. The team of Bob Giles, Virginia “Boo” Fitch, and Diane Kastama kicked off competition on Friday by driving into third place in the dressage and holding their...

Wiesbaden, Germany – Lauren Hough (Wellington, Fla.) and her own Ohlala beat 42 other riders in the Lotto Hessen Preis Saturday at CSI3* Wiesbaden. They jumped clear in 58.89s to win the class, nearly a second faster than runners-up Cameron Hanley & Newton du Haut Bois of Ireland. See full results at reitturniere-live.de .

Vaulting to be featured in the Middle East for the first time Sisters Cassidy and Kimberly Palmer, who placed first in the pairs (pas-de-deux) Vaulting event at the 2013 German Masters in Stuttgart last November, will be among the roster of world-class competitors who will gather in Doha, Qatar in March for the Second CHI AL SHAQAB. The siblings are the first vaulters from the United States to win a World Cup event. The prestigious event takes place at AL SHAQAB, the Arabian Gulf’s...

Lexington, Ky. - The United States’ Kimberly and Cassidy Palmer are set to make history over the weekend as they compete in the pas de deux competition at the 2014 FEI World Cup Vaulting Final in Bordeaux, France. This is the first year the division will be held at the annual FEI championship as it joins the Individual Male and Female competition and will run February 7-8. The Palmer Sisters (www.barny-th.de) The Palmer sisters head to Bordeaux in strong form after earning top finishes...

Stuttgart, Germany - At the Stuttgart German Masters CSI5*-W Friday young female American riders continued to show why they are a force to be reckoned with now, and will be for a while. Reed Kessler (Lexington, Ky.) won the 1.45m speed class, Prize of Raumpflege, with her own Soraya de l'Obstination, Lucy Davis (Los Angeles, Calif.) took second with Old Oak Farm's Hannah, and Alexa Pessoa (Wellington, Fla.) finished fourth with Rodrigo Pessoa's Levade. Kessler was second in the...