Chester Weber. Photo: Richard Moore. The 25th annual Laurels at Landhope International Combined Driving Event, one of the most prestigious events of its kind in the U.S., is hosting the 2011 U.S. National Four-In-Hand Championship. Four entries in the division include three Americans, Chester Weber, James Fairclough and Josh Rector, who are eligible for the championship and one Canadian, Eugen Hug. Weber, of Ocala, FL, got off to an early lead with a picture-perfect dressage test with...

Lexington, KY - The U.S. Jumping riders have a big task before them in tomorrow's FEI Nations Cup at CSIO5* Rotterdam. They take to the final leg of the 2011 FEI Nations Cup Series in the Netherlands and jump to maintain their position in the Series for 2012. Currently ranked seventh out of the eight teams in the Series, the U.S. needs finish at least three places ahead of Belgium tomorrow in the Nations Cup to earn a spot to return in 2012. Belgium is currently two points ahead of the...

McLain Ward and Sapphire on the cover of Unbridled Passion (Cover photo: Tony deCosta; Cover design: Tazuko Sugajima). Boston, MA - While many equestrians have heard of show jumping greats Ian Millar, McLain Ward, and Beezie Madden, few have heard the story behind the relationship with their equally famous equine partners. Unbridled Passion – Show Jumping's Greatest Horses and Riders (Acanthus Publishing 2011), a new book by Jeff Papows, explores these relationships and the...

Ashlee Bond and Chivas Z won the 1.40m Open Jumper class at the Kentucky Summer Horse Show (Photo: Kenneth Kraus/PhelpsSports.com). Lexington, KY - It was beautiful and sunny for the opening day of the Kentucky Summer Horse Shows at the Kentucky Horse Park. Today, riders gathered at the Walnut Ring to compete for top prizes in the Open Jumper classes. Ashlee Bond and Chivas Z were the big winners, claiming the victory in the 1.40m Open Jumper class with the fastest clear effort. In the 1.35m...

My name is Devan Horn, and I am an 18-year-old Endurance competitor from Kingwood, Texas. This will be my third year competing in the Young Rider Endurance event held annually in July, but as this is the first time we’ve been welcomed into the official Championship FEI event, this year is certainly special! I’m helped along this path by my loving parents, (Mom who pays, Dad who crews!), my friends, and my mentor, boss, and friend Darolyn Butler-who’s amazing horses I ride in...

Eventing At the Chattahoochee Hills Horse Trials in Fairburn, GA clear jumping rounds were at a premium in the CIC one and two star divisions. In the CIC2*, Young Rider Lizzie Snow rode the veteran Coal Creek to victory over Jonathon Holling and Downtown Harrison. Snow began the weekend in third place but was the only person in the division to jump double clear on the third day to finish on her dressage score of 48.6. Beth Perkins and Fernhill Cove were third. Alabama's Hannah Begue and...

Ehrin Rittmueller and Mr. Valentine (Photo by Diana Hadsall). Grass Lake, MI - For Ehrin Rittmueller, today’s win in the inaugural Hunter-Jumper Association of Michigan’s $5,000 USHJA National Hunter Classic aboard Diane Sheet’s Mr. Valentine was especially important and significant as not too long ago the future for the 10- year-old grey Zangersheide gelding was at best, very uncertain. “At one point in time this horse came close to being euthanized for his dangerous...

USA's Sinead Halpin and Manoir De Carneville. Photo by Shannon Brinkman. Lexington, KY - Great Britain's Mary King was unstoppable on cross-country day at the 2011 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, presented by Bridgestone. She guided two horses around Derek di Grazia's course to claim the top two places on the leaderboard. Australia's 2007 winner, Clayton Fredericks, sits third on Be My Guest and Sinead Halpin jumped up to fourth in her first CCI4* with Manoir de Carneville, to lead...

Badminton, UK - A trio of British girls head the leaderboard after the Dressage phase at the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials (GBR), the first leg of the HSBC FEI Classics™ 2011. Ruth Edge (GBR), in pole position with the excellent score of 33.3 penalties on the 17-year-old Two Thyme, winner at Luhmühlen in 2007, is no stranger to the limelight in this phase – indeed, she regularly wins national titles in this discipline. “There’s always a lot of pressure on...

Driving At the Southern Pines CDE in North Carolina, six advanced divisions gave the U.S. drivers plenty of opportunity to hone their skills for some o f the 2011 FEI World Driving Championships. In the Advanced Single Pony Divisions, Australia's Janelle Marshall won but USA's Maggie Sullivan was second and Doris Leacy was third. In the Advanced Pair Pony division, Wendy O'Brien scored a victory over Jennifer Matheson which came down to a close competition in the cones. O'Brien...