Lauren Kieffer and Veronica (Shannon Brinkman Photo) Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – Eventing competition at the Olympic Equestrian Center at Deodoro continued on Sunday with the second day of dressage. The U.S. Olympic Eventing Team moved up from seventh place and is now tied with New Zealand for sixth place on a total of 137.50. Lauren Kieffer and Phillip Dutton gave strong performances for the U.S. in a hotly contested team competition. Germany currently leads the team standings on a total of...

Piber Köflach, Austria – The U.S. Driving Team of Donna Crookston, Sterling Graburn, and Suzy Stafford, along with individual Leslie Berndl, made a valiant effort at the 2016 FEI World Driving Championships for Singles, which proved to be a true championship test. The strong international field consisted of 75 combinations from 23 countries, and after four days of competition, the U.S. team finished 14th. Sterling Graburn and Mannkato (Krisztina Horváth/Hoefnet.com) Graburn (Paris,...

Early nights all round for the dressage and eventing teams; and I bet there are a ton of people out there that wish they could turn in to their slumber pits early as well. Overnight equine arrivals plus the huge amount of work that the equestrian experts supporting the Rio 2016 Organising Committee have had to undertake, has ensured that there are many tired people out there. But these experts have done an excellent job getting the venue ready and whilst there remain frustrations and areas...

This is stressful. Sitting in the Team tack room watching a procession of athletes destroying our supplies of snacks, drinks, and other culinary delights: Clearly they do not get fed at home and this is an enjoyable adventure for them. Ok, I get it, they and the grooms are who matter most but all the bottles and snacks were lined up in regimental rows and now a tornado has destroyed the illusion of order. Rewind. Monday morning (Europe time) Clan Dressage deployed to Rio; horses from Liege...

This may not be a photo likely to win any photographic competitions but it was taken at 2:30 a.m. from my bedroom. No, I am not some weird stalker or peeping tom but this is a photo of the merry bunch of selfish insomniacs that decided to have a very loud speaker (top right quarter of the photo) playing until about 3:30 a.m. Yes, I kinda wish I had something more persuasive to hand than a Canon camera… in fact a canon would have done very nicely. The eventing horses have settled in very...

Aachen, Germany – Members of the U.S. Olympic Show Jumping Team performed in the Mercedes-Benz Nations Cup at CHIO Aachen Thursday, which served as their final Nations Cup competition prior to the Rio Olympic Games. Led by Chef d’Equipe Robert Ridland, the Hermès U.S. Show Jumping Team of Lucy Davis, Laura Kraut, Beezie Madden, and McLain Ward put in valiant efforts in a very competitive field to tie with France for the Silver medal on four faults. Germany won the Gold medal...

Best Young Horse Arbor Hill with Handler Richard Taylor (Rebecca Walton/Phelps Media Group) Devon, Pa. - For the second year in a row, Richard Taylor and Arbor Hill stood front and center in the Dixon Oval on the final day of the Devon Horse Show and Country Fair. Owned by Kenneth Wheeler and handled by Taylor, Arbor Hill took home the Kenneth Wheeler Perpetual Trophy for Best Young Horse. Taylor and Arbor Hill (Redwine - Paisley), kicked off the day by winning the Three-Year-Old Other Than...

Rome, Italy – Members of the Short List for the 2016 U.S. Olympic Show Jumping Team will compete this week in the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup presented by Longines at CSIO5* Rome in Italy. The competition is a designated observation event that will help determine the 2016 U.S. Olympic Show Jumping Team. Led by Chef d’Equipe Robert Ridland, the Hermès U.S. Show Jumping Team will include Kent Farrington, Laura Kraut, Callan Solem, and McLain Ward. The U.S. has drawn second in the...

Rome, Italy – Members of the Short List for the 2016 U.S. Olympic Show Jumping Team will compete this week in the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup presented by Longines at CSIO5* Rome in Italy. The competition is a designated observation event that will help determine the 2016 U.S. Olympic Show Jumping Team. Led by Chef d’Equipe Robert Ridland, the Hermès U.S. Show Jumping Team will include Kent Farrington, Laura Kraut, Callan Solem, and McLain Ward. The U.S. has drawn second in the...

Cassie Kahle and Wallstreet swept the field in the $25,000 Blue Rock Classic Grand Prix at Swan Lake Horse Show. (Lauren Baker/PhelpsMediaGroup) Littlestown, Pa. - After accumulating blue ribbons in both the hunter and jumper rings during the first three days of the Blue Rock Classic, Cassie Kahle wasn't going to let Saturday's bad weather stop her winning streak. Despite the constant downpour, the rising talent piloted Wallstreet to victory in the $25,000 Blue Rock Classic Grand Prix....