It was Maggie McAlary--all day, all the way, from morning till night. The 16-year-old, from Amherst, NH, rode 11th in a cavalcade of 271 junior riders vying for the 2006 prestigious Pessoa/United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) Hunter Seat Medal Final presented by Becker College. This was McAlary’s third year qualifying for this national championship. “My horse, Mid-Accord, was nervous before the first round,” she said. “This is his first year doing equitation.” She topped the first...

Team USA takes to the field during the 2006 WEG Opening Ceremonies. (USEF Archive/Brian Sosby ) After four long years of waiting, an anxious equestrian world watched the clock roll down to the moment everyone had their eyes turned to – the Opening Ceremonies of the 2006 Aachen FEI World Equestrian Games. And while gray skies and wet and windy weather welcomed the crème of the equine world to the picturesque town located in the westernmost corner of one of Europe’s most...

PhelpsPhotos.com/USEF Archives (Pony Finals First-Timers Zone 10 Take Home Gold) Lexington, KY – On day three of the 2006 USEF Pony Final National Championships, Samantha Schaefer and Zone 10 walked away with the top prizes. The 13-year-old Schaefer, of Westminster, MD, rode her seven-year-old German Riding Pony gelding, Rockport, to their first Pony Finals win. This was their first time riding indoors, after the competition had to be moved inside today due to the torrential rainstorms...

Parker, CO—July 22—Karen Cudmore had her good luck charm in the stands during the $60,000 American Grandprix Association (AGA) Grand Prix of Denver presented by Dillard’s and Ariat. It seems whenever friend and judge Dale Pederson is at a show, Cudmore brings home the winning paycheck. The grand prix at the Colorado Horse Park was no exception. Not only did Cudmore finish in first place with Ocelot, she took the yellow ribbon with Southern Pride. Six horses advanced to the jump-off over Jack...

SusanJStickle.com (Michelle Gibson on Lex Barker) Gladstone, NJ – The women ruled the scoreboards today taking all five classes with back-to-back wins for Rebecca Hart and Michelle Gibson. After the unexpected downpour during yesterday’s last class, the ideal weather set the tone for some spectacular rides at all levels. Local Ana Digironimo won the first class of the day, the FEI Young Rider Prix St. Georges Test with a score of 56.15%. Digironimo, of Turnersville, NJ, rode her...

Brentina Cup Winner Elisabeth Austin and Olivier (SusanJStickle.com) Gladstone, NJ – The inaugural Brentina Cup was awarded to the winner of the USEF National Young Adult Dressage Championship today as part of the USET Foundation Dressage Festival of Champions. Elisabeth Austin of Williston, VT and her 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood stallion, Olivier scored a 70.39% on their FEI Intermediaire II test despite it being only his ninth show ever and only his third recognized FEI competition....

Margie Engle on Wapino (Ken Braddick/Phelps Media Group) Wellington, FL – The order of finish from day-to-day at the World Equestrian Games Selection Trials changes about as quickly as the weather has through the three trials, yet one thing remains the same…Margie Engle continues to shine. Currently Engle and Lauren Hough are tied for first place with five total faults while Engle is also a close second place with nine total faults on her second mount, Hidden Creek’s Wapino....

Lexington, Kentucky – For the first time in the 102-year history of the World's Championship Horse Show, the competition can be seen via webcast on the American Saddlebred Horse Association's website, www.saddlebred.com . Alan F. Balch, ASHA executive secretary, said the response has been very positive. "According to the e-mails we have been receiving and the posts on some of the Saddlebred online forums, the feed is going well for most Saddlebred enthusiasts," Balch said....

Devon, PA – Kimberly Prince of Hume, Virginia, will defend her title in the $75,000 American Gold Cup, September 15-18, at the Devon show grounds. Prince, who competed at the Gold Cup last year as Kimberly Frey, won the Gold Cup on the mare, Marlou, and placed second in the Welcome Stake Friday evening on Couletto K James. This year, Prince will compete in both the Welcome Stake and the Gold Cup on Couletto K James. Since last year’s Gold Cup, Prince has represented the United...

Diana DeRosa (Meredith Beerbaum and Shutterfly, champions of the 2005 FEI Budweiser World Cup Jumping Final) Las Vegas, Nevada – There were many times during the 2005 FEI World Cup Finals when one had to take a reality check and pinch themselves just to be certain they weren’t at the NBA play-offs instead of an equestrian event. Anyone who loves sport, whether they have ever been interested in horses or not, would have enjoyed the pure entertainment value of this week’s...