Nicola Philippaerts and Cortez won the $50,000 Triumph Project Welcome Stake at Alltech National Horse Show. (Rebecca Walton/PMG) Lexington, KY - The 2012 Alltech National Horse Show, 129th Edition, greeted the Open Jumper riders with an inviting $50,000 Triumph Project Welcome Stake, sponsored by The Davis McCullough Foundation, for their first day of competition. Speed was the name of the game and Belgium's Nicola Philippaerts was right on point with his new mount Cortez. The pair blazed...

Good Times and Ailish Cunniffe. (Shawn McMillen Photography) Washington D.C. - The Junior Hunter divisions concluded their second day of competition on Friday morning with the presentation of championship awards at WIHS. Fifteen-year-old Ailish Cunniffe, of South Salem, NY, and Whipstick Farm Ltd.’s Good Times were awarded the Grand Junior Hunter Championship, sponsored by Roseknoll Sporthorse and Victoria Holstein-Childress. Cunniffe and Good Times were presented The Ides of March...

Ohlala and Lauren Hough. (Shawn McMillen Photography) Washington D.C. - Lauren Hough (USA) and Ohlala were the winners in the $32,000 International Open Jumper 1.50m faults converted class, sponsored by Sleepy P Ranch, as part of the evening competition on Friday.Nineteen entries jumped the course, and Hough and Ohlala cleared the obstacles in a blazing fast time of 46.82 seconds for the win. ? Nicola Philippaerts (BEL) and Stal de Kalvarie’s Diebrich de Kalvarie cleared the course just a...

Reed Kessler and Ligist with ringmaster John Franzreb, Andrea King and Emanuel Andrade of Hollow Creek Farm, and WIHS Executive Director Bridget Love Meehan. (Shawn McMillen Photography) Washington D.C. - The $20,000 International Open Jumper Gambler’s Choice Costume Class, sponsored by Hollow Creek Farm, is always an exciting event at WIHS, especially with Barn Night and thousands of young fans cheering on the riders. In tonight’s class, 18-year-old Reed Kessler, of Lexington, KY,...

Revealed and Julie Holzberger Top Adult Hunter. (Al Cook) Harrisburg, PA - Revealed and Julie Holzberger of Fairfield, OH revealed their championship ways by winning in the $10,000 North American League Adult Hunter Final, presented by Practical Horseman, at the 67th Annual Pennsylvania National Horse Show on Friday. This was the first year Holzberger competed in the Final and her first time at Harrisburg. "I am so thrilled," said Holzberger. "I love competing here and in the NAL. I am so...

Victory in the final leg at Boekelo (NED) clinched the overall win for Germany in the first FEI Nations Cup Eventing (left to right): Michael Jung, Bettina Hoy, Julia Krajewski and Ingrid Klimke with Chef d'Equipe Hans Melzer (Jon Stroud/FEI) The German team produced yet another first-rate performance to win at Boekelo (NED), the final leg of the inaugural FEI Nations Cup™ Eventing, and rounded off what has been an outstanding year for the country’s senior riders with a comfortable...

Calgary, Canada - The 2012 Spruce Meadows Masters Tournament had great significance for U.S. riders, as it was their final competition under the guidance of legendary Chef d’ Equipe George Morris. The prestigious competition is always a destination event for not only the best in North America but also draws top competitors from Europe. The signature classes of Spruce Meadows would once again draw a packed house of spectators, as horses and riders competed for top individual honors in...

Devon, PA – Dressage at Devon has confirmed the judges for the breed and performance divisions of the 2012 show. Breed Division Jayne Ayers (USA) “R” DSHB Jayne Ayers has been an FEI “I” (4*) dressage judge for over 20 years, and has been judging dressage for the USEF for over 30 years. Jayne also holds an ‘R’ license to judge Dressage Sport Horse Breeding classes. As a judge and clinician, Jayne has represented the FEI on the World Dressage Challenge...

Reisenbeck, Germany - Heading into the 2012 FEI Four-in-Hand Driving World Championships the United States was looking to be amongst the leaders following the dressage and they have done just that. The U.S. currently stands in Bronze medal position less than a point behind the Germans in second. Reigning World Champions, The Netherlands, currently lead the Team Championship. The U.S. leads the Individual Championship as no one was able to top Chester Weber’s remarkable score of 33.41 from...

Walking up the steps from the mixed zone to the athlete seating takes 20 seconds. I have done it 29 times, after each ride. 29 times without a medal. Each time - the climb becomes more painful. We are trying, we are working, we are willing - we just aren’t winning. It is immensely frustrating. Our horses look great, our riders are well-coached, you can feel and hear their frustration when they make mistakes. My heart breaks for them when they don’t make mistakes and their best still...