The 2010 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) was full of top competition during week eight, held March 3-7, 2010. The week featured the USEF Selection Trials for the U.S. Show Jumping Team for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games #3, #4, and #5, presented by Fidelity Investments, and the $75,000 FEI Nations Cup, presented by CN, along with a full schedule of hunter, jumper, and equitation classes. The week eight title sponsor was CN. The $150,000 CN U.S. Open Grand Prix, CSIO**** was...

Photo by Robbi Meisel (Wilhelm Genn and Chantal) Lebanon, OH-based Wilhelm Genn had a stellar second week at the 2010 Gulf Coast Winter Classics with victories in both Thursday’s $5,000 Welcome Open Jumper Stake aboard Happy Z and Sunday’s $25,000 Gulf Coast Grand Prix with Laura Ryan-Barnaclo’s Chantal. Deciding the path this week’s jumpers would take was one of the sport’s most revered course designers, Michel Vaillancourt, who began testing their limits on Thursday with a curvy 15-effort...

Mikala Munter Gundersen and Festivo Win Equilite Sponsored Class International dressage trainer and competitor Mikala Munter Gundersen was in the ribbons at the Wellington Classic Holiday Challenge, winning the USEF Third Level Test 3 with Christine DeHerrera’s Westphalian gelding Festivo. The class was sponsored by Equilite, makers of Sore No More, Herbal Blends and Botanical Animal Flower Essences, and Gundersen took home a giant tote filled with Equilite products. “Christine, who owns...

After a 4.20 wake-up alarm this morning, I had a cold cup of coffee (accidentally), found my way to Lexington airport in the midst of MORE rain and was in Chicago before i knew it. The SVP of Marketing (aka my boss) Kathy Meyer was on the same flight so we chatted and had breakfast in the windy city Las Vegas could give Chicago a run for its money with the wind. I got to the MGM where I'm staying (it was totally sensory overload), I'm a first-time starter in Vegas (to borrow a term from...

Hong Kong, China - The US show jumpers were all business when they returned to the main arena at Sha Tin tonight for the first round of the Nations Cup, the US riders finished on 12 faults, tied with Switzerland for the lead. Sapphire was Perfect for McLain Ward (Shannon Brinkman) Bookended by two members of the 2004 Gold medal winning team, Team USA’s performance was impressive, although somewhat unpredictable. McLain Ward and Sapphire started it off for the US but they had plenty of...

Missy Ransehousen aboard Critical Decision leads after Day One of dressage at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, Presented by Farnam. (Amy Katherine Dragoo ) The Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, Presented by Farnam, began in traditional Rolex style on the first of two-days of dressage—and that was with rain. Spectators came prepared for the typical Rolex wet weather, as they gathered to watch the top competitors in eventing vie for the prestigious four-star title. With 45 horses starting...

Lexington, VA—The CN North American Junior and Young Riders’ Championships (NAJYRC) are adding officially-sanctioned championships in reining to this year’s schedule. This addition paves the way for the biggest and best championships ever when the NAJYRC returns to the Virginia Horse Center in Lexington, VA, July 31-August 5. The North American Junior and Young Riders’ Championships is the premier equestrian event in North America for riders, age 14-21. Many young equestrians travel from around...

The statistics regarding the American Saddlebred Registry (ASR) Sweepstakes nominations and continuing eligibility are encouraging, with increases in numbers across the board. In the Three-Year-Old Sweepstakes, the rise in yearling nominations was a modest 2.58%. However, two-year-olds continuing eligibility rose 30.67% from 150 in 2006 to 196 in 2007, while three-year-olds continuing eligibility increased by 64 from 71 to 135, up 90.14%. In the four-year-old sweepstakes, three-year-old...

Karen Healey Stables hosted a clinic with renowned trainer and clinician George H. Morris on December 8-10, 2006 at Shelburne Farms in Hidden Valley of Westlake Village, CA. The clinic was organized by Karen Healey, the trainer and owner of Karen Healey Stables. The clinic had three divisions of riders: open jumpers, jumper 3’9”-4’, and advanced equitation. Each division had three sessions over the three days of the clinic. There were 25 riders total, and the clinic saw over 40 auditors for the...

It was a stars-and-stripes win as four top riders from the United States took the Nations Cup in CSIO Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Friday, November 10. The team of Eliza Shuford, Chris Kappler, Carolyn Kelly and Brianne Goutal beat out riders from four other countries—Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Sweden. This team was named only for this competition, and was under the direction of U.S. Chef d’Equipe George Morris. Riding in their first Nations Cup, the first round saw Young Rider rookie Kelly go...