Sinead Halpin and Manoir De Carneville (Jenni Autry) Unionville, PA - All three CIC divisions saw exciting conclusions to dressage on the first full day of competition at Plantation Field Horse Trials. In the CIC3*, Sinead Halpin and Manoir De Carneville set an incredibly high benchmark toward the end of the division, scoring 37.8 to hold a commanding lead. Halpin and Manoir De Carneville were meant to compete in Europe this fall, but a freak injury in July at Chattahoochee Hills kept Halpin...

Woodstock, England – Cross Country day at the Fidelity Blenheim Palace International Horse Trial saw gutsy performances from U.S. competitors over Eric Winter’s influential track. Saturday’s test was made all the more difficult as horse and rider combinations also had to contend with slick going, yet the Americans remained undeterred. Clark Montgomery maintained his third place standing on an ever-improving Loughan Glen, while 24-year-old Clark Montgomery and Loughan Glen...

Nayel Nassar and Lordan jump their way to Zoetis Million glory at HITS Saugerties during Championship Weekend (©ESI Photography) Saugerties, NY – Nayel Nassar of Stanford, California proved that a 3,000-mile trip across the U.S. was well worth the effort Sunday when he rode Lordan to a hard-fought victory in the fourth-annual Zoetis $1 Million Grand Prix at HITS Saugerties. With the post-competition tunes of Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell playing in the background, Nassar prepared to...

Penny Brennan and Great Good win the $7,500 EquiFit Open Speed Stake at the Fieldstone Summer Showcase II. (Kendall Bierer/PMG) Halifax, MA - Despite cloudy conditions, Penny Brennan once again shone through during the Fieldstone Summer Showcase II to win the $7,500 EquiFit Speed Derby aboard Great Good. Torrential downpours threatened the Fieldstone Show Park Thursday, but that did not deter riders from competing for the prize. Brennan captured first place, outriding her competitors by nearly...

Reprinted with permission from Cowboy Dressage Newsletter: August 2-4, 2013 “Build It and They Will Come” “Cowboy Dressage Competition debuted at Rancho Murieta Gold N Grand Horse Show Aug 2-4. Gold N Grand is known on the west coast for being the premier open horse show at one of the west’s top equine facilities. A record number of 183 entries for one discipline made history. It was Cowboy Dressage. This does not happen by accident. It happens because of hard work, a...

Kristian Roberts repeated as Men's Gold Division National Champion in Denver (Lynne Owen/VaultingPhotos.com) Denver, CO – Seven USEF National Championships were awarded at the National Western Complex on Sunday when competition in all six individual divisions and the open Pas de Deux division wrapped up. The day saw Kristian Roberts repeat as Male Gold Division National Champion, Elizabeth Ioannou get the best of a three-time defending champion to take top prize in the women’s...

Amanda Thomas and Bonfire swept the Pre-Green 3'3" Hunter division over fences for the first day of Equifest (Ashley N. Williams/Phelps Media Group) Wayne, IL - The Lamplight Equestrian Center grounds were immaculate as exhibitors gathered for Equifest I. Blue skies and a light breeze welcomed riders to the hunter ring as they took on the first day of courses. Of the competitors, Amanda Thomas rode four horses to the top of the rankings. Aboard Kapalua in the Performance 3'6" Hunter...

Like the tale of a great cowboy story, a monumental journey began in the kitchen of a house in a small town in Texas. It was there that a gathering of horsemen and women begin to discuss the merits for the use of Dressage for the Western horse; “Western Dressage” emerged. Understanding the need for an organization to provide education and resources for this discipline, the Western Dressage Association® of America (WDAA) was formed as the first national entity for Western...

Shane Smith & Shepherd Star (Shannon Brinkman) Lexington, KY For the second time in three years, Shane Brown won the World Championship Freestyle Reining tonight at the Kentucky Horse Park. He rode Shepherd Star to the title, receiving 228 points from the three judges. Brown’s score put him just 1 point ahead of three riders who tied for second with a score of 227—Aaron Ralston on Blue Taris Glo, Drake Johnson on Sonic Chic Dream, and Pete Kyle on A Ruf Gal. The winners split a...

Tim McQuay and Mega Watt Shine (Shannon Brinkman) Lexington, KY - The reining world descends on the Kentucky Horse Park this weekend as many of the best in the sport have come to Lexington to compete in the 2013 Kentucky Reining Cup. Held in conjunction with the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by Land Rover, competition will be held April 26-27 in the Alltech Arena. On Friday, CRI3* Open FEI Reining competition will begin at 6:00 pm ET, while Saturday's Reining World Freestyle...