Tinne Vilhelmson-Silfvén and Divertimento Wellington, FL - The prestigious Palm Beach Dressage Derby consistently attracts top dressage riders from around the world, and its 2013 edition is no exception. The 30th year of the Dressage Derby, held Feb. 28-Mar. 3 at Equestrian Estates in Loxahatchee as part of International Horse Sport Palm Beach's winter series, has drawn an international cast of competitors, including many who have represented their countries in the Olympic Games. The...

Nick Maupin is a 19-year-old student at the University of Wisconsin majoring in Business Marketing and plans to graduate in 2015. From Sussex, Wisconsin, he is on the five-gaited section of the 2012 U.S. Saddle Seat World Cup Team. It would not surprise any member of the Saddle Seat world to hear me say that the discipline is generally, along with Saddle Seat Equitation, a female dominated sport. Quite possibly the only time one will see a male majority in a class is in the Open divisions. Not...

Breda, The Netherlands - Competition at the 2012 FEI World Para-Equestrian Driving Championships for Singles commenced Thursday at the Outdoor Brabant in Breda, The Netherlands. All three competitors on the U.S. Team successfully completed their dressage tests and the team sits in 4th place on a score of 124.0 Veteran Diane Kastama's 57.40 was the best score of the day for the Americans and it has her tied for 13th individually. Kastama (Arroyo Grande, CA), who is driving the de Ronde's...

Para-equestrian drivers and their supporters enjoyed some time off and toured the Hague on Monday. They got an up-close look at Queen Beatrix's Golden Coach Breda, The Netherlands - International para-equestrian drivers are in Breda, The Netherlands right now ready to compete at the 2012 FEI World Para-Equestrian Driving Championships for Singles. The first vet check took place Wednesday and the three horses that will be driven by Americans passed with ease. Athletes schooled in dressage today...

Bridgehampton, NY - I nternational veteran Jeffery Welles of Pound Ridge, N.Y., ruled the Grand Prix Ring on Tuesday at the 37th Annual Hampton Classic. Welles won both the afternoon’s American Eurocopter $7,500 1.45m Open Jumper class and the fist section of the morning’s Newsday $7,500 1.40m Open Jumper class. Welles, 50, won the more difficult afternoon class on Merlin in a time of 61.80 seconds, defeating Darragh Kerins on S&L Farms’ S&L Zeppelin (62.06) and Shane...

Taylor Cox and Midnight Heart taking first place at Pony Jumper Championship at the 2012 US Pony Finals. (Ashley N. Williams) Lexington, KY - Riders have trained all year to prove their ponies possess the honed skill to jump in the US National Pony Jumper Championships at the Alltech Arena at the Kentucky Horse Park. With stadium seating and a lively audience, 31 competitors from around the country attempted a faultless finish and to set an unrivaled time to beat. Putting on an unparalleled...

Mollie Kowalchik and Uccello Traverse City, MI - When Mollie Kowalchik walked into the Grand Prix Arena at Horse Shows by the Bay yesterday for the first time, she never dreamed that she would conclude the day with her first two major equitation wins in her young riding career. The 16-year-old Loveland, Ohio native captured top honors in both featured equitation classes by winning the USEF Talent Search Medal and the WIHS Jumper Phase. Aboard her 11-year-old warmblood Uccello, Kowalchik...

A final assessment has been carried out on the all-weather footing at Greenwich Park, and given approval by the FEI. Debbie Jevans, LOCOG Director of Sport, who was present at the assessment, commented: “With support from the FEI, the contractors and our own team have done a great job to get the make-up of the surface right, and we now believe this will be a world class surface for the equestrian athletes in a stunning Olympic venue.” The surface was changed after last year’s...

Shade and Katie Lambert-Boone. Traverse City, MI - Amid bright blue skies and perfect summer weather, thousands of participants from all over North America kicked off the Horse Shows By the Bay Series. Taking advantage of perfect conditions, the first day of professional hunter competition showcased an uncanny day of "Trifectas." In a rare feat, all four professional hunter divisions--First Year Green Working Hunter, Second Year Green/High Performance Hunter, Green Conformation Hunter and...

Gladstone, NJ - The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) approved the Show Jumping FEI Nominated Entries for the 2012 Olympic Games. From the Nominated Entries, the team of four and a traveling reserve will be entered on the Definite Entry on July 6th. The ranked order of the athlete/horse combinations for the FEI Nominated Entries is as follows: 1. Rich Fellers and Mollie and Harry Chapman's Flexible 2. Beezie Madden and Coral Reef Ranch's Coral Reef Via Volo 3. Reed Kessler on...