The Pfizer $1 Million Grand Prix has been the talk of the town this winter as the excitement amongst the world's top riders is on the rise in anticipation of qualifying for this unprecedented event. Over the course of the HITS Winter Circuits, 159 top Grand Prix riders took advantage of 35 HITS Pfizer Million Qualifiers as they vied for $1.5 million in prize money and one of 40 coveted slots on the Pfizer Million Eligible Rider Rankings List. The Winter Circuits in Thermal and Ocala produced 45...

Attention High-Performance Dressage Riders—Two major deadlines are just around the corner. Please note that the deadline to declare for the 2009 FEI World Cup Finals™ is January 15, 2009. The form can be found on the USEF Dressage High-Performance page on the USEF website . The Application of Intent deadline for the 2009 Elite Rider European Grant is January 31, 2009; the application can also be found on the USEF Dressage High-Performance page on the USEF website . Any questions,...

Jumping athletes were put to the ultimate test Saturday as they competed for individual honors in the Gotham North FEI North American Youth Championships for Jumping, presented by USHJA. Over two rounds, the Children’s and Pre-Juniors attempted to record clear efforts to their overall scores and emerge on the podium. In the Children’s, Rylynn Conway (Zone 2 – Fair Haven, N.J.) took the gold medal after a tiebreaking jump-off, while in the Pre-Junior category, Lawson Whitaker...

Traverse City, Mich. – Christian Simonson (Ventura, Calif.) and Zeaball Diawind shattered the NAYC record for the highest score in the FEI Young Rider Freestyle Test, receiving a 78.935 percent from the judging panel to secure the pair’s third gold-medal performance of the week. Allison Nemeth (Flemington, N.J.) and Tiko earned a 73.330 percent for second place, while Tillie Jones (Lincoln, Neb.) and Qi Gong TF secured the bronze medal with a 73.170 percent. Simonson and Zeaball...

Traverse City, Mich. – The Region 4 Team comprised of Lexie Kment (Palmyra, Neb.) and Montagny von der Heide, Kylee Kment (Pamyra, Neb.) and Honor, and Ella Fruchterman (West Lakeland, Minn.) and Holts Le’Mans, rode to the top of the podium in the Junior Team Test at the North American Youth Dressage Championships, finishing with a final team score of 202.667 to take team gold. Region 7 finished in second place to take the silver medal with a team total of 197.787 following rides...

Wellington, Fla. – Personal best FEI Intermediate II 16-25 Test scores from Benjamin Ebeling with Illuster Van de Kampert and Emma Asher with Elegance N helped give the U.S. Stars and Stripes Team the gold medal edge in the FEI Nations Cup CDIO-U25 on Wednesday, March 11. The competition, which debuted in 2017, is part of the Adequan® Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) Week 10 festivities and gives young dressage athletes the opportunity to participate in a team competition atmosphere....

Kansas City, Mo. – The top saddle seat equitation riders in the U.S. faced a rigorous challenge on Saturday, November 10, as they competed for top honors in the USEF Saddle Seat Medal Final at the United Professional Horseman’s Association (UPHA)/American Royal National Championship Horse Show . Twelve of the 18 horse-and-rider combinations in the preliminary ride-offs were called back for the final round of competition by judges Sandy Sessink (Elyria, Ohio), Nancy Troutman (Salem,...

I started this blog this morning with the aim of completing by the start of the jumping competition and extolling the virtues of the Glorious 12th. However it is now evening and the blog is only just being started due to the time consuming shenanigans of the Annoying 14th. It has been one of those days that Rio 2016 have perfected the art of creating; frustrating and unnecessary. Casting my mind back to the Glorious 12th, I still get goosebumps combined with deep reoccurring nervous tension...

Kristen Vanderveen and Bull Run's Faustino De Tili (Sharon Packer Photography) Mill Spring, N.C. - Kristen Vanderveen (USA) and Bull Run's Faustino De Tili were unbeatable today in the first FEI class of the season at Tryon International Equestrian Center (TIEC), as the duo picked up their first major win at the venue since last year, finishing the $35,000 FEI 1.45m Horseware Ireland Speed Stake with a time of 66.25 seconds. Samuel Parot (CHI) piloted both of his mounts to a top three...

Lexington, Ky. - Perhaps no competitor had more fun with her performance than the Second Level Open Freestyle Champion Morgan Barrows (Monroe, Wash., Region 6) riding Janice Davis' Oldenburg gelding San Corazon. Their Billy Idol-themed freestyle was rewarded with a top score of 74.678%. "I had a blast! I want to go out there again," said Barrows, who has been partnered with her mount for less than a year. "I originally saw him at a friend's farm in Sweden when he was three. Later when...