Kassie Barteau Thanks Toscano (SusanJStickle.com) Gladstone, NJ – The 2010 Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Dressage Festival of Champions got off to a flying start on Friday afternoon as the Intermediaire I National Championship kicked off a competitive two weekends featuring the best dressage riders in the United States. Highlighted by the National Grand Prix Dressage Championship which is also serving as the USEF Selection Trial for Dressage for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, these...

Photo by ESI Photography (Lillie Keenan riding Chansonette Farm’s C Coast Z in the $10,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby.) The landscape of the Pfizer Million took a major turn during HITS-on-the-Hudson IV when Olympians McLain Ward, and Margie Engle each reached the eight qualifying Grand Prix classes needed to become eligible for the Pfizer $1 Million Grand Prix that will take place at HITS-on-the-Hudson on Sunday, September 12. Engle of West Palm Beach, FL, and Ward of Brewster, NY,...

"What a mare, huh?" said Penny Brennon of her winning mount in the $5,000 Speed Derby. The mare in question is Cowgirl, an eight-year-old Dutch Warmblood that owner Debi Connor imported from Holland several years ago. With Brennon in the irons, Cowgirl won the $5,000 Speed Derby during the Rocky Mountain Classic (July 14-18, 2010) at the Colorado Horse Park. It was the second week in a row the pair topped the Speed Derby. "This is an amazing horse," Brennon said. "I didn't think we could have a...

Dressage Competing at the prestigious CDIO Aachen, Tina Konyot put in stellar performances in the Grand Prix, Grand Prix Special and the Grand Prix Freestyle. Starting off on Thursday in the Grand Prix, Konyot and her stallion Calecto V scored a 68.602% for a 14th place finish. In the Special, the pair put in a solid test to finish 10th with a 70.333%. Continuing to progress, Konyot and Calecto performed their Freestyle on Sunday receiving an outstanding score of 73.643% for eighth place. Also...

The Polish team, complete newcomers to the top-level of nations cup jumping, are drawn first to go in the 2010 Meydan FEI Nations Cup™ series which kicks off at La Baule in France tomorrow afternoon. And with four of the 10 competing countries due to be relegated at the end of this season all the Chefs d'Equipe were in complete agreement about one thing during this afternoon's draw press conference - this is going to be a very tough season indeed. The order of go for tomorrow's first leg is as...

Beginning in 1995 as part of the Volvo World Cup Finals, the Festival of the Horse (March 30–April 2) has become one of the largest dressage shows in Southern California. Cornerstone Event Management strives to combine top competition with special activities surrounding the show. “The sponsors play a large part on the success of the Festival,” said Glenda McElroy, Festival manager. “We try to find a niche for all our sponsors; Markel Insurance, a longtime partner, sponsors the high-point...

Photo by Anne Gittins (Jeffery Welles and Armani) It was with speed and grace that Jeffery Welles was able to capture Saturday night's victory with his top mount, Armani, during a three-horse jump-off. The pair raced through the finish line in 44.36 seconds after completing a clear short course during the 2010 $200,000 Gene Mische American Invitational, presented by G & C Farm, at Raymond James Stadium. Peter Leone tried to catch his time with Select, who also left all the rails intact, but the...

Buck Davidson and My Boy Bobby win at The Fork (US Eventing) Dressage Competition was underway on both coasts this week with the CDI3*/Y/J Burbank, CA (Festival of the Horse) and the Dressage at Equestrian Estates in Loxahatchee, FL. Jan Ebeling dominated the Grand Prix in Burbank, coming in first on Rafalca and second on Sandrina. Guenter Seidel and U II were third. In the Grand Prix Special it was Seidel who triumphed with a score of 69.875%, narrowly beating out Ebeling and Rafalca. Ebeling...

Jimmy Fairclough Threads the Needle (Joanie Morris/USEF) Ocala, FL – An exciting day of marathon driving at Live Oak International presented by US Trust showcased some of the very best in the US vying for USEF National Championship honors for both Single Horses and Four-in-Hands. Jimmy Fairclough drove like a man on mission – and his perseverance prevailed. Driving Jane Clark’s team, the New Jersey driver started out confidently in the first hazard and got better and better as he guided his...

Nicole Shahinian Simpson and Tristan (Randi Muster/Mustphoto.com) Wellington, FL – Twenty-two horses remained in the USEF Selection Trials for the US Show Jumping Team for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games and they contested their fifth and final Trial as part of the $150,000 CN US Open at the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival. A total of 55 horses tackled Guilherme Jorge’s course in the second feature event of CSIO Wellington week and the competition proved fierce. A difficult related...