The fourteenth in a series of guest blog posts from Michelle Binder The last several weeks I’ve talked about how to get started in western dressage. If you are curious, you’ve checked out the website, taken advantage of the free basic membership by becoming a member, read the rules, reviewed the tests, read the articles, participated in the Forum discussions, found WD groups on Facebook, visited YouTube and chatted with your friends about it. Maybe you’ve contacted your local...

Olivier Philippaerts and Cabrio Van De Heffinck, winner of the CN International Grand Prix. (Spruce Meadows Media Services) Calgary, AB - The biggest day in show jumping saw the youngest CN International winner in History in an exciting finale to the 2012 Spruce Meadows tournament season. With $1,000,000 on the line in the CN International Grand Prix, 30 horse/rider combinations entered the International ring. Round one, designed by Leopoldo Palacios (VEN) saw only one clear round through the...

The twelveth in a series of guest blog posts from Michelle Binder Every day I field calls from people wanting to know more about Western Dressage. What is it? How do I find out more about it? Can anyone do it? Is it hard? Who teaches Western Dressage? Are there shows? Last weekend a few of our riders were invited to do a Western Dressage demonstration at the local dressage show. What struck me was the feeling of being out of place amongst my dressage friends because we were wearing our western...

McLain Ward and Antares F won the $100,000 Wells Fargo Grand Prix of Devon Middleburg, VA - Taylor Harris Insurance Services (THIS) announced today that the $200,000 Taylor Harris Triple Crown Challenge will return again next season. Debuting this season, the Triple Crown Challenge offered a unique test with a spectacular $200,000 top prize for any show jumping rider that could put together back to back to back wins at three of the nation's most prestigious grand prix events on the same...

Scott Stewart riding Enjoy, one of the horses that helped him earn the Leading Hunter Rider title at the Hampton Classic Horse Show. (Shawn McMillen) Bridgehampton, NY - Scott Stewart, of Wellington Fla., was the Leading Hunter Rider of the 37th Annual Hampton Classic Horse Show, winning three hunter championships. He was presented with the Charlie Weaver Memorial Trophy for the second consecutive year and for the sixth time in his career. “This means a lot to me,” said Stewart....

McLain Ward and Antares F winning the $100,000 Wells Fargo Grand Prix of Devon, the first leg of the THIS Triple Crown (Parker Russell - The Book LLC) Middleburg, VA - Olympic gold Medalist McLain Ward and his London partner Antares F will be in the spotlight as the second leg of the all-new Taylor Harris Insurance Services (THIS) Triple Crown Challenge takes place at the famed Hampton Classic Horse Show in Bridgehampton, NY on Sunday, September 2nd during the $250,000 FTI Grand Prix & FEI...

Jennifer Alfano and Jersey Boy captured the $100,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby Finals Championship at the Bluegrass Festival Horse Show. (Kendall Bierer/PMG) Lexington, KY - It was a night that will be well remembered, and a win well deserved. The Rolex Stadium was packed at the Kentucky Horse Park as the Handy Round brought the 2012 $100,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby Finals to a close during the Bluegrass Festival Horse Show. One of the industry's most successful hunter...

Dougie Hannum doesn’t stress. But when the red foam finger feeding frenzy kicked off today - he may have gotten slightly agitated. It didn’t last long. The SmartPak/USEF Foam Finger “Dressage is #1” Initiative has really taken off. These things are everywhere and everyone wants one. The British are so polite. They say please, they insist on paying, they ask if they can have their photo taken with Sarah Paull who is actually running around wearing a giant foam finger...

Reining Junior Team Gold - USA Southeast on their victory lap (Waltenberry) Lexington, KY - The Reining Team Championship competition was tightly contested today at the Adequan/FEI North American Junior & Young Rider Championships presented by Gotham North (NAJYRC) with Team USA South-Central claiming the top of the podium in Young Rider Competition and Team USA Southeast in the Gold position for Juniors. The NAJYRC runs through Sunday, July 22, at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY....

Dynamic and Laura Pfeiffer. Traverse City, MI - As Horse Shows by the Bay continued its second day of fierce competition--again amid spectacular weather and conditions at the Flintfields Horse Park in Traverse City, Michigan--the key to success was consistency. While day one showcased an unprecedented number of sweeps in the professional hunter sections, with the same horse/rider combinations sweeping all three classes offered in their respective sections, today riders had to remain steadfast....