Exploding wine bottle, flooding hotel, horse inspection, surprise substitutions, interesting team running orders, lost & found luggage, and a Brazilian party in the Maracanã Stadium. Quite a couple of days. So where to start; perhaps with the job in hand. All the U.S. horses looked fit, well and beautifully turned out by the grooms and the horse inspection went without a hitch for the U.S. Running order declared (Boyd, Clark, Lauren & Philip) and the dressage horses having been...

Boyd Martin and Blackfoot Mystery (Shannon Brinkman Photo) Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - The eventing horse inspection officially kicked off equestrian competition at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Friday. Over the next 14 days, 204 athlete-and-horse combinations in the three equestrian disciplines of eventing, dressage, and show jumping will compete for coveted Team and Individual medals at Rio’s Deodoro Olympic Equestrian Center. The U.S. Olympic Eventing Team of Phillip...

Courtney Calcagnini and Bowie win the $25,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby at the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival. (Kendall Bierer/Phelps Media Group) Traverse City, Mich. - It was only in June that Courtney Calcagnini and Bowie made headlines, winning the $30,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby at the Country Heir Horse Show in Lexington, Kentucky. Consistent contenders in the hunter derby program, Calcagnini showcased Bowie's talent once again during the Great Lakes Equestrian...

I would describe today as a Between Day; somewhere between good and bad, and for my persona, somewhere varying between “sociably acceptable and bear with sore head and irritated butt”. There is a standing guideline within the British Military called the 1/3rd - 2/3rd Rule – of the time available, use 1/3rd for your own planning leaving 2/3rds for your subordinates. I think it works in reverse when preparing for the first arrival of horses, grooms, staff and OMG..they are...

Part I We have a green light and Mission Control has pressed the big red, white and blue button. Afterburners have been ignited and phase one of the move to Rio is under way. Ok, so a bunch of Team clothing arrived after we had left, we do not know how we are going to get some 60 bags from USOC Team Processing in Houston to Rio, we are not entirely sure where our containers are in Rio, and the delivery of Coca Cola product to the Venue in Rio didn't go quite as smoothly as we had hoped....

McLain Ward and HH Azur claim the top prize in the Douglas Elliman Grand Prix Qualifier Bridgehampton, N.Y. - The 41st annual Hampton Classic Horse Show is excited to announce its inaugural Jump for Charity program. As a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, The Hampton Classic has a mission to support other charities in the community and has done so in the past for several local non-profit organizations and equestrian-related causes. This year the Classic hopes to give back even more and has...

Aaron Vale concluded Week Two of the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival with a win in the $50,000 Grand Prix of Michigan. (Taylor Renner/Phelps Media Group) Traverse City, Mich. - A little rain did not stop the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival (GLEF) from putting on a fantastic event on Sunday to cap off Week Two of competition at Flintfields Horse Park with the week's highly anticipated feature class, the $50,000 Grand Prix of Michigan, presented by Peninsula Capital Management and Craig...

Harold Chopping and Basje on their way to $25,000 Brook Ledge Grand Prix win. (ESI Photography) Culpeper, Va. - Riders and horses turned out for Friday’s $25,000 Brook Ledge Grand Prix as a weekend of excitement kicked off at the Cavalier Classic, the third week of HITS Culpeper. Coming home with the victory was Southern Pines, North Carolina equestrian Harold Chopping aboard Basje, owned by Kendra Bullington. This win makes Chopping and Basje’s third blue ribbon in the Grand Prix...

Aachen, Germany –The CAIO4*-H4 Nations Cup competition concluded on Sunday at CHIO Aachen with the cones phase. Under the guidance of Chef d’Equipe Ed Young, the U.S. Driving Team of Chester Weber and Chester Weber (Shannon Brinkman Photography) Allison Stroud finished in seventh place. Weber was the top-ranked American, earning third. The Netherlands maintained its dominate two-phase lead to take the Gold medal in team competition. Germany placed second and Belgium finished in...

Scott Lenkart and Ziezo kicked off their week at the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival with a win in Thursday's 1.40m Jumpers. (Taylor Renner/Phelps Media Group) Traverse City, Mich. - The Grand Prix Ring at Flintfields Horse Park kicked off at 8 a.m. on Thursday with the 1.40m Jumpers concluding Week Two's second day of competition at the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival (GLEF). Scott Lenkart of South Haven Farm started his week at GLEF off strong, earning the first place ribbon in...