Steffen Peters and Ravel (Shannon Brinkman) Greenwich, UK - It was an historic day at Greenwich Park. Less than 24 hours after the British Show Jumping Team won it's first Olympic Team Gold medal in 60 years, the British Dressage Team won it's first Olympic medal ever, and it was Gold. They finished on a score of 79.979 to win Gold over Germany. The Netherlands won Bronze.The U.S. Dressage Team made a valiant run at a Team medal at Greenwich Park with some strong performances, but it...

So when I got here I thought ‘How hard could it be to take 20 minutes every day and write about what happened’? Very difficult when you are running around like a headless chicken. Cross country day brought glorious weather and some epic performances were on display. The crowds were amazing and you could hear the horses coming by the roar of the crowd all the way around the course. There were people installed along the galloping lanes, not even anywhere near a fence. It was...

Phillip Dutton and Mystery Whisper over the last fence. (Shannon Brinkman) Greenwich, UK - The U.S. Olympic Eventing Team climbed into fifth place with three strong cross country rounds around Sue Benson's testing cross country course against the stunning backdrop of Greenwich Park. Germany continues to lead the team effort on a score of 124.7 followed closely by Great Britain (130.2) and Sweden (131.4). New Zealand is on a score of 133.4 in fourth and the USA's score of 155.2 has them...

The seventh in a series of guest blog posts from Michelle Binder Before we learn to read we must learn the ABC’s. William Cavendish, Duke of Newcastle (1593-1676) suggested an analogy between the education of a child and horse trainers who made unrealistic demands on young horses. Centuries ago he asked, ‘I would fain ask such stupid people, whether, by beating a boy, they could teach him to read, without first showing him his alphabet?’1 Systematic progressive training is not...

Morocco and Lisa Goldman. Traverse City, MI - Opening Day of the 2012 London Olympic Games was celebrated in Red, White and Blue fashion yesterday during the final Saturday evening of the Horse Shows by the Bay Equestrian Festival in Traverse City, Michigan. Spectators and Grand Prix riders competing in the $30,000 D-Braider Cherry Capital Classic Grand Prix participated in a "Good Luck Send-Off" for the U.S. Show Jumping Team competing at the 2012 London Olympic Games. Video and electronic...

Aaron Vale and Tibor won the $40,000 Kentucky Summer Grand Prix with a blazing speed, defeating Pablo Barrios for the winning title. (Kendall Bierer/PMG) Lexington KY - The Rolex Stadium was alive with excitement as 34 entrants competed in the $40,000 Kentucky Summer Grand Prix at the Kentucky Summer Horse Show. It turned into a nail-biter as five competitors progressed into the jump-off with a clear first round effort. Trailblazer Pablo Barrios aboard Zara Leandra was the first to post a...

Victoria New and Fleeceworks Mystere du Val, Individual Gold medalists in Junior Eventing (Brant Gamma Photography) Lexington, KY - The Adequan/FEI North American Junior & Young Rider Championship concluded competition today after an extremely successful week. Eventing was the highlight with riders completing their stadium jumping phase to determine team and individual medalists. Five disciplines (a total of 9 championships for juniors and young riders) took part in the only FEI...

Caitlyn Shiels and S&L Downtown finished first in the Six, Seven and Eight-Year-Old Young Jumper class during the opening week of the Vermont Summer Festival in East Dorset, VT. (David Mullinix Photography) East Dorset, VT – The next generation of grand prix horses took center stage during the first three weeks of the 2012 Vermont Summer Festival horse show, running July 4 through August 12 at Harold Beebe Farm in East Dorset, VT. Five-Year-Old, Six-Year-Old and Seven and...

Little Emir and Shane Sweetnam. Traverse City, MI - As Shane Sweetnam walked into the ring aboard Spy Coast Farm LLC's Little Emir for the jump-off of the $30,000 Grand Traverse Bay Grand Prix, he was weighing his options. With just two riders to follow him in the 17-horse jump-off, Sweetnam was figuring out his odds. At the moment, he held the lead aboard his other mount, Rolette, and he was currently sitting on one of his most experienced grand prix partners, the 14-year-old German-bred...

Kaitlin Campbell and Rocky W claimed victory in the $10,000 Overland Sheepskin Co. Open Welcome Stake on Thursday, July 5, at the Vermont Summer Festival in East Dorset, VT. (David Mullinix Photography) East Dorset, VT – Kaitlin Campbell of Brookeville, Maryland, captured victory in the $10,000 Overland Sheepskin Co. Open Welcome Stake, Presented by Manchester Designer Outlets, on Thursday, July 5, at the Vermont Summer Festival in East Dorset, VT. The six-week equestrian competition is...