Tuesday, July 22nd, @ 10pm, HBO Real Sports will air its story on Eventing. While we certainly hope the story will be balanced and accurately portray our sport, we are concerned by the preview HBO sports put out late last week. The story is entitled "Deadly Ride" and features among others, an interview with a mother who has tried to force her daughter to stop eventing. USEF President David O'Connor did a lengthy interview for the story with Real Sports correspondent Frank DeFord. In the...

Talk about a Rocky Mountain High. Luke Tokaruk of the Aiken, SC-based Tokaruk Show Stables, earned his first grand prix victory this Saturday, winning the $25,000 High Prairie Grand Prix aboard his own Lucius 35 at the Colorado Circuit Opener. Both Luke and his brother Michael, aboard Lord Byron, were entered in the grand prix, the highlight of Week One. Both the Tokaruks described the huge course, done by Olympic course designer Leopoldo Palacios, as “big and tough.” Indeed, only four...

Patrick Seaton wanted to win the $30,000 Golden Gate Grand Prix so he could claim the Woodside Jumper Accumulator prize of $20,000. Peter Breakwell wanted to win because he was tired of finishing second to Seaton. Macella O’Neill wanted to win because she is a fierce competitor and has a string of solid jumping horses. But in the end, a former Zone 10 Young Rider jumped a little higher, turned a little faster, and dared to leave a stride out to claim her first Grand Prix victory. Twenty-six...

Lexington, KY - U.S. Drivers Chester Weber and Tucker Johnson prepared for September's World Championships with solid performances at the prestigious CHIO Chester Weber's Second Place Team (Andres Steindl) Aachen today in Aachen, Germany. Weber and Tucker sit in second and fourth individually after the marathon and lie second, on a score of 296.81, less than a point behind The Netherlands (296.23), in the team portion of the competition. Weber, from Ocala, FL, has a two-day score of 144.64...

The United States Equestrian Federation’s Board of Directors held its annual mid-year meeting on June 24 at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center in Covington, KY. Several important decisions regarding the immediate future of the Federation’s governance were addressed, as well as important and exciting marketing initiatives and the designation of the first horse show to receive the new “Heritage” designation. Current President David O’Connor was re-elected for a second four-year term....

It was a great week for SBS Farms and riders at the Lake Placid CSI*** show from June 25-29. Riders who were the shining stars of the show included Jennifer Alfano and Meredith Lipke Bartolone of Buffalo, NY. In the Regular Working Hunter division, Alfano was aboard Rock Star, owned by Bright Star 158 LLC. Rock Star and Alfano were awarded one second-place and four first-place ribbons. In addition, Rock Star was Regular Working Hunter Champion and Grand Hunter Champion at the show. The Second...

Lexington, KY – Aiken, SC resident Meghan Benge won an Individual Gold medal today at the 2008 FEI World Championships for Drivers with Disabilities CPEAI4* in Greven, Germany. Driving Jack, a pony borrowed from England, Benge won the dressage and never looked back. She also led the U.S. to a Team Silver at the conclusion of today’s Cones competition. Benge’s teammates were Arroyo Grande, CA.driver Diana Kastama, who drove her own horse Jasper to the Individual Bronze medal, followed very...

Oklahoma City, OK – Some of the top youth reiners in the country traveled to the Oklahoma State Fair Park to compete in three age divisions for the title of 2008 United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) National Youth Reining Championship. Asa Peeples won the 13 and under age division; Jason Kvols won the 14-18 age division; and Lacey Vernon won the 19-21 age division. The USEF National Youth Reining Championship was part of the six-day National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) Derby. Asa...

Germany's victory in the fourth leg of the 2008 FEI Samsung Super League in Rotterdam moved them up from sixth to second on the leaderboard at the halfway stage of the series. The Netherlands finished in runner-up spot; time faults proved costly for them on a day when the clock was particularly influential. Belgium slotted into third ahead of Great Britain in fourth, Switzerland in fifth, and Ireland in sixth. For Sweden, it was yet another difficult day, but they battled hard to avoid being...

Lexington, KY - Five USEF National Champions will be crowned after two weekends of dressage competition in San Juan Capistrano, CA June 21-22 and June 27-29. Always an exciting competition Kassandra Barteau and Gabriella (PhelpsPhotos.com) amongst the nation’s best dressage riders, this year the National Grand Prix Dressage Championship is also the USEF Selection Trials for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team in Dressage. The best horses and riders in each division are coming from across the...