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...

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...

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...

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...

In the lead-up to the 2016 SVAG FEI World Reining Championships, the United States Equestrian Federation will feature a four-part series that highlights the athletes, horses, and their owners that make up the U.S. Team. The following is part two. Read part one . When Shane Brown went horse scouting in Texas for three clients last June, he did not realize he was bringing his 2016 SVAG FEI World Reining Championships partner, Wind Er Up Wimp or “Denny”, back to Colorado with him. Even...

Brooke USA ambassador and international three-day eventer Boyd Martin (Brooke USA) Lexington, Ky. - Three-day eventing fans had a chance to get up close and personal with some of the top names in the sport while learning about the overseas work that Brooke USA does to support equine welfare during the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event in Lexington, Kentucky. Brooke USA had a booth generously donated by Equestrian Events Inc at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event. Board member Jim Wolf was on hand...

John Whitaker (GBR) and Bertram Allen (IRL) (GCL/Stefano Grasso) Miami - Global Champions League blasted off in 2016 in Miami Beach with a knife edge victory for the dynamic duo of John Whitaker (GBR) and Bertram Allen (IRL) in team Valkenswaard United. It was a dazzling launch for the thrilling new competition format as some of the world’s top riders became team mates for the first time, propelling show jumping into a new era. Riders, fans and guests hailed the debut and spoke of its...

Devon, Pa. - When the all-star cast of the world's best horses and riders arrive at the 2016 Devon Horse Show and Country Fair, they will be met by an equally talented panel of judges. The judges will be tasked with one of the toughest jobs of all, picking the winners from the very best of the best. It is a challenging task, but the management of the Devon Horse Show goes nationwide to provide the most highly rated judges, year after year. Daniel Robertshaw This year, scoring the hunters,...

2016 U.S. Saddle Seat World Cup Team (Betty Tucker) New Orleans, La. - In preparation for the 2016 Saddle Seat World Cup, the U.S. Saddle Seat World Cup Team attended its first training session at Cascade Stables in New Orleans, La. This training session was the first time the athletes and coaches could come together to work and train as a team. It also afforded athletes the opportunity to prepare for World Cup competition by riding multiple horses unfamiliar to them, just as they will at the...

Christer Egerstrom and Bello Oriente (SusanJStickle.com) Wellington, Fla. - Christer Egerstrom (CRC) and Bello Oriente won the FEI Intermediaire I Freestyle, presented by Engel & Völkers, topping the class with a score of 71.708%. This earned Costa Rica their first FEI win at the Adequan® Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) this season. Competition at AGDF will resume on Wednesday, March 2, with the start of the AGDF 8 CDI-W Palm Beach Dressage Derby, presented by Everglades Dressage,...