Ehrin Rittmueller and Mr. Valentine (Photo by Diana Hadsall). Grass Lake, MI - For Ehrin Rittmueller, today’s win in the inaugural Hunter-Jumper Association of Michigan’s $5,000 USHJA National Hunter Classic aboard Diane Sheet’s Mr. Valentine was especially important and significant as not too long ago the future for the 10- year-old grey Zangersheide gelding was at best, very uncertain. “At one point in time this horse came close to being euthanized for his dangerous...

Leipzig, Germany - The Rolex/FEI World Cup Final saw a shuffle throughout the standings after the conclusion of the second round this afternoon. With 44 World Cup points up for grabs and the chance to head into the final round on zero faults, clear rounds were at a premium. Forty horse/rider combinations jumped Frank Rothenberger’s impressive track, with seven riders representing six different nations returning for the jump-off. In Sunday’s final only the top 29 riders from the...

Leipzig, Germany - The EY Cup, held in conjunction with the Rolex/FEI World Cup Final, came to a close in Leipzig this morning with the final round of the CSI2*. The six Americans riders that have been contesting the competition all week looked to complete their time in Germany on a high note. With each competitor limited to riding one horse, there was all to play for over Frank Rothenberger’s 1.45m course. Twenty-nine combinations would start the first round with six returning to the...

The Netherlands' Gerco Schroder will be first into the ring as the 2010/2011 Rolex FEI World Cup™ Jumping Final gets underway in Leipzig, Germany, tomorrow afternoon. A total of 43 riders will compete for the coveted title which crowns the champion of the indoor international jumping season and which draws the best horse-and-rider combinations from all around the world. The order-of-go in the first of the three deciding competitions is as follows: 1, Eurocommerce New Orleans (Gerco...

Eventing Tamra Smith stormed to victory with Mar de Amor by nearly 14 points in the CIC3* at the Twin Rivers Ranch in California. The pair won the dressage and never looked back, adding just a few time faults on both the cross country and the show jumping. Their final score was 53.6. Barbara Crabo and Eveready II were second on a score of 67.3 after picking up 13.6 time faults on the cross country, and Pam Fisher and Sea Lion rounded out the top three on the strength of a clear show jumping...

Badminton, UK - A trio of British girls head the leaderboard after the Dressage phase at the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials (GBR), the first leg of the HSBC FEI Classics™ 2011. Ruth Edge (GBR), in pole position with the excellent score of 33.3 penalties on the 17-year-old Two Thyme, winner at Luhmühlen in 2007, is no stranger to the limelight in this phase – indeed, she regularly wins national titles in this discipline. “There’s always a lot of pressure on...

Lexington, KY - The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) has named the following horse/rider combinations to represent the United States on the first USEF Tour of the Meydan FEI Nations Cup Series. These horse/rider combinations were selected based on the Friday, April 1, 2011 Rolex/USEF Show Jumping Ranking List. Tour #1 Name/Age/Hometown/Horse/Age/Breed/Sex/Owner Margie Engle/53/Wellington, FL/Indigo/11/Dutch Warmblood/Gelding/Garber, Griese, Hidden Creek Farm & Gladewinds Farm Rich...

Todd Minikus and Pavarotti. (Photo by Sportfot©.) Wellington, FL - After missing the beginning of the 2011 show circuit due to a shattered collarbone, Todd Minikus (USA) made his return to the winner's circle at the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) today riding Pavarotti to a victory in the $31,000 WEF Challenge Cup Round 10. This was the pair's second time back in the ring this season and they made it look easy with two fast and faultless rounds. The FTI WEF's tenth week of competition,...

Rodrigo Pessoa and Let's Fly. (Photo by Sportfot©.) Wellington, FL - Saturday Night Lights at the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival brought a crowd of more than 4,200 spectators out to the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center this weekend to watch Brazil's Rodrigo Pessoa and Let's Fly jump to victory in the $231,000 FEI World Cup™ Grand Prix CSI 4*-W Presented by Bainbridge Companies. Pessoa earned the winning cut of prize money after an exciting jump-off of many of the top horses and riders...

Gulfport, MS A very positive-minded 23-year-old Sarah Mechlin of Cincinnati, OH, partnered with Yes Indeed took the top spot over 50 competitors in the $10,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby during the fourth week of the Gulf Coast Winter Classics. Fifty equine athletes were being braided before dawn and began lunging at 5:30 Friday morning in preparation for their first big test, the official presentation and jog before the panel of judges- Mike Rosser, Ray Francis, Betsy Perry, Tucker...