Since my last correspondence, we have experienced many fabulous events here in Conty! The opening ceremonies certainly did not disappoint anyone as several breeds were displayed. There were two Spanish riding horses moving in unison with music and a lovely, young French woman working at liberty with a single horse. A lively ensemble of horns and drums kept the crowd in beat and alert during much of the presentation. We were even treated to a woman and her border collie herding a flock of geese,...

Ashlee Bond and Wistful won the 1.40m Open Jumper class at the Bluegrass Festival Horse Show (Photo: Heather Bellock/PMG). Lexington, KY - It was cool and overcast for the start of the second day of the Bluegrass Festival Horse Show at the Kentucky Horse Park. While the highlights of the week include the $100,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby Finals, the $25,000 CSI-W Hagyard Lexington Classic World Cup Qualifier and the $40,000 Bluegrass Festival Grand Prix, today's events in the Rolex...

Lene Bruheim and Anyway won the 1,500 NAL/WIHS Children's Jumper Classic and the High Children's Jumper Championship at the Vermont Summer Festival (David Mullinix Photography). Manchester, VT - Lene Bruheim had great success this past weekend while competing for her family's Nordic Lights Farm at the prestigious Vermont Summer Festival in Manchester, VT. The talented junior rider recently purchased a new jumper mount, and the duo has already formed a great partnership. After earning...

Combined Driver Chester Weber, America’s reigning four-in-hand driving champion, shows his winning form in the Four-In-Hand competition at the Riesenbeck CAI. (Photo courtesy of My Elisabeth Weber). Riesenbeck, Germany – If you are superstitious you might credit combined driving champion Chester Weber’s fourth winning weekend in Europe to his team’s “four lucky rabbit’s feet.” Team Weber’s companion mascot, a hefty black rabbit named Kainzi, joined them...

Lexington, KY- The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) will be represented by five show jumpers at the CSIO Rotterdam, which runs August 24-28, 2011 in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Please click on any athlete or team name for more information about them. The following horse/rider combinations have been named in ranked order to represent the U.S. Beezie Madden and Coral Reef Via Volo (13-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare owned by Coral Reef Ranch) Laura Kraut and Cedric (13-year-old...

Richard Spooner and Pariska 2 (Spruce Meadows Media Services). Spruce Meadows, Calgary, Alberta - The Pepsi Challenge 1.45 m led off competitions in the International Ring on Friday of the North American Tournament. Twenty of the 49 entered moved forward to the jump-off of the Werner Deeg (GER) designed course. In a truly international field, with entries representing nine nations, it was Richard Spooner (USA) aboard the 14-year-old Dutch mare, Pariska 2, who proved to be unbeatable with a...

Dressage Jan Ebeling and Rafalca. Photo by Aly Sanderford/Phelps Media Group. Three American dressage riders traveled to Leipzig, Germany, to compete in the Reem Acra FEI World Cup Dressage Final, April 27-May 1. Jan Ebeling, Catherine Haddad-Staller and Shawna Harding all qualified to compete in the Grand Prix Freestyle after strong performances in the Grand Prix presented by Sparkasse on Thursday afternoon. Ebeling rode Ann Romney's Rafalca to a 10th place finish on a score of 68.191% in...

Lexington, KY - Mary King was not going to be stopped in her quest to take a Rolex watch back to Great Britain. Lying first and second after the cross-country at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by Bridgestone - with Kings Temptress and Fernhill Urco - she did not flinch in the final show jumping phase and jumped an immaculate double-clear round on both horses. Mary King and Kings Temptress (Photo by Shannon Brinkman/USEF). For the first time in history, the champion and reserve...

Sutherlin, OR - If your goal is to breed, own or ride the next Ravel, Totilas, Judgement ISF, Idocus, or Popeye K, the KWPN-NA Annual Meeting added to your inspiration. With insights from Olympic medalist Steffen Peters and renowned breeder and KWPN judge Cor Loeffen, along with networking with some of the world's biggest and best KWPN horse breeders, the event was the largest in recent years. Two hundred enthusiastic equestrians gathered in Visalia, California to discuss and debate the...

Dressage American dressage rider Catherine Haddad capitalized on an eighth place finish in the Freestyle at the final Reem Acra/FEI Western European League World Cup Qualifier in s' Hertogenbosch, to earn a trip to the Final on Winyamaro. Haddad, who is based in Germany, has had consistent results throughout Europe at these important Qualifiers and will be representing the United States in Leipzig, Germany at the 2011 Reem Acra/FEI World Cup Final April 27 - May 1. Please visit the USEF World...