Brianne Goutal and Onira (Sportfot) Wellington, FL - Week three of the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF) concluded with an exciting $50,000 CSI 2* Grand Prix on Sunday afternoon held on the grass derby field at The Stadium at The Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC). The class saw a win for U.S. rider Brianne Goutal and Remarkable Farms LP's Onira in a four-horse jump-off. Todd Minikus (USA) and Macoemba finished second, Laura Kraut (USA) and A. Lebon's...

It all came down to speed in the $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, at HITS Desert Horse Park in Thermal, CA. Eduardo Menezes and Cruschka who had the speed and rode to the win (Flying Horse Photography) Thermal, CA – It was by all accounts a stellar kick-off to the 2013 HITS Desert Circuit Friday, as 38 horse and rider combinations tested themselves in the $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health. Crisp weather and a light drizzle did...

The twenty fourth in a series of blog posts from Michelle Binder North American Western Dressage receives all kinds of questions at the website and on our FaceBook page. Last week Jen Johnson shared the following in a post and it generated a huge amount of material for consideration. She posted: “I received an email last night from a **** judge who had the following concerns about Western Dressage..... “The problem is that the western horse is going to have to be much quicker in...

The twenty first in a series of blog post from Michelle Binder As this blog has progressed, I have tried to bring awareness about Western Dressage to the equestrian community at large. Now I am going to encourage you to do some research on your own. By now you know that there are several organizations promoting the development of the sport. At this point the question we hear most often from people all over is: “What is the difference?” To some it seems that the differences that...

James Alliston and Tivoli (Amy McCool) Temecula, CA - Start calling James Alliston “Mr. Galway Downs.” The Galway Downs International Three-Day Event has offered a CCI3* for the last three years. Alliston finished third in 2010, finished first and seventh in 2011, and this year he finished first, second and sixth. Alliston, of Castro Valley, Calif., rode Tivoli to first place (53.4) Jumbo’s Jake, the horse he won with in 2011 and finished third with in 2010, to second place...

Temecula, CA - James Alliston, who won the featured CCI3* at the Galway Downs International Three-Day Event in 2011, has jumped into first and second places after cross-country day at this year’s event. With a faultless round on Tivoli, Alliston has taken over the lead (49.4), and by guiding Jumbo’s Jake, the horse he rode to victory last year, home just 2 seconds slow, he’s also taken over second place (52.6). Michael Pollard and Schoensgreen Hanni, the dressage leaders,...

Lexington, KY - The American Saddlebreds made a triumphant return into the fold of the Alltech National Horse Show on Wednesday night to the delight of the spectators. The favorite breed of enthusiasts like William Shatner and Carson Kressley, the breed is known for its style, stamina and its bold, high-stepping way of moving. Thursday evening at the Alltech National Horse Show, American Saddlebreds showed in Three-Gaited, Park Horse and Five-Gaited classes. "They're both three-gaited-...

Temecula, CA - The Galway Downs International Three-Day event got underway this morning with the first horse inspection for the four divisions, followed by dressage for 30 of the 49 starters in the CCI1*. Competition continues on Friday with the completion of the CCI1* dressage, before all the horses in the training three-day event, the CCI2* and the featured CCI3* perform in the dressage ring. The early leader in the CCI1* is Julie Flettner, of Petaluma, Calif., on Ping Pong, who scored 42.5...

Elkton, MD - The Dansko Fair Hill International CCI once again boasts top quality fields in both two- and three-star competition. The annual fall championship, running October 18-21, is always a fixture of the eventing calendar and will again crown USEF National Two- and Three-Star Eventing Champions. USEF National Three-Star Eventing Championship A total of 34 horses were presented and accepted without incident at the First Horse Inspection Wednesday and 30 of those are in the running for the...

Champion Megan MacPherson and reserve champion Hannah von Heidegger with Caraneen Smith of Bigeq.com (Jennifer Wood Media, Inc. ) Upper Marlboro, MD – The Capital Challenge Horse Show opened up competition today at the Show Place Arena. This is the first day of the Capital Challenge Equitation Championship Weekend, presented by Bigeq.com. The Capital Challenge Horse Show runs through Sunday, October 7. The North American Junior Flat Equitation Championship is a fun and competitive class...