As a member of the press, I especially enjoy press conferences. Of course, prior to these events I try to think of things that I’d like to ask or have explained in more detail than what is on the surface. Today, the World Equestrian Games Foundation held a press conference during a lunch break of the first day of dressage at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event to bring the press up-to-date on preparations for the big event. One thing I especially enjoy about press conferences is the...

The 2010 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) has concluded, following its 12th week of competition on March 31-April 4. The week featured the $50,000 Chronicle of the Horse /United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) International Hunter Derby, along with a full schedule of hunter, jumper, and equitation classes. The week twelve title sponsor was Lifestyle Lift®. Louise Serio rode to the biggest victory of her career when she piloted Castlerock, owned by Bryan Baldwin, to the win in the...

Lebanon, OH-based Wilhelm Genn has done it again, winning both the $25,000 Nordic Lights Grand Prix and the $25,000 Budweiser Grand Prix during the fifth week of the 2010 Gulf Coast Winter Classics. International great Dave Ballard took up the reins of course designing for the double prix week. For Thursday’s $25,000 Nordic Lights event the co-creator of the 2008 Olympic layouts built a 15-effort test full of curves that had some riders struggling to keep the horses balanced, add to this...

The Showplace Fall Classic Championship Horse Show came to a close on Sunday at the Lamplight Equestrian Center in Wayne, IL. Saturday morning began with an exciting victory going to Maggie Jayne and Thomas Edison in the $25,000 Tapestry Farm Leading Rider Series Final Grand Prix. The top three open jumper riders in the 2009 Showplace Leading Rider Series battled against the clock as the only entries to qualify for the jump-off, and Jayne was the fastest by almost four seconds to take the top...

Jeffery Welles Claims $7,500 Prudential Douglas Elliman 1.45m Open Jumper Win Jeffery Welles did it again, winning his second major class this week at the Hampton Classic Horse Show. Welles, of Wellington, FL, piloted Tango to top honors in the $7,500 Prudential Douglas Elliman 1.45m Open Jumper class. On Tuesday, he won the $7,500 1.40m Open Jumper Class aboard his veteran mount, Armani. The 34th Hampton Classic, one of the nation's premiere show jumping competitions hosted hunter/jumper...

Team Gold medalists—Zone 8—from the Team Jumper competition. (USEF Archive/Randi Muster) Lexington, KY —Last night the joint was, as they say, jumpin’. Day three of the five-day USEF Pony Finals National Championships kicked off this morning with Phase I for the Regular Pony Hunters (model and under saddle), moved on to the Small Pony over fences class, and segued by sunset into the rousing 2009 USEF National Pony Jumper Team Championship. This year’s Small Pony Hunter title...

Fans of dressage were on point and the stakes were high as the Young Riders returned to perform a battle royale in the USDF/Platinum Performance NAJYRC Dressage Individual Championships. After battling the rain in the Team competition, the riders now had to deal with the heat as they prepared their horses for the next step in their journey at the 2009 Adequan FEI North American Junior & Young Riders Championships (NAJYRC) presented by Gotham North. After receiving a 66.474% from the judges...

Gladstone, NJ – The first leg of the 2009 Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF National Grand Prix Dressage Championship, which was rescheduled to Friday morning after Thursday’s deluge, showcased some of the top horse/rider combinations in the US. But it wasn’t until the final ride of the class that anyone could break 70%. Veteran Olympic rider Leslie Morse and her classy 15-year-old stallion, Tip Top 962, put in a very focused and expressive effort to take a commanding lead with a...

Jolie Sexson and Killian O'Connor Lead the Americans (Stockimageservices.com) Lexington, KY – The 2009 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event got off to a flying start at the Kentucky Horse Park. In the spectacular brand-new Main Stadium, 24 of the field of 50 went to task in the dressage ring. With a Rolex Watch, plenty of prize money and the Rolex/USEF National Championship on the line, the competition proved to be tough. Twenty foreign riders are taking on the Americans in 2009, many taking...

Hong Kong, China – A collective sigh could be felt in the Sha Tin venue as the final day of competition at the 2008 Paralympic Games got underway this morning. For everyone who has put so much time, money and work into the last six weeks – all that remained was 15 hours. The British made the best of those hours, winning 10 medals. The competition kicked off with the Grade III riders performing their Individual Freestyle tests. Barbara Grassmyer was the first US rider in the ring...