When the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) announced its 2005 champions, the list included Hilltop Farm's elite Hanoverian stallion Contucci as the 2005 USEF Leading Sire Dressage Breeding. Contucci's accumulated points of 766 were more than double the #2 ranked sire, who accumulated 331 points. The title of USEF Leading Owner Dressage Breeding was also awarded to Hilltop Farm, likely due to many of Contucci's offspring successes. Since 2004, Contucci has been represented in the USEF...

Margie Engle on Wapino (Ken Braddick/Phelps Media Group) Wellington, FL – The order of finish from day-to-day at the World Equestrian Games Selection Trials changes about as quickly as the weather has through the three trials, yet one thing remains the same…Margie Engle continues to shine. Currently Engle and Lauren Hough are tied for first place with five total faults while Engle is also a close second place with nine total faults on her second mount, Hidden Creek’s Wapino....

The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) Dressage Committee is pleased to announce the launch of a new dressage championship program in 2006, the "Passage Cup." Designed to assist and encourage today's Young Riders as they transition to the Senior Grand Prix, the Passage Cup will shed much-needed light on tomorrow's stars--today. "With this exciting new program, we're looking to 'bridge the gap' for our talented dressage riders who are graduating from the Young Rider ranks to High...

The Welsh stallion Carolinas Red Fox passed away on the morning of November 15 due to complications from Cushings disease and laminitis. The 1985 Welsh Section B stallion by Carolinas Purple Emperor (Solway Master Bronze x Eden Blue Bunting) out of Downland Dresden (Downland Chevalier x Downland Dignity) was imported from Wales as a yearling by Nancy Jane Reed of Land's End Farm in Centreville, MD. Red Fox had numerous wins on the line in England before arriving in the States. With limited...

The multi-U.S. National Champion Andalusian stallion, Davido MC, died on May 2, 2005, of an aortic aneurism, while breeding a mare at Selwood Park Stable, in Elkhorn, WI. Davido MC was owned by Gareth A. Selwood for 12 of the horse's 15 years and was bred by Music City Andalusians of Nashville, TN. He was sired by the imported 2000 USEF Leading Andalusian Sire, Ofendido VII, and out of the imported Poseido V daughter, Huerfana. Davido MC qualified for and showed at a record 11 consecutive...

The stars, both equestrian and celebrity, were out at the 2005 Lake Placid and I Love New York Horse Shows. Among the celebrities on hand were rock stars Bruce Springsteen and Patti Scialfa, former National Football League star and current television sportscaster Ahmad Rashad, and CNN anchor Lou Dobbs to name just a few. The top stars of the equestrian competition were Kent Farrington of Southport, CT, who won the $60,000 Budweiser Grandprix of Lake Placid CSI** for the Whitney Perpetual...

Diana DeRosa (Meredith Beerbaum and Shutterfly, champions of the 2005 FEI Budweiser World Cup Jumping Final) Las Vegas, Nevada – There were many times during the 2005 FEI World Cup Finals when one had to take a reality check and pinch themselves just to be certain they weren’t at the NBA play-offs instead of an equestrian event. Anyone who loves sport, whether they have ever been interested in horses or not, would have enjoyed the pure entertainment value of this week’s...

Burbank, CA — R-E-S-P-E-C-T. That’s exactly what Debbie McDonald earned from officials, competitors and spectators alike as she rode Brentina to victory in the 2005 U.S. Grand Prix Freestyle Championship and U.S. League Final in Burbank, California this weekend. Strutting through a freestyle program to the sound of Aretha Franklin, Olympic Team Bronze medalist McDonald and Brentina earned the winning score of 77.975% and a standing ovation in defending her 2004 title. Riding her...

Lexington, KY – The United States Equestrian Federation has announced the team for the 2005 Samsung Super League competitions for “Tour #1,” La Baule, France (May 5-8); Rome, Italy (May 26-29); and CSIO St. Gallen, Switzerland (June 2-5). The team members listed in order of their ranking on the March 25th, 2005 USEF International Computer List, with first ranked horse also listed, are as follows: Rider, Residence, Horse, Breeding 1. Laura Kraut (1st), Oconomoc, WI, Miss...

Day three of the Gotham North FEI North American Youth Jumping Championships, presented by USHJA, invited Junior and Young Rider teams to take center stage and vie for their podium positions. Over two rounds, teams battled it out for top honors, but it was ultimately Zone 4, with team members Caroline Mawhinney (Wellington, Fla.), Ella Duffy (Alpharetta, Ga.), Hailey Royce (Wellington, Fla.), and Mia Albelo (Miami, Fla.), taking gold in the Junior Team Final. A combined team of athletes from...