Ben Maher and Quiet Easy 4 (Sportfot) Wellington, FL -Week five of the 2013 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF), sponsored by Adequan®, concluded on Sunday afternoon with a win for Olympic gold medalist Ben Maher of Great Britain aboard his young mount Quiet Easy 4 in the $25,000 Suncast® 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic. Maher has been a dominant force in Wellington over the last two weeks with back to back grand prix wins, including last night's $82,000 Adequan...

Ashlee Bond and Wistful on their way to a win in the $54,500 HITS Grand Prix CSI-W2*, presented by Zoetis, at HITS Thermal with their sights set on a 2013 World Cup appearance. They topped 24 for the win. (Flying Horse Photography) Thermal, CA - Before the start of HITS Desert Horse Park’s $54,500 HITS Grand Prix CSI-W2*, presented by Zoetis, course designer Florencio Hernandez of Mexico said that his goal was to have between one and three clear. He landed on the low side of that...

McLain Ward and Zander (Sportfot) Wellington, FL - Week five of the 2013 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF) continued on Thursday with a victory for McLain Ward (USA) and Zander in the $33,000 Ruby et Violette WEF Challenge Cup Round 5. The duo won over Great Britain's Ben Maher riding Quiet Easy 4 and Peter Wylde (USA) aboard Lewin 5. Week five of the FTI WEF circuit, sponsored by Adequan®, runs February 6-10. The week will feature the the $82,000 Adequan® CSI 2*...

Chrevi's Capital and David Marcus. (SusanJStickle.com) Wellington, FL - The 2013 Adequan Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) continued Friday at The Stadium for the Wellington Dressage CDI-W presented by The Dutta Corp. Under the lights, the FEI Grand Prix Freestyle dazzled with international riders going for the win. For the second day in a row, the top two spots were held by the same rider/horse combinations. The blue ribbon went to David Marcus (CAN) riding Chrevi's Capital (Chrevi's...

Shachine Belle and INXS clinch their first $5,000 Devoucoux Hunter Prix at HITS Ocala as they set their sights on the Diamond Mills $500,000 Hunter Prix Final in Saugerties this September. Until now, INXS showed in the amateur-owner hunters with his owner Robin Swinderman (©ESI Photography) Ocala, FL - For best friends Robin Swinderman and Shachine Belle, their 2013 goal is off to a picture perfect start. After competing her horse INXS in the amateur- owner hunters for the past several years,...

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...