Hungary, one of five countries confirmed as official candidates to stage the FEI World Equestrian Games™ in 2018, has withdrawn from the bidding process. The Hungarian capital Budapest had been named as one of the five 2018 bid cities earlier this month, but in a letter to FEI Secretary General Ingmar De Vos this week, the President of the Hungarian National Federation Vilmos Lázár confirmed that the Hungarian bid has now been withdrawn. In the letter Mr Lázár...

Calgary, AB - There was a championship feel in the air for the Saturday of the 2012 Spruce Meadows ‘National’. The $60,000, 1.45 meter TransCanada Parcours de Chasse got underway with an international entry of 22 horse/rider combinations. With only one round to come out on top, Mario Deslauriers (USA) was the fastest to conquer the 600 meter Guilherme Jorge (BRA) course, which included 17 jumping efforts, including the south bank. The American veteran was close to being usurped by...

Lexington,KY - The second of four 2012 US Show Jumping Team Observation Events takes place this weekend at the Kentucky Spring Horse Show held at the Kentucky Horse Park. Fifteen members of the USEF Long List for the U.S. Show Jumping Team for the 2012 Olympic Games are set to contest two Observation Event classes. On Friday, these combinations will jump alongside other entries in the $50,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic and will return to the Rolex Stadium Sunday afternoon to try and top an open...

Scott Brash and Sanctos van het Gravenhof (Sportfot) Wellington, FL - Great Britain's Scott Brash guided Sanctos Van Het Gravenhof to victory in Saturday night's $200,000 FEI World Cup™ Grand Prix CSI 4* presented by The Bainbridge Companies at the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF). In a suspenseful jump-off, Brash beat out Richard Spooner (USA) and Cristallo, and Kent Farrington (USA) and Voyeur, who finished second and third. Sponsored by the Bainbridge Companies,...

Rodrigo Pessoa and HH Palouchin (Sportfot) Wellington, FL - Brazil's Rodrigo Pessoa and HH Palouchin and Germany's Jörg Oppermann and Lux As If each jumped to victory in Wednesday's double $5,000 Welcome Stake classes during week eight's CSIO 4* competition, sponsored by G&C Farm, at the 2012 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF). Due to a large number of entries, the Welcome Stake was held as two classes, with half of the entries showing in the afternoon,...

Wellington, FL - Following Ashley Holzer's winning ride with Pop Art in the Wellington Classic Sunshine Challenge CDI3*, a qualifier for the World Dressage Masters Palm Beach presented by International Polo Club Palm Beach, competition organizer Wellington Classic Dressage and the WDM management found themselves faced with a sports issue that has necessitated a decision to amend the schedule of the show. American Heather Blitz on Paragon, second in the CDI3* Grand Prix behind Holzer and Pop...

The FEI has today given final sign-off on the footing that will be used for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Equestrian Events at Greenwich Park. The London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) conducted footing tests at a site near Preston in the north of England on 20 and 21 December 2011. The mix for the footing is now composed of non-waxed sand, felt and fibre. Testing of the new footing concluded on 21 December when international riders Geoff Billington...

Harrisburg, PA – Special awards were presented to participants in the Junior Divisions during the Opening Ceremonies at the 66th Annual Pennsylvania National Horse Show on Saturday evening. The first to receive their awards during the Ceremonies were the winning teams in the $15,000 Randolph College/USEF Prix de States Team Championship. For the second consecutive year the team from Zone 2 won gold. The 2011 team members were Katie Dinan of North Salem, NY; Charlotte Jacobs of E. Aurora,...

Team USA. Photo: Marie de Ronde. The U.S. Pony Drivers defended their third-place marathon finish - driving a confident cones phase to secure a Team Bronze medal at the 2011 FEI Pony World Driving Championships in Lipica, Slovenia. Their three-phase total of 402.3 guaranteed Bronze behind driving powerhouse nations, Germany, who won on 359.4, and The Netherlands on 375.4. Additionally, Suzy Stafford - driving as an Individual for Team USA - drove an impeccable cones phase to move from fourth to...

McLain Ward and Sapphire on the cover of Unbridled Passion (Cover photo: Tony deCosta; Cover design: Tazuko Sugajima). Boston, MA - While many equestrians have heard of show jumping greats Ian Millar, McLain Ward, and Beezie Madden, few have heard the story behind the relationship with their equally famous equine partners. Unbridled Passion – Show Jumping's Greatest Horses and Riders (Acanthus Publishing 2011), a new book by Jeff Papows, explores these relationships and the...