Laura Kraut and Bonito R (Sportfot) Wellington, Fla. - Week two of the 2014 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF) kicked off at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) on Wednesday morning with a win for Laura Kraut (USA) and Bonito R in the $8,000 G&C Farm 1.40m speed class. Jack Hardin Towell, Shane Sweetnam, and Samuel Parot also got wins on the first day of week two competition. FTI WEF week two, sponsored by Wellington Equestrian Realty, will run Wednesday,...

McLain Ward and Rothchild charge over the GroupBy oxer to take the $100,000 Hickstead FEI World CupTM Grand Prix (Ben Radvanyi) Toronto, Ont. – In a masterful display of horsemanship, America’s McLain Ward (Brewster, NY) and Rothchild blazed a path to victory tonight in the Ricoh Coliseum, taking top honours in the $100,000 Hickstead FEI World CupTM Grand Prix presented by GroupBy for the fifth time in his career. "The Hickstead class” as it is now known, was renamed to honour...

Buck Davidson and Absolute Liberty (McCool) Temecula, Calif. – Competition for the CCI3* began Friday at the Galway Downs International Event and Horse Trials with the field of 17 performing their dressage tests. Buck Davidson holds the top two places on the leaderboard with The Apprentice and Absolute Liberty with scores of 48.9 and 50.6, respectively. Davidson (Ocala, Fla.) received a USEF Land Rover Competition Grant to bring Sharon Will’s Absolute Liberty to the West Coast for...

Tim Gredley and Unex Valente clear 2.10m. (Shawn McMillen Photography) Washington, D.C. - The 55th annual Washington International Horse Show (WIHS) continued on Friday, October 25, with a exciting day of hunter, jumper, and equitation competition at Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. The $25,000 Open Jumper Puissance, presented by The Boeing Company, was the highlight class of the evening with a win for Great Britain's Tim Gredley and Unex Competition Yard's Unex Valente, clearing the...

Elinor MacPhail and Rendezvous with Charly (Xpress Foto) Lexington, Ky. – National titles were awarded to riders on Saturday at the Kentucky Horse Park upon the completion of the USEF National One-Star Eventing Championships. Held October 17-19 in conjunction with the Hagyard Midsouth Three-Day Event & Team Challenge, 42 horse-and-rider combinations tackled the CCI1* in hopes of being crowned champion. The USEF National One-Star Championship title went to Elinor MacPhail (Bluemont, Va....

Emilie Rucci and I SPY A RAINBOW (AlCookPhoto.com) Harrisburg, Pa. - Emilie Rucci, of Pittstown, NJ, and I SPY A RAINBOW won the $4,000 North American League (NAL) Pony Jumper Finals today at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show. Out of eleven starters, only four made it to the jump-off. Spectators - including the top jumper riders - filled the best seats in the house and encouraged the smaller competitors with cheers and 'clicks' at moments where the ponies might have had a...

Well fall is under way and I am trying to clear a little writer’s block. The last shows of the year are winding down. We are headed for the last ones in our area the last two weekends of the month. Fall is time to evaluate progress and prepare for next season. Some of us set goals for training, some for clinics, some for next year’s show season. We look at our feeding programs, exercise programs, breeding programs and whatever else we are running. I always find myself thinking ahead...

Caitlin Boyle following her win in the IHJA Junior Medal Finals (Emily Riden) Wayne, IL - The long anticipated Illinois Hunter Jumper Association (IHJA) "A" Medal Finals sponsored by Barrington Saddlery, were the highlight of the Grand Prix Ring today at the Showplace Fall Classic Championship Horse Show at the Lamplight Equestrian Center. An all day slow rain didn't stop competitors since the new GGT footing was perfect in the rain. Popular course designer Skip Bailey of Wellington, FL,...

Kent Farrington and Willow (Rebecca Walton) North Salem, NY - Kent Farrington was on fire Saturday, topping the $50,000 Hermès Classic with his talented mount Willow by besting a nine-horse jump-off with a double clear effort in 37.91 seconds. Forty-one of the country's top equestrian athletes turned out for the event at the 2013 American Gold Cup CSI4*-W, held at Old Salem Farm, but it was Farrington who had all the answers to beat Ireland's Darragh Kenny with Prof De La Roque...

Welcome to the fifth nstallment of a different kind of blog from WDAA! The purpose of this post is to allow the reader "into the heads" of both a trainer/judge/competitor, Karen Abbattista and her student, Deborah Herbert, a Florida WDAA member. We would like to share with you some moments in Deb's journey as she pursues her riding goals with her AQHA mare "GenuineArcticSpring", barn name "Belle". Please enjoy as you follow along with these posts that we consider interesting or challenging...