Pau, France – An influential show jumping day closed out Les Étoiles de Pau CCI4*. Yann Royant’s challenging track saw few clear rounds to bring the competition to an exciting conclusion. U.S. combination Katie Ruppel and Houdini concluded their European debut with a 33rd-place finish. Katie Ruppel and Houdini (Libby Law Photography) Ruppel (Anthony, Fla.) and her own Houdini began the competition with a nice dressage test to receive a score of49.3 from the Ground Jury of...

Lane Clarke and Semira de Saulieu (McCool) San Juan Capistrano, Calif. - Easter weekend was celebrated in style at Blenheim EquiSports Spring Classic II, complete with an Easter bunny, egg hunt, and the exciting $40,000 Spring Classic II Grand Prix, presented by Orange County Register. Indeed an International class, flags representing competitors' nationalities fluttered in the background. Spectators covered the grassy knoll above the Grand Prix field, while 38 entries tried to conquer...

Alex Granato and Gangsta (Shannon Bower/Phelps Media Group) Wellington, Fla. - The Ridge at Wellington's Turf Tour returned home to The Ridge at Wellington for its third week of competition. Michel Ismalun, a member of the course design team from World Equestrian Games 2014 and a world-renowned course designer, built the young jumper course on the grand prix field. The course proved to be very inviting and educational for each of the divisions, allowing the younger horses to go forward and...

Conor Swail and Simba de la Roque (Sportfot) Wellington, Fla. - Ireland's Conor Swail began the third week of competition at the 2015 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) just as he left off in week two, with another trip to the winner's circle. After topping Sunday's $34,000 Suncast® 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic riding Susan and Ariel Grange's Martha Louise, Swail won Wednesday's $34,000 FEI 1.45m speed class aboard his own Simba de la Roque, a nine-year-old Selle...

Lane Clarke and Semira de Saulieu (McCool) San Juan Capistrano, Calif. - Congratulations go to Lane Clarke and Semira de Saulieu (Charlotte Gadbois, owner) for earning the win in the $30,000 Blenheim Grand Prix, presented by FarmVet. A double win for the week for Clarke, he and three other top contenders competed in the jump-off. With a tighter time allowed, Cecilia Galvin of Mexico designed a forward track well-suited for a national grand prix. Rails fell and time faults accrued for a number...

If you like to keep up with equestrian competitions, you’ve been born into a great time. It has never been easier to stay connected to your favorite atheletes and disciplines. There are plenty of good ways to go about it, but I am going to briefly explain why twitter has become my favroite way to keep up with the equestrian action nationally, and internationally. Finding results and watching live events is part of my job, but I need to discover new sources all the time. Of all the avenues...

Brazilian superstar Rodrigo Pessoa headed the winning line-up of international riders in Sunday's $75,000 Grand Prix de Penn National on the final day of the 64th Pennsylvania National Horse Show. Pessoa, Olympic Gold medalist and three-time World Cup winner, aboard Let's Fly, was the eighth rider on course and the first to navigate the course designed by Steve Stephens without a rail down. "I have been riding him for a little over a year and a half," said Pessoa. "I started him in the bigger...

Freddie Vazquez and Esprit De Vie (Andrew Ryback Photography) Wayne, Ill. –Patrick Boyle and the organizers of Showplace Productions Spring Spectacular produced a great day of competition at Lamplight Equestrian Center. Freddie Vazquez and his Pan Am Games mount, Esprit De Vie won the $20,000 C & E Transportation Welcome Stake over international course designer, Anderson Lima’s challenging track. In the hunter ring the professional hunter division champions were named. “He...

Conor Swail Aboard Simba De La Roque (Curtis Wallis) New Albany, Ohio – The luck of the Irish strikes again as an Irishman wins the $125,000 New Albany Classic for the second year in a row. This year, Conor Swail and his 9-year-old chestnut gelding Simba De La Roque emerged from an eight rider jump-off to win the Authentic Cup at the 18th annual New Albany Classic held at the Wexner home in New Albany, Ohio. Swail held on despite a thrilling challenge from Beezie Madden, who is currently...

Lane Clarke and Semira De Saulieu win the the $50,000 Card Flex Grand Prix, Sunday, March 8, 2015, at HITS Thermal (ESI Photography) Thermal, Calif. - Lane Clarke and Semira De Saulieu, owned by Charlotte Gadbois, topped the $50,000 CardFlex Grand Prix at HITS Desert Horse Park Saturday afternoon, trumping a field of 52 competitors, with a clear round in the jump-off and a time of 39.309 seconds. Karl Cook, winner of Friday's $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, placed second Sunday, this time on...