Maggie Jayne and Frosted Blue win the $25,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby at the Chicago Festival of the Horse (Allyson Lagiovane/Phelps Media Group) Wayne, Ill. - The final day of World Championship Hunter Rider week at the Chicago Festival of the Horse began differently than most. David Cormalleth played tribute to the late Russel Frey with a rendition of "Amazing Grace" on the bagpipes before riders in the $25,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby entered the Grand Prix arena to compete...

Piber Köflach, Austria – The U.S. Driving Team of Donna Crookston, Sterling Graburn, and Suzy Stafford, along with individual Leslie Berndl, made a valiant effort at the 2016 FEI World Driving Championships for Singles, which proved to be a true championship test. The strong international field consisted of 75 combinations from 23 countries, and after four days of competition, the U.S. team finished 14th. Sterling Graburn and Mannkato (Krisztina Horváth/Hoefnet.com) Graburn (Paris,...

Early nights all round for the dressage and eventing teams; and I bet there are a ton of people out there that wish they could turn in to their slumber pits early as well. Overnight equine arrivals plus the huge amount of work that the equestrian experts supporting the Rio 2016 Organising Committee have had to undertake, has ensured that there are many tired people out there. But these experts have done an excellent job getting the venue ready and whilst there remain frustrations and areas...

In the lead-up to the 2016 SVAG FEI World Reining Championships, the United States Equestrian Federation will feature a four-part series that highlights the athletes, horses, and their owners that make up the U.S. Team. The following is part four. Read parts one , two , and three . Nick Valentine considers Dun It At Dawn or “Dan” his once-in-a-lifetime horse. The most memorable rides occurred on the Quarter Horse stallion. For Valentine, Dan was incredibly easy to work alongside; he...

This is stressful. Sitting in the Team tack room watching a procession of athletes destroying our supplies of snacks, drinks, and other culinary delights: Clearly they do not get fed at home and this is an enjoyable adventure for them. Ok, I get it, they and the grooms are who matter most but all the bottles and snacks were lined up in regimental rows and now a tornado has destroyed the illusion of order. Rewind. Monday morning (Europe time) Clan Dressage deployed to Rio; horses from Liege...

Saturday Nights Lights events at the main International Arena at TIEC have attracted a large following. Mill Spring, N.C. - Mark Bellissimo, managing partner of Tryon Equestrian Partners, confirmed today that the Tryon International Equestrian Center (TIEC) in Mill Spring, N.C. is working with United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) to ensure that the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG) remain in North America and USEF has communicated its support of the initiative to the FEI for the 2018...

This may not be a photo likely to win any photographic competitions but it was taken at 2:30 a.m. from my bedroom. No, I am not some weird stalker or peeping tom but this is a photo of the merry bunch of selfish insomniacs that decided to have a very loud speaker (top right quarter of the photo) playing until about 3:30 a.m. Yes, I kinda wish I had something more persuasive to hand than a Canon camera… in fact a canon would have done very nicely. The eventing horses have settled in very...

The Canadian Team in the Opening Ceremony Led by a Member of the Casanova-Warrenton Pony Club (www.22gates.com) The Plains, Va. - History was made on Friday as the Land Rover Great Meadow International, presented by Adequan® officially began with a poignant opening ceremony kick-starting the first-ever North American FEI Eventing Nations Cup™ . Athletes from five nations paraded in the Fleming Arena showcasing the teams and individual competitors who will participate in the historic...

Natascha Gates and Quickie (Sportfot) Parker, Colo. - Colorado local and German native, Natascha Gates of Elizabeth, CO, and Quickie soared to a win in the $40,000 Holiday Inn, Hampton Inn & Suites, Super 8 Grand Prix presented by Trapper's Chop House on Saturday, June 18, at The Colorado Horse Park (CHP), during week two of the Summer in the Rockies Series (SIR). Quickie lived up to his name, showcasing his speed in the biggest class of the week, and finished the short course in 41.25...

Grass Lake, Mich. – The 2016 USEF Para-Equestrian Dressage National Championships sponsored by Deloitte and Selection Event for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games wrapped up Sunday with Grade Ib athlete Sydney Collier and Western Rose being crowned National Champions in the High Performance Division. Grade III athlete Pamela Hardin and Quaterjack earned top honors in the National Division. Sunday’s Freestyle Tests accounted for the final 20% of the overall championship scores with the...