Caen, France – The second day of vaulting consisted of the First Round Freestyle Tests for the Squads, Individual Females, and Individuals Males at the Zénith on Wednesday. The judging panel of Sue Detol (USA), Elzbieta Dolinska (POL), Anita Flamand (AUT), Véronique Girard (FRA), Pavla Krauspe (SVK), Anna Kull (SUI), Helma Schwarzmann (GER), and Karolina Wickholm (FIN) saw an array of intricate performances from the top-notch field of competitors. The scores from...

Caen, France – The vaulting portion of the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games got underway Tuesday with the Squad, Individual Female, and Individual Male divisions performing their Compulsory Tests. The U.S. Vaulting Team is off to a solid start in Normandy, earning respectable scores in the world-class fields in front of the judging panel of Sue Detol (USA), Elzbieta Dolinska (POL), Anita Flamand (AUT), Véronique Girard (FRA), Pavla Krauspe (SVK), Anna Kull (SUI), Helma...

Jessica Wuesthofen, winner of the 2013 USEF Saddle Seat Medal Final, aboard CH EQ Chanti's Prayer (Howard Schatzberg) Kansas City, Mo. – A talented field of competitors entered the Kemper Arena on Saturday, November 16, in hopes of winning the USEF Saddle Seat Medal Final at the United Professional Horsemen's Association (UPHA) American Royal National Championship. The judging panel comprised of Kim Cowart (Statesville, N.C.), Sandra Currier (Bellville, Texas) and Cecile Hetzel Dunn...

Excellence in equestrian sport does not come easy. It takes an amazing sense of dedication, incredible skill and a courageous heart. And in 2009, five horses (and their riders, drivers and handlers) have shown the world exactly those qualities. For each of them, their hard work and brilliant talent has garnered them a nomination for the United States Equestrian Federation's highest honor bestowed upon a horse - the Farnam/Platform USEF Horse of the Year Award. The five nominees represent the...

The 2009 World's Championship Horse Show (WCHS), held annually in conjunction with the Kentucky State Fair, was held at Louisville's Freedom Hall from Sunday, August 23, through Saturday, August 29. There was plenty of excitement at WCHS this year, as new World's Grand Champions were crowned in the Five-Gaited and Fine Harness World's Grand Championships, while the 2008 Three-Gaited World's Grand Champion repeated as such in 2009. Among a formidable field of competitors, as in each class,...

Wilbur "Sug" Utz, American Saddlebred trainer and owner of Blue Ridge Stables in Raytown, MO, died Wednesday, November 5, 2008. He was 90 years old. Sug, son of Emil and Sudie Utz, was born and raised on a farm outside Maysville in northwest Missouri. Coming from a horse training family, Sug learned his craft at his father’s side, along with his three brothers. Two of his brothers, Don and Jay, similar to Sug, went on to become world’s champion caliber Saddlebred men. They were all exciting...

With Grande Gil’s win at the American Royal in November, the five-year-old gelding has claimed the first American Saddlebred Triple Crown since 2004, sweeping the three-gaited open championships at Lexington Junior League, Kentucky State Fair and American Royal—the three shows which comprise the Saddlebred Triple Crown. The last Saddlebred to accomplish the feat in three-gaited was CH An Heir About Her in 2004. That same year, CH Boucheron took top honors at each of the Saddlebred Triple...

Smith Lilly and his gifted mount, He’s The Man (CH Man On The Town X Perfect), were the judges’ unanimous winners of the Five-Gaited World’s Grand Championship in Louisville’s Freedom Hall on Saturday evening, August 26. Having won the Five-Gaited Gelding Stake earlier in the week, the pair wowed the audience from the moment they came into the arena, with the trademark Louisville roar growing with every pass down a straightaway. In his comments to the show ring announcer, Smith was appreciative...

Rancho Santa Fe, CA – April 8, 2019 – The United States Equestrian Team (USET) Foundation announced today it will host a fundraising event at the beautiful Pomponio Ranch in Rancho Santa Fe, California on Friday, April 26, 2019. Dubbed the Spring Soirée, the evening fundraiser will benefit the US Equestrian High Performance programs and give attendees the opportunity to bid on unique silent and live auction items and experiences. Purchase tickets here . The USET Foundation...

Lauren Kieffer and Veronica (Shannon Brinkman Photo) Badminton, England – Land Rover/USEF Eventing Grant recipient Lauren Kieffer and Veronica became the first American combination to finish in the top-10 of the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials on Sunday in more than a decade. 2007 was the last time a U.S. combination broke the top-10 barrier, when Kim Severson (Charlottesville, Va.) and Winsome Adante finished third. Placing ninth overall, Kieffer (The Plains, Va.) and the...