Jenny Karazissis and Felix (McCool Photography) San Juan Capistrano, Calif. - Friday's hunter classes at Blenheim EquiSports' Spring Classic II concluded with the $5,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby, presented by Taylor Harris Insurance Services . An idyllic blue sky was the backdrop for 21 entries as they competed over a flowing course on the grass in the Pacific Hunter Field. With a competitor list including top professionals such as Jenny Karazissis and talented young up-and-coming...

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...

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...

Mill Spring, N.C. - Tickets for the FEI World Equestrian Games™ Tryon 2018 (WEG) are now on sale. Set for September 11 through September 23 in the scenic Carolinas region of the United States, spectators can choose from a variety of ticket types to experience the world's largest equestrian championship. With all competitions happening on site at Tryon International Equestrian Center (TIEC) in Mill Spring, N.C., attendees can come for the day, a week, or the entire Games. Tickets are...

Lexington, Ky. - The United Professional Horsemen's Association, American Saddlebred Horse Association, American Hackney Horse Society and the American Road Horse & Pony Association joined the United States Equestrian Federation in supporting and applauding the recent U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announcement of new rules added to the Horse Protection Act (HPA) designed to end the practice of soring Tennessee Walking Horses and racking horses. Together we commend USDA's...

Lexington, Ky. – The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) is pleased to announce that Roxanne Trunnell (Rowlett, Texas) has been added to the U.S. Paralympic Equestrian squad for the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, September 7-18. Trunnell will be entered as an individual in the Grade Ia division with Royal Dancer, Julia Handt’s 2005 Westphalian gelding. As a result of a Danish athlete withdrawing from the Paralympics, the Fédération Equestre...

Gladstone, N.J. - On Wednesday, the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) named the U.S. Olympic Show Jumping Team - the last athlete-and-horse combinations selected to represent the U.S. at the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. With teams now selected in all four disciplines and preparing for Rio, the United States Equestrian Team (USET) Foundation is pleased to announce an exciting new opportunity for donors who support athletes in Rio and beyond during the...