Sophie Michaels and Balouba (Kendal Bierer/PhelpsSports.com) Traverse City, Mich. - The first portion of the 2016 Great Lakes Equestrian Festival has drawn to a close and from those that came to compete in beautiful Traverse City, Michigan, the reviews are overwhelmingly positive for Morrissey Management Group's (MMG) second-year production. From excellent reviews for the upgraded footing to the wonderful hospitality and fabulous food in the VIP Tent, those that made the trip to the Upper...

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...

Karl Cook and Caillou 24 (CapturedMomentPhoto.com) Del Mar, Calif. - Exciting until the last horse crossed the finish line, it was Californian Karl Cook and Caillou 24 who came out on top in the $40,000 Showpark Racing Festival Grand Prix, presented by EquiFit, inc. Of forty-three entries, thirteen returned for the jump-off and five went double clean. FEI Course Designer Anderson Lima of Brazil set a technical track that he explained was definitely influenced by the large and experienced group...

Ermelo, The Netherlands – Endel Ots and David Wightman concluded the Longines FEI/WBFSH World Breeding Dressage Championships for Young Horses on Saturday with the Small Final for 6-year-old-horses. They each tied for 12th place with a score of 7.560. Over the two days of competition, each of their mounts performed with great confidence and obedience. The growing partnerships presented respectable tests in an atmosphere made up of top-notch progressing dressage talent. Yesterday,...

Giavanna Rinaldi and Dulf Van Den Bisschop (Devaney Iglesias/Phelps Media Group) Wayne, Ill. - Giavanna Rinaldi was the last of four riders to qualify for the jump-off in the Finish Line $50,000 Grand Prix Saturday afternoon. When she entered the SmartPak arena aboard Dulf Van Den Bisschop she was aiming for a double-clear round, but did not anticipate having a two-second advantage over the top time to earn the victory. "I knew there was only one other double clear," Rinaldi explained. "I was...

Laura Chapot and ISHD Dual Star on their way to a $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix win. (ESI Photography) Saugerties, N.Y. - Thirty-one riders and horses descended on the Grand Prix ring at HITS-on-the-Hudson for the fifth $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix of the season. The order-of-go was stacked with talent, including the likes of Kevin Babington and Manuel Torres ,but Neshanic Station, New Jersey equestrian Laura Chapot once again swooped in to steal away with not only the victory, but with second and...

West Sussex, England – The Hermès U.S. Show Jumping Team put forth a great effort in the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ of Great Britain presented by Longines at CSIO5* Hickstead. On Friday, Chef d’Equipe Robert Ridland guided the team of Katie Dinan, Lauren Hough, Lillie Keenan, and Paris Sellon against a top international field of eight nations. After two rounds over a solid track designed by Kelvin Bywater (GBR), the U.S. tied with Switzerland for fourth place on 12...

Lauren Hester and Warinde B (Lauren Baker/Phelps Media Group) Lexington, Ky. - With only nine career grand prix wins under her belt, the pressure was on as Lauren Hester took the stage with Warinde B in the $25,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic at the Kentucky Summer Horse Show. The only American rider to advance to the jump-off, hometown favorite Hester gave it her all to earn the win, besting veteran five-star riders Pablo Barrios and Shane Sweetnam. "I'm on cloud nine, and I'm really...

Lexington, Ky. - Two teams of talented U.S. show jumping athletes will take on Nations Cup competition at CSIO5* Hickstead in West Sussex, England, and CSIO3* Samorin in Samorin, Slovakia, on Friday. At CSIO5* Hickstead, Chef d’Equipe Robert Ridland will guide the Hermès U.S. Show Jumping Team of Katie Dinan, Lauren Hough, Lillie Keenan, and Paris Sellon. The Hickstead team has drawn fourth in the order of eight nations. At CSIO3* Samorin, Chef d'Equipe DiAnn Langer will lead...

Parker, Colo. - The 2016 Adequan®/FEI North American Junior & Young Rider Championships presented by Gotham North saw the USDF North American Junior & Young Rider Dressage Championships Young Rider Team medals awarded Wednesday at The Colorado Horse Park (CHP), as three teams received the first round of medals presented during the weeklong competition. The Region 1 Young Riders took to the top podium, earning the Gold medal, while the combined team from Canada, composed of riders...