Hannah Sue Burnett and Harbour Pilot (Libby Law Photography) Pau, France – The first day of dressage began at Les Étoiles de Pau CCI4* with the first two combinations of the U.S. contingency performing their tests. With 40 competitors performing their dressage tests on Thursday in front of the judging panel of Angela Tucker (GBR), Christina Klingspor (SWE), and Alain James (FRA), Hannah Sue Burnett and Harbour Pilot are currently tied in fifth place while Clark Montgomery and...

Becky Gochman and Sambalino (Shawn McMillen Photography, www.shawnmcmillen.com) Washington D.C. - The Amateur-Owner Hunter divisions concluded their second day of competition on Wednesday and awarded championship honors as well. The Grand Amateur-Owner Hunter 3’6” championship was awarded to Becky Gochman of New York, NY, riding David Gochman's Sambalino. The pair earned the Frank Counselman Memorial Perpetual Trophy donated by Friends of Frank Counselman. Gochman was also...

Kelley Farmer and Quotable (Shawn McMillen Photography, www.shawnmcmillen.com) Washington, D.C. – Day two of the 2013 Washington International Horse Show (WIHS) featured the presentation of championship honors in the professional and amateur-owner hunter divisions at Verizon Center in downtown Washington D.C. on Wednesday. Kelley Farmer was named Leading Hunter Rider after earning the overall Grand Hunter Championship with Quotable. Romance won the Grand Green Hunter Championship with...

Pau, France – Seven talented U.S. horse-and-rider combinations are ready to compete in Les Étoiles de Pau CCI4*. Taking place October 23-27 in Pau, France, an elite field of 75 is ready to take on the challenging CCI4*. With all horses passing the first horse inspection, 11 nations will be represented on the first leg of the 2013/2014 FEI Classics™. Competition grants have made it possible for the sizable U.S. contingency to attend the prestigious CCI4*. USEF Land Rover...

With the 2013 Pennsylvania National Horse Show behind us we (well, just me in this case) have taken a look at the video analytics, and I’ve learned two things. 1. Lillie Keenan is a star. 2. So is Victoria Colvin. Now that’s not a whole lot of insight, nor is it surprising. What is surprising is how much USEF Network Pennsylvania National Horse viewers love those two. As evidence, let's first take a look at the You Tube top five most watched Penn National videos. 1. 144 Lillie...

Abigael Kaufman and Ivanhoe (©Shawn McMillen Photography) Washington, D.C . - The 55th annual Washington International Horse Show (WIHS) hosted its opening day at Verizon Center in downtown Washington, D.C. on Tuesday with a full day of hunter competition. The professional and amateur-owner riders showed throughout the day in the first classes of their divisions and will conclude their competition for championship honors on Wednesday. The children's and adult hunter riders competed for...

Exciting Five-Gaited American Saddlebred action at last year’s Mane Event Horse Show (Shiflet) Springifeld, Ill. - If you’re curious about high-stepping American Saddlebred horses and Hackney ponies, watch them compete on the free live webcast of the Mid-America Mane Event Show this Thursday through Sunday on the USEF Network. You’ll see top horses and riders compete in five gaited, three gaited and harness performance and pleasure classes. Mane Event also hosts three national...

Welcome to the fourth installment of a different kind of blog from WDAA! The purpose of this post is to allow the reader "into the heads" of both a trainer/judge/competitor, Karen Abbattista and her student, Deborah Herbert, a Florida WDAA member. We would like to share with you some moments in Deb's journey as she pursues her riding goals with her AQHA mare "GenuineArcticSpring", barn name "Belle". Please enjoy as you follow along with these posts that we consider interesting or...

Conor Swail and GAME READY (photo © AlCookPhoto.com) Harrisburg, Pa. - It was a thrilling finale on the last night of the Pennsylvania National Horse Show as many of the world's top riders competed in the $85,000 FEI World Cup Grand Prix De Penn National. You could hear the crowd collectively hold its breath as each horse sped around the course, but it was Irish rider Conor Swail and GAME READY who pulled out all the stops to clinch the win. Twenty four competitors attempted course designer...

Cathleen Driscoll and FOREVER BLUE (AlCookPhoto.com) Harrisburg, Pa . - Cathleen Driscoll, of Elk Mills, MD, and FOREVER BLUE, won the $10,000 North American League (NAL) Adult Jumper Final, presented by SmartPak, today at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show. Only nine competitors made it through to the jump-off out of 28 starters, and Driscoll and her 7 year old mare were the only pair to produce a second clear round, stopping the clock in 33.707 seconds. Ericka Caslin and her own RIOLETTO,...