In a brilliant display of skill and finesse, Sara Schmitt, of Glen Gardner, NJ, drove her Morgan stallion, High Country Doc, to one of only a few clean and clear rounds in the cones phase at The Laurels at Landhope and her first national championship. The last in the order of go on Sunday, September 11, Schmitt had some wiggle room. Ahead by only four points under the new rules where a ball down is now a three-point penalty instead of five. This gave her a small margin of error, one that could...

The first two regional qualifying competitions for the ASPCA Maclay National Championship were held this past weekend. Region 2 (East), which includes New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania, held their qualifying show at the Long Island Classic Horse Show in Old Westbury, NY. The Region 7 (Northwest) qualifier was held at the NorthWest Autumn Finals in Monroe, WA, and was held for riders from Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming. The ASPCA Maclay class has been held since 1933,...

The weekend of October 21-23, 2005, a week before the Washington International Horse Show (WIHS) festivities take place in downtown Washington, D.C., local riders will compete at Prince George’s Equestrian Center in Upper Marlboro, MD. This horse show allows riders to qualify for the Local Finals at the MCI Center that will take place on Sunday, October 30. Along with the qualifying classes, this competition features the USEF Zone 3 Finals and offers Regular “C” rated points for the Maryland...

Lexington, KY – The word “anticipation” doesn’t quite cover it, as the United States Show Jumping Team and its fans expectantly await the eighth and final leg of the 2005 Samsung Super League—the Nations Cup competition at CSIO Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, September 18. “We’ve got a great team and lovely horses,” emphasized USEF Chef d’Equipe George Morris, speaking from Barcelona. As for the riders designated to represent the United States for...

Lexington, KY -- An outstanding field of five- and six-year-old dressage horses, including a record 16 horses bred in the United States, came together to vie for the nation's most prestigious FEI young horse title this weekend, the Dr. Edgar Hotz Memorial Trophy--during the 2005 USEF/Markel Young Horse Dressage National Championships, hosted by MSEDA Dressage at the Park in Lexington, KY, September 9-11. Winning the Six-Year-Old National Championship with an overall score of 8.452 was Sir...

Lexington, KY – Craig Schmersal of Menifee, California, and Tim McQuay of Tioga, Texas will represent the United States in the 2005 FEI World Reining Masters Series Final in Manerbio, Italy, September 24. Each, a master, in his own right, Schmersal was a member of the Gold Medal U.S. team at the 2002 FEI World Equestrian Games in Jerez, Spain, while McQuay is the NRHA’s all-time leading money earner. Schmersal took the Gold medal and Championship title August 27, riding Tidal Wave...

Craig Schmersal and Tidal Wave Jack, Winners of the 2005 Adequan/USEF Open Reining Championship (Waltenberry Photography) Lexington, KY – With swift and calculated moves, amazing 360-degree spins and stop-on-a-dime sliding stops that left an unabashed crowd going wild, Craig Schmersal and Tidal Wave Jack claimed their landmark USEF Gold medal and trophy in one fell swoop at the 2005 Adequan/USEF Open Reining Championship on Saturday, August 27, at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington....

Michael Bowling (Carlswald Prince's Dominoe and Lionel Ferreira) Carlswald Prince's Dominoe, trained and ridden by Lionel Ferreira, defeated 11 others in Wednesday night's Five-Gaited Gelding Stake, a class in which defending Five-Gaited World's Grand Champion CH Boucheron did not place, at the Saddlebred World's Championship Horse Show. Carlswald Prince's Dominoe won the Lexington Junior League Horse Show Five-Gaited Grand Championship in July. CH Boucheron had not shown...

Aachen, Germany - Aug. 25 – The United States show jumping team claimed a victory and a fourth place finish Thursday on the eve of the Samsung Super League Nations Cup competition at the World Equestrian Festival. Jeffrey Welles, of Ridgefield, CT, piloted his nine-year-old Holsteiner gelding, Sampras, to victory in the Youngsters Cup, while Laura Kraut of Oconomowoc, WI, finished fourth on the Dutch Warmblood gelding, Anthem, in the Preis von Nordrhein-Westfalen. Welles and Sampras finished in...

Aachen, Germany - August 24- United States dressage rider Steffen Peters topped the standings today with his mount Floriano midway through the highly competitive Grand Prix at the World Equestrian Festival. Peters and his 16-year-old gelding reside in San Diego, California. Floriano is owned by Laurie and Steven Browning. “We rode the whole time with the pedal to the metal. We took chances. It worked out fantastically well,” said Peters. The judges designated Peters and his chestnut Westphalian...