Alexandra Lawson is a 19-year-old freshman at Purdue University from North Salem, Indiana. She is a member of the three-gaited section of the 2012 U.S. Saddle Seat World Cup Team. I've spent most of my life in the small farm communities of Danville and North Salem, Indiana. My parents and maternal grandparents are grain farmers - farming about 5,000 acres in the surrounding area. When you grow up in farm country, you just naturally get involved with FFA and 4-H, and it was through 4-H that...

Los Angeles, CA - The 2012 Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Finals West kicked off at the Los Angeles International Jumping Festival at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center on September 20. The final consists of four phases: flat, gymnastics, jumping, and a work off. On Thursday, the thirty-three finalists competed in Phase 1 and were split into groups of five to six riders to compete on the flat. Riders were asked to demonstrate the usual flat movements, such as the counter...

Lexington, KY- Four American horses and three riders are set to take on a huge, and hugely competitive field at the Boekelo CCI3* in The Netherlands. The Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team for Boekelo is comprised of Boyd Martin’s pair Remington XXV (owned by Henley House Stables, LLC) and Otis Barbotiere (owned by The Otis Barbotiere Syndicate), Michael Pollard on his own, his wife Nathalie’s and his father-in-law Carl Bouckaert’s DV8 and Tamra Smith on Leigh Mesher’s Mar de...

Since my last correspondence, we have experienced many fabulous events here in Conty! The opening ceremonies certainly did not disappoint anyone as several breeds were displayed. There were two Spanish riding horses moving in unison with music and a lovely, young French woman working at liberty with a single horse. A lively ensemble of horns and drums kept the crowd in beat and alert during much of the presentation. We were even treated to a woman and her border collie herding a flock of geese,...

Tucker Johnson and Karen O'Connor Leading the U.S. Team. (Photo by Shannon Brinkman for USEF. ) Lexington, KY - Simply put, it was a night to remember. After years of planning, the efforts of thousands and the hard work of the world's best equestrian athletes, the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games officially got underway with a star-studded Opening Ceremonies that saw the equestrian world gather together accompanied by the pomp and circumstance of great music and elegant pageantry. The...

Photo by Flashpoint Photography (Jennifer Ramsey and Cielo B captured the $7,500 Open Jumper Classics. ) Mullet Hall Equestrian Center on Johns Island, SC, welcomed exhibitors to something truly special in horse showing. The Charleston Summer Classics, a Boutique Horse Show produced by The Classic Company, began its two-week run by offering lots of Southern Charms. Returning to the historical Low Country area for a second year, Bob Bell, Chairman of the Summer Classic continued the rebuilding...

Today at Arabian Sport Horse Nationals (SHN), my fellow Arabian horse lovers and I were treated to a preview of the new Arabian Horse Galleries at the Kentucky Horse Park's International Museum of the Horse. The Purebred Arabian Trust funded a 9,000 square foot building to be added on to the existing museum, although they are still requesting donations to finish the exhibit. Those of us at SHN were invited to a special presentation (with a sales pitch artfully thrown in) to see what the...

Karen O'Connor (right) was named USEF's Equestrian of the Year in 2008. (USEF Archives/Geoff Oliver Bugbee) Lexington, KY — Voting is now open for the United States Equestrian Federation’s (USEF) most prestigious awards, the 2008 Farnam®/Platform™ USEF Horse of the Year award and the 2008 USEF Equestrian of the Year award. Any USEF member can vote for the Farnam®/Platform™ USEF Horse of the Year or USEF Equestrian of the Year. Your vote will help decide which of...

Craig Schmersal had four horses to show at the Southwest Reining Horse Association (SWRHA) Futurity and Horse Show in Ardmore, OK, in October. He had Commanders Nic and Im Genuinely Smart for Open and Novice Horse Open competition. He had two three-year-olds for the SWRHA Futurity, Wrangle Whiz and Conquistadors Star. All four horses earned NRHA paychecks. After the show, Schmersal, his wife Ginger and their sons Chris and Nick drove to their new home and training facility in Overbrook, OK,...

The story of the American Miniature Horse, nearly 400 years in the making, is steeped in both adventure and the love of little horses. The adventure continues September 24-October 2 as Fort Worth, Texas, hosts the American Miniature Horse Association (AMHA) 2004 World Championship Show at Will Rogers Memorial Center. The industry’s top event, the AMHA World Show features American Miniature Horses vying for titles in 146 classes and the chance to win a coveted World Grand Championship....