Quotable and Holly Orlando (Anne Gittins Photography) Wellington, FL - Quotable and Holly Orlando were named champions of the Sanctuary Regular Conformation Hunter division during the second day of competition for week four of the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF). Orlando and Quotable have been a formidable pair since the beginning of the FTI WEF, collecting Green Conformation Hunter Champion titles four weeks in a row and earning championship and reserve titles in the...

The Western Dressage world is abuzz with dressage talk. The hot topic of the moment seems to be progressive training, especially as it has to do with pyramids and scales. Pyramids are extremely stable structures that rely on strong, broad foundations and which rise to a point, a pinnacle if you will that represents a point of focus. Without the foundation, the pyramid loses strength. The intrinsic nature of the structure itself necessitates culmination in a point. The pyramid is the perfect...

The twenty third in a series of blog post from Michelle Binder I began this Western Dressage Blog specifically as a blog for NAWD to help raise public awareness about WD groups other than WDAA. I saw a need for publicity specific to that organization. I also saw a need for a forum that presented the reality that other organizations with different missions and goals regarding WD existed. USEF has not licensed Western Dressage as an independent discipline so at this time there is no officially...

Boekelo, The Netherlands- The Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team stands eighth in FEI Nations Cup competition as they head into Saturday’s cross country at the Military Boekelo CCIO3*. The final two members of the Nations Cup team, Jennie Brannigan and Jon Holling, performed their dressage today in front of the Ground Jury of Sue Stewart, Eric Lieby, and Helen Christie. All riders on Friday had to contend with heavy rain throughout the day but the weather didn’t deter Holling (Ocala, FL)...

Chris Hickey on Witness Hilltop (Hoof Print Images) Devon, PA – Much of the concluding day at Dressage at Devon was composed of Freestyle classes – from the FEI Junior Freestyle to the FEI Intermediare Freestyle CDI W. The afternoon also featured the FEI Olympic Grand Prix Special CDI W. Up and Coming Talent Alexandra Reid, a 20 year-old Canadian, and her mount V.I.P (Rousseau x Nastrade) swept the Young Rider classes this year with winning scores for the FEI Young Rider Individual...

Winner of Hanovarian class Age 2 and under Francheska AH (Project Marketing) Devon, PA - Dressage at Devon attendees were treated to an amazing array of individual breed classes in the world’s largest open Breed Show. From Andulusians to Gypsy Vanners, and Hanovarians to Knabstruppers, each breed had the opportunity to show off its unique qualities. In the Hanovarian – Age 2 and under, Francheska AH (Fielding/SPS Malena), bred and owned by Kate Palmquist, took home the blue. In the...

Megan Davis and Modern rode to the top of the Large 16-17 Junior Hunter standings, taking home the championship award at the Kentucky Summer Classic. (Ashley N. Williams/PMG) Lexington, KY - August 3, 2012 - The morning riding conditions were pleasant for both rider and horse as the weather stayed bright but over-casted at the Stonelea Arena for the fourth day of the Kentucky Summer Classic. It was a championship day as participants prepare to take on the last three classes of their respective...

Dynamic and Laura Pfeiffer. Traverse City, MI - As Horse Shows by the Bay continued its second day of fierce competition--again amid spectacular weather and conditions at the Flintfields Horse Park in Traverse City, Michigan--the key to success was consistency. While day one showcased an unprecedented number of sweeps in the professional hunter sections, with the same horse/rider combinations sweeping all three classes offered in their respective sections, today riders had to remain steadfast....

15-year-old Emanuel Andrade of Venezuela claimed the Low Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Championship title riding Black Pearl at the Atlanta Summer Classic II in Conyers, Georgia (Flashpoint Photography) Conyers, GA – 15-year-old show jumping sensation Emanuel Andrade of Venezuela added another championship title to his ever-growing resume, picking up the Low Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Championship at the Atlanta Summer Classic II held June 20-24 in Conyers, Georgia. Hot off his fourth...

North Salem, NY - Fifteen year-old Lillie Keenan, New York, NY, and Kid Rock, the first pair in the ring, took the lead in the $10,000 USHJA Hunter Derby at the Old Salem Spring Horse Show, and never relinquished custody. Keenan scored a 187 for the first round and a 201 for the second round for a total score of 388 points. Kid Rock, owned by Lexi Maounis, a 10 year-old grey Warmblood gelding, stands just 15.3 hands, but has the ability and the style to jump the big fences. He has proved this...