Dressage

In Germany at the CDI3* Hamburg, US riders Catherine Haddad and Susie Dutta put in very respectable performances in the Grand Prix. Finishing with a solid score in the Grand Prix on Friday, Dutta and Currency DC executed a beautiful test in the Grand Prix Special to finish in second with a score of 68.667%. Haddad, with 10-year-old Hanoverian Winyamaro, her newest Grand Prix partner, were second in the Freestyle with a convincing 70%.

For full results please click here.

Also in Germany was the CDI3* Munchen Reim. Adrienne Lyle and Wizard, gaining some of their first European competition experience, put in a solid effort in the Grand Prix and finished the Grand Prix Special in eighth place with a score of 66.875%. On the small tour Chris Hickey and Cabana Boy 2 were strong in the Intermediaire I to place fifth with 66.421%.

For full results please click here

Driving

The Royal Windsor Horse Show hosted one of the most important driving events on the UK calendar: The Land Rover International Driving Grand Prix. US veteran driver, Tucker Johnson guided his Four-in-Hand team to a second place finish behind Australian driver Boyd Excell. After Johnson had to substitute his lead dressage horse, Excell went into phase two with a sizeable lead. But Johnson's team put in an impressive effort in the marathon and finished two points behind Excell in phase two. Johnson and his team excelled again in the cones to finish on 149.91, but it wasn't quite enough to catch the Australian. Johnson's team proved once again that they are a threat to be reckoned with as the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games draw closer.

For full results please click here

Jumping

The USEF Show Jumping Long List for the US Show Jumping Team for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games kicked off their 2010 European summer tour in winning fashion. Click here for the send-off video.

The US riders had a phenomenal week jumping in Europe, taking home multiple top 10 finishes at both CSIO La Baule which included the Meydan FEI Nations Cup and in Hamburg, Germany on the Global Champions Tour.

McLain Ward kicked off the week in La Baule with two wins aboard Pjotter Van De Zonnehoeve. He jumped to victory on both Thursday and Friday in the Prix Echo de la Presqu'ile Guerandaisa and the Prix du Cinquantenaire respectively. Beezie Madden was sixth in Thursday's class with Exclusive and Hillary Dobbs was fourth in the Prix du Cinquantenaire with Marengo. Dobbs was also fifth in the Prix Generali with Corlett and Madden was third in the Prix du Conseil Général de Loire.


Friday also saw the first leg of the Meydan FEI Nations Cup in La Baule with 10 teams in the hunt. After the first round the US Team of Mario Deslauriers and Urico, Hillary Dobbs and Quincy B, Richard Spooner and Cristallo and McLain Ward and Sapphire, carried just four faults, tying them for the top spot with France and Great Britain. The second round evolved into a battle between the US and the home country of France, and it came down to the final rider from each country. After an uncharacteristic rail down for Ward and Sapphire at the first fence, Kevin Staut of France produced a textbook effort on Kraque Boom for the win on France's home turf. Spooner and Deslauriers respectively rode Cristallo and Urico to two clear rounds a piece in the Nations Cup.

Ward found redemption for the mistake on Friday with a winning effort in the Grand Prix on Sunday adding to the impressive week for Team USA. Sapphire won the Grand Prix Longines de la Ville de La Baule, topping teammate Mario Deslauriers on Urico by nearly a second. In a brave piece of determined riding, Ward was not to be denied.

Spooner was the lone American contender in Saturday's Derby de la Region des Pays de la Loire and he delivered - he jumped the only clear in the second round with Pako and won convincingly. The unique class features water, banks, ditches and varied terrain, and Pako was both brave and careful in his effort.

Madden was named Leading Lady Rider at La Baule, after a win in the Prix Groupe Lucien Barriere with Coral Reef's Via Volo and picking up ribbons in nearly every other class she entered. McLain also had several top place finishes and ribbons with all three of his horses, so he and Madden shared the Leading Rider titles.

For results and videos from La Baule, please visit the La Baule website.

836 miles away in Hamburg, Germany, two other riders on the USEF Show Jumping Long List for the US Show Jumping Team for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games did their part in winning for the US. Lauren Hough and Quick Study soared to victory on the rich Global Champions Tour while Laura Kraut and Cedric were third.

For results from Hamburg, please visit the Global Champions Tour website.

Not to be outdone, the riders on the Show Jumping Young Rider Tour were making their European debut: Karl Cook, Nick Dello Joio, Michael Murphy, Taylor Land and Jennifer Waxman represented the US against some of the finest young riders in Europe at the CSIOY Moorsele. Starting things off for the US on Friday, Waxman and her 11-year-old mare Shakira were third in the 1.30m class. In the Grand Prix qualifier later that evening Cook rode Uno de Laubry and Notories Utopia to third and fourth place finishes respectively. On Saturday the team competed in the Grand Prix, both Dello Joio and Land put in clear first rounds to return for the jump-off. Dello Joio and Malcolm put in another beautiful clear round to hold on for second. Land finished seventh.

Read about the adventure on the Young Riders' blog on Club Equestrian.

Catch all the results at here

Please click here for more info.

Vaulting

Garrod's Spring Classic in Saratoga, CA was the second selection trial for teams hoping to represent the US at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. The FACE Vaulting Team was determined from the onset to take home the win on Saturday with a score of 7.968. FACE, coached by Devon Maitozo, consists of Rosalind Ross, Mary Garrett, Mari Inouye, Annalise VanVranken, Emily Hogye, Sarah d'Auriol, Karly Frankel-Newman.

Mary McCormick won the Women's Gold Individual, followed by Alicen Divita in second and Megan Benjamin in third. In the Men's Gold Individual Todd Griffiths was first, Kenny Geisler was second and Patrick Stevens was third.

ENDS

For more information about the U.S. High Performance programs click here.

The U.S. will send teams in eight different disciplines to the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Lexington, KY, in September of 2010. Watch this space for information about the best in the U.S. on the road to Kentucky.

For more information or to submit High Performance news, please e-mail Joanie Morris at [email protected]