On my list of things I find to be riveting I usually would not rank watching dressage among the top, but in the last two days I have really gotten into it. I found myself glued to the monitors that had the live feed playing all day yesterday, watching intently and calculating scores trying to determine what teams were in medal contention. Over the two days of the team competition, it seemed as though each rider that went down centerline set a new standard of excellence. In any sporting event it...

Karen O'Connor and Mandiba. (Photo by Shannon Brinkman for USEF.) Lexington, KY - The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) has named Karen O'Connor and Mandiba to the Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, following the withdrawal of Tipperary Liadhnan by Kim Severson (that story is available here: http://usef.org/_IFrames/newsdisplay/viewPR.aspx?id=6225). The following horse/rider combinations will represent the U.S. on the Team: Buck...

Great Britain dominated the second individual qualifying round at the FEI World Reining Championship presented by John Deere, held Tuesday at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. The top qualifying score of 217.5 went to Great Britain’s Lee Rutter riding Setting Off Sparks, while his countryman Doug Allen with Don Julio Whiz had the second highest score of 216.5. Twenty horses had been given this second chance at qualifying for Thursday’s individual finals. Sixteen horse and...

Lexington, KY – The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) has withdrawn Tipperary Liadhnan from the Eventing competition at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games before the Eventing Horse Inspection. Tipperary Liadhnan was to be ridden by Kim Severson from Keene, VA. The 13-year-old Irish Sport Horse was withdrawn for veterinary reasons. “In recent days, the horse had an infection (cellulitis) which was improving daily,” said Chef d’Equipe Mark Phillips. “It took a dramatic turn for...

Steffen Peters and Ravel. (Photo by Shannon Brinkman for USEF.) Lexington, KY - The U.S. Dressage Team has finished fourth in the FEI World Dressage Championship. This was the Team Grand Prix competition, and today's riders - Tina Konyot on Calecto V, owned by Tina Konyot, and Steffen Peters with Ravel, owned by Four Winds Farm and Akiko Yamazaki - completed tests that helped the team finish fourth. The two other combinations rounding out the team are Katherine Bateson-Chandler on Nartan, and...

The U.S. Event Team and Team GBR at the Land Rover Test Drive (Glen Davis) Lexington, KY - Today was a day for horsing around at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. In a light hearted competition, the U.K. based Team GBR beat the local favorites from the U.S. as they took top-honors in today’s Land Rover Test Drive Challenge. The two teams swapped their customary single horsepower for an entirely different kind of horsepower, behind the wheel of identical 375 hp Land Rover LR4...

Here is a list of 10 things I would like to do at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games and my progress on them so far. 1. Get my picture taken with GBR event horses Miner’s Frolic and Opposition Buzz. I have seen them hacking down the horse path, so I’m considering this a baby step in the right direction. 2. See Totilas in real life . I saw him working in the practice ring Sunday as I was driving past in the golf cart. There’s only one way to describe what I saw. UNREAL. It completely...

Todd Flettrich and Otto. (Photo by Shannon Brinkman for USEF.) Lexington, KY - Although not rookies in the sport of dressage, both Todd Flettrich, of Royal Palm Beach, FL, and Katherine Bateson-Chandler, of Wellington, FL, rode in their first championship competition today for the United States. They set a strong start for the U.S. Dressage Team in the FEI World Dressage Championship. This was the Team Grand Prix competition, and the United States sits in fourth place after the first day of...

Deborah Reich and DJB Juniper Finish 18th for USA. (Photo by Shannon Brinkman for USEF. ) Lexington, KY - The endurance race at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games kicked off at 7:30 a.m. on Sunday as 108 horse-and-rider combinations headed out on the six-loop track, all hoping to be the first to finish at the end of the day. The day started out cool and breezy but ended up being perfect weather for an endurance competition. Five U.S. endurance combinations started the race. However,...

Lexington, KY - Sunday's endurance competition is part of the FREE video-on-demand now being posted to USEFNetwork.com. View raw footage from the last hour and a half of the competition as well as highlights. More will be added later today! Make sure to bookmark the Endurance page at USEF Network: http://www.usefnetwork.com/WEG2010/Endurance/