Balmullo’s Azalea (Concord River Roaringwater Bay x Courtney’s April Frolic, by Custusha’s Cashel Rock), shown as Ooh La La and ridden by young rider and new owner Sara Powell of Lexington, KY, qualified for the 2009 USEF Pony Finals at their first "A" rated show together. The pair were champions, winning all over fences classes as well as the conformation class, in the large pony division at the USEF "A" rated Lakeside Arena Winter Series show. Powell, who is 15, and Ooh La La are currently...

With $30,000 in cash and prizes up for grabs, riders from up and down the West Coast are aiming their horses for the inaugural Preliminary Challenge at the Event at Woodside on May 22-24. The Woodside organizers are offering two divisions for the Preliminary Challenge: the Horse section is open to riders of any level on horses that have never competed at the intermediate level or above; the Rider section is open to all horses with riders who have never competed at the intermediate level or...

The Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, set to return to the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY, April 23-26, will feature a Who's Who of the world's best eventing horses and riders. The Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, a part of the HSBC FEI Classics™ Series, will run a CCI**** and the 12th championship for the United States Equestrian Team Foundation Pinnacle Cup, signifying the zenith in eventing competition in the United States. The event draws over 100,000 spectators and...

Lexington, KY – The following five horse/rider combinations have been named by the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) to the 2009 Show Jumping Tour One. These horse/rider combinations were selected based on their ranking on the April 3, 2009 USEF Computer List. These horse/rider combinations will compete at CSIO5* La Baule, France, May 14-17; CSIO5* Rome, Italy, May 28-31; and the CSIO5* St. Gallen, Switzerland, June 4-7. These are the first three competitions of the prestigious Meydan...

KATY, TEXAS - Matt Mills caught the attention of all in attendance in the open finals at the 2009 National Reining Breeders Classic in Katy, Texas, with his run aboard The Sargeant Dunnit. The pair laid down an impressive run and walked out with a 228.5, which led the Open finals for several runs. When the dust settled, Mills finished second in the Intermediate Open finals, for a check worth $17,563, and won another $28,000 for a seventh-place finish in the Open finals. “He was just really good...

I am currently sitting in the O'Hare airport on the floor next to what appears to be the only functioning outlet in the place. All I can smell is latte. We had a botched breakfast plan yesterday so decided to go for coffee instead. I managed to spill not one but two cups of coffee on Martin Atock and on my backpack. Now if any of you know Martin, he doesn't like to be messy, he was then in the Venetian covered in Latte. He doesn't feel sorry for me that my bag smells funny but I do...

Las Vegas, NV – Defending champion, Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum, looked impossible to beat throughout the 2009 Rolex FEI World Cup Final. Shutterfly was faultless going into the final round of the final leg. Looks matter: She became the third person, and the first woman to win three World Cup titles. She did it all with Shutterfly. That meant heart break for McLain Ward and Sapphire who chased the German combination through all three legs, jumped two immaculate clear rounds. But it didn’t...

With a crowd of 7,000+ cheering wildly, Steffen Peters and Ravel staked their claim in history last night; Steffen becoming the first American rider to win the World Cup Final in Dressage on American soil. Steffen and Shannon anxiously awaited scores just outside the arena, and when it became certain Steffen would be the title-holder, he lifted Shannon up and held her tightly, the same excited reaction we saw when he won the Grand Prix on Thursday. An interesting tidbit I picked up at the...

The Champ (Shannon Brinkman) Las Vegas, NV – The Dressage world has changed. American rider Steffen Peters and Ravel are at the center of the universe. The suspense built throughout the night at the 2009 Rolex FEI World Cup Final in the Thomas & Mack Arena, and with only one American horse remaining in the competition, the crowd had to wait until the third to last horse in the ring. With $102,000 USD on the line and a Rolex watch, the competition was fierce. Ravel, in first World Cup...

International Reining Celebrity Challenge ORDER OF GO Saturday, April 18, 2009 Following Las Vegas World Cup Grand Prix Rolex FEI World Cup - Las Vegas, NV 1. Rodrigo Pessoa – International Team - Jumping Olympic Gold medalist, three-time FEI World Cup Show Jumping Champion and the youngest FEI World Equestrian Games World Champion - Sir Pine By Boomer (2000 American Quarter Horse) Owned by Kim & Jessica Tourino of California; NRHA Earnings $10,686; NRHA Open Futurity finalist; AQHA World Show...