The world’s best eventers will begin their quest for the coveted Grand Slam of Eventing April 28 - May 1, and it all starts in the Horse Capital of the World – Lexington, Kentucky. As the only four-star three day event hosted in the United States, Rolex Kentucky will draw tens of thousands of fans from all across the globe, and millions of television viewers shortly thereafter. After a successful 2004 telecast, NBC sports will air the popular event again this year, on Sunday, May 8, from 4-5 p....

Lexington, KY – The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) has announced the riders who will represent the United States at the CSIO Wellington, March 9-13 during the Winter Equestrian Festival at the Palm Beach Polo Equestrian Club in Wellington, FL. The USEF has also announced that Frank Chapot will serve as chef d’equipe. Under the direction of Chapot, 2004 Olympic Show Jumping Team Silver medalists McLain Ward and Beezie Madden will join Kimberly Frey and Lauren Hough...

Indio, CA – With only two World Cup qualifiers left for the West Coast League, Nicole Simpson stakes a new claim in the top spot, positioning herself 15 points ahead of second ranked rider Joie Gatlin. Simpson now boasts an impressive 81 points to Gatlin’s 66. Last week’s first-ranked Richard Spooner is in third place following this latest qualifier, with 65 points. These top contenders are among nearly 30 West Coast riders vying for the three World Cup spots the League is...

View of the show jumping course at the 2003 World Cup Finals. (Jan Gyllensten) Some of the world’s best riders and horses are placing their bets on Las Vegas this year, eager to see if their scores from earlier qualifying competitions will be enough to earn a ticket to the entertainment capital of the world in April. If they make the final cut, they’ll join the ranks of dozens of world-class athletes, each hoping their skill, combined with Lady Luck, will earn the coveted title of...

Wellington Dressage, the first of the three major dressage shows at the Winter Equestrian Festival, drew to a close on February 6 with the musical freestyle competitions and a special awards ceremony hosted in the Internationale Arena. Leading the musical freestyle winners, was show superstar, Ashley Holzer. Holzer won the $2,000 FEI Grand Prix Freestyle aboard her dynamic Dutch stallion, Imperioso, with a score of 71.583%. Holzer also won the $1,500 FEI Intermediaire-I Freestyle riding Pop Art...

Joe and Sally Jackson and the Kentucky Horse Park announced arrangements for the reburial of the world champion Saddlebred Wild Eyed And Wicked near the Hall of Champions at the Kentucky Horse Park. “Wicked” was one of five Saddlebred horses injected with an unknown substance in June 2003. He and two other horses were destroyed, and two horses recovered. Wicked’s remains were exhumed last week from Double D Ranch near Versailles, where he had been trained, boarded and buried. Jackson and her...

The pre-registration deadline for the 2005 American Saddlebred Horse Association (ASHA) Annual Meeting and Youth Conference is Friday, February 11, 2005. The Annual Meeting is set for Thursday through Saturday, February 17-19, at the Embassy Suites in Lexington, KY. After the pre-registration deadline, the Youth Conference registration fees will increase from $95 to $120. Registration fees for the Youth Conference include Friday night’s Youth Activities and Demonstrations Presented by William...

Brazilian Sergio Campos riding Shakira Do Jacare opened fast and kept it in top gear to win Sunday's $25,000 Grand Prix during week two of the HITS Ocala Winter Circuit. Twelve horses mastered Jerry Dougherty's first-round course. Campos and Shakira Do Jacare clocked in with the fastest time by almost three seconds, making them the pair to watch in the jump-off. "She's fast, very fast," says Campos of the eight-year-old chestnut mare he brought over from Brazil last winter. Canadian Olympian...

Lexington, KY – As announced by the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) earlier this week, German Olympian Ludger Beerbaum filed an appeal on February 3 with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against the decision taken by the FEI Judicial Committee. The FEI Judicial Committee disqualified Beerbaum and his horse, Goldfever 3, from the Athens Olympic Games Show Jumping competitions—competitions in which the pair helped lead the German team to a Gold medal victory. As...

Indio, CA – Richard Spooner, Joie Gatlin, and Nicole Simpson are one step closer to securing their spots as U.S. representatives from the West Coast League for the 2005 World Cup Finals in Las Vegas, April 20-24. Each separated by a mere point, Spooner stands at 63 qualifying points, Gatlin at 62, and Simpson at 61. While Spooner placed first on Hilton Flight at the $75,000 HITS Grand Prix February 6, the sixth qualifier for the West Coast League, it was actually his fourth place finish...