McLain Ward rode HH Azur to victory in the $50,000 Douglas Elliman Grand Prix Qualifier at the 40th Annual Hampton Classic. (McMillen photo) Bridgehampton, N.Y. -- McLain Ward could not be denied victory in the $50,000 Douglas Elliman Grand Prix Qualifier at the 40th Annual Hampton Classic. As the seventh of 10 riders in the jump-off, Ward and HH Azur made a tight turn to the third fence that no one before him had attempted, slicing the leading time by more than 2 seconds. Ward's time (39....

Abigail McArdle and Cosma 20 won the $15,000 Merrill Lynch Speed Derby at the Hampton Classic. (McMillen photo) Bridgehampton, N.Y. -- Abigail McArdle rode Cosma 20 speedily around the Grand Prix Ring to win the $15,000 Merrill Lynch Speed Derby at the 40th Hampton Classic. The pair also won the $10,000 Shamrock Ventures Open Jumper on Tuesday. McArdle's time (69.62 seconds) easily bested Sydney Shulman on Wamira (72.27) and McLain Ward on Azibantos (74.05 seconds). McArdle, 21, of...

Lexington, Ky . – The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) is pleased to announce the creation of the USEF Elite Training Center Designation Program. The program will, initially, allow venue owners, who have hosted at least one USEF sanctioned team, developing rider or horse training session within the last year, in one of the nine disciplines that the USEF runs programs for developing and preparing teams to compete internationally, to apply for their venue for Elite Training Center...

Gijón, Spain – It was a tough day for the Hermès U.S. Show Jumping Team at CSIO5* Gijón, but the athletes gained valuable expereince on the international stage. The team consisting of Candice King, Audrey Coulter, Ali Wolff, and Hardin Towell were one of 10 teams competing in the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup on Saturday. King (Wellington, Fla.) and Kismet 50, Bellissimo LLC’s 2001 Belgian Warmblood mare, had the unenviable position of being the first combination to...

Lexington, Ky. – A talented group will represent the Hermès U.S. Show Jumping Team at CSIO5* Gijón, held in Gijón, Spain. The team consisting of Candice King, Audrey Coulter, Ali Wolff, and Hardin Towell has drawn first in the order of 10 teams to contest the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup on Saturday. As members of the winning U.S. teams at CSIO4* Wellington and CSIO4* Coapexpan, King (Wellington, Fla.) and Kismet 50, Bellissimo LLC’s 2001 Belgian Warmblood mare,...

Chris Sorensen (second left) of Canada and Wriomf won the Equis Best Turned-Out Horse and Presenter Award at the Hampton Classic. (McMillen photo) Bridgehampton, N.Y. - Cesar Hirsch wants the horse inspection required at all FEI-recognized show jumping competitions to be a big deal, so this year his Equis equestrian boutique began sponsoring an award for the Best Turned-Out Horse and Presenter. Canadian rider Chris Sorensen, with Wriomf, was named the winner of the first Equis Best Turned-Out...

CSIO5* Gijón Media Guide

Shane Sweetnam of Ireland and Eregast Van't Kiezelhof turned in the winning performance in the $10,000 Bright Side Farm Open Jumper at the Hampton Classic. (McMillen photo) Bridgehampton, N.Y. -- Shane Sweetnam of Ireland notched his second straight open jumper class at the 40th annual Hampton Classic, stopping the jump-off timer in 33.90 seconds to win the $10,000 Bright Side Farm Jumper Class. On Eregast Van't Kiezelhof, Sweetnam, 34, just edged Peter Leone on Wayfarer (34.46 seconds) and...

Lexington, Ky. - The Split Rock Jumping Tour is delighted to welcome Four Points by Sheraton Lexington, Brook Ledge Horse Transportation and Horseflight among official sponsors of the second leg of their international jumping series, the Bourbon International CSI 3*, which takes place October 9-11 at Split Rock Farm in the "Horse Capital of the World", Lexington, Ky. The Split Rock Jumping Tour, a new international show jumping show series modeled after successful European shows, is creating an...

Scott Stewart rode Lucador to win the Regular Conformation Hunter Championship at the 40th annual Hampton Classic. (McMillen photo) Bridgehampton, N.Y. -- As has been true for the last several years, Scott Stewart was the man to beat in the Anne Aspinall Ring, home of the hunters at the 40th annual Hampton Classic. Horses he rode or trained won two championships and three reserve championships. The 2015 Hampton Classic professional hunter champions were: Huntland First Year Green:...