Lexington, Ky. - Starting off the day were competitors showing off their Second Level Freestyles, and in the Adult Amateur division, crowd favorite and hometown girl Cariann Wlosinski (Lexington, Ky., Region 2) earned the unanimous win with 70.567%. A full-time middle school teacher who "teaches by day and rides by night," Wlosinski attended the inaugural Finals last November and was "determined to try to get back here this year." She danced to a Beatles medley aboard her own Oldenburg mare...

Lexington, Ky. - Despite being only seven years old, the talented Oldenburg mare Elfenfeuer carried owner/rider Alice Tarjan of Frenchtown, N.J. (Region 8) to victory in the Grand Prix Adult Amateur Championship with 68.133% "We still have a lot to learn, but I think this level suits her and she's a good girl and tries hard," said Tarjan. "I haven't been here at the Horse Park since coming for a Pony Club event about 20 years ago, and it's absolutely gorgeous. These Finals are such...

Lexington, Ky. - Region 2's Jacqueline Beasley may have only had a 15-minute drive from her home in Lexington to the Finals, but her journey to winning Friday's Intermediate I Adult Amateur Championship has been much longer. She purchased her now 11-year-old Hanoverian gelding Winston (by Worldly) as a three-year-old in Germany and together the pair has risen through the levels, culminating in today's winning ride with a score of 67.632%. "I never thought we'd come so far," said...

Lexington, Ky. - Mette Rosencrantz of Topanga, Cal. was grinning from ear to ear as she accepted congratulations for becoming the first Finals champion crowned in 2014. Her long journey all the way from the West Coast ultimately proved worthwhile as she guided Anne Solbraekke's elegant black Hanoverian gelding De Noir 3 (De Niro x Maharani by Matcho) to a resounding victory in the Open Intermediate I Championship, earning the unanimous win under all three judges for a total score of 72.632%....

Lexington, Ky. - Patti Blackmore (Louisiana, Mo., Region 4) placed third at last year's Finals in the First Level Adult Amateur division, and this year she improved upon that performance to claim the Second Level Adult Amateur Championship aboard her own Hanoverian gelding Rubico (by Rotspon). As the only combination to break seventy percent, they earned a decisive win with a total score of 71.905%. "I breathed a sigh of relief after our counter canter portion of the test," laughed...

(Arabian Horse Association) Aurora, Colo. - Sometimes all it takes is a little family time to make a huge difference in the lives of others. The Arabian horse community is family in every sense of the word. Members may not be blood-related but they share a common bond – love for one another, love for their horses and a desire to see others join their family. The U.S. National Arabian & Half-Arabian Championship is so much more than a horse show. It is more than ribbons, trophies and...

Lexington, Ky. - Exciting head-to-head dressage competition got underway on Thursday at the US Dressage Finals presented by Adequan® in Lexington, KY, November 6 - 9, 2014. Nearly four hundred Adult Amateur and Open riders from Training Level to Grand Prix have come to the Kentucky Horse Park in their quests for national championship honors, and many of them made their final preparations today by competing in one of the multitude of open and warm-up USDF Dressage in the Bluegrass classes....

Lexington, Ky. - Chris Welton, CEO of the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF), has announced the creation of new senior staff position: Chief Commercial Officer. The position, overseeing all aspects of communications, marketing, and network/media assets, will be filled by John W. (Josh) Taylor. Taylor brings more than 25 years of experience in marketing, promotion, and sponsorship. He was founder and managing partner of Midlantic Ltd., a promotional marketing agency serving a variety of...

Asia Manning of HITS presents Augusta Iwasaki and Bit of Laughter with the $3,000 West Coast Pony Hunter Final awards, including the Cymraeg Rainshower Memorial Trophy (ESI Photography) Thermal, Calif. - Week I of the National Sunshine Series came to a close on Sunday afternoon as Augusta Iwasaki and Bit of Laughter took home first place in the $3,000 West Coast Pony Hunter Final. The pair, scoring 87 and 80 for a total 167, was presented with the iconic Cymraeg Rainshower Memorial Trophy,...

Lexington, Ky. – The United States Equestrian Federation’s Eventing 25 Program continued to identify and educate top up-and-coming riders in 2014. The comprehensive program incorporated all aspects of horsemanship in intensive winter training sessions, and continues education with Team Coach David O’Connor throughout the competition season helped riders reach new heights in the competition arena. Meghan O’Donoghue (Carbondale, Ill.) has excelled in the Eventing 25...