In 2003, Virginia Tech placed the first sensors inside football helmets to measure head acceleration data that could characterize concussions. Nearly two decades later, the university’s Helmet Lab is on the cusp of adding equestrian sport to its arsenal of public safety information on helmet use and unveiling its STAR (Summation of Tests for the Analysis of Risk) ratings system for helmets. At the Equestrian Symposium, held Aug. 11-12 in Blacksburg, Va., Drs. Steve Rowson, Stefan Duma,...

Ella Fruchterman and Holts Le'Mans. ©KTB Creative Group Traverse City, Mich. – A phenomenal week of equestrian competition concluded on Sunday at the 2022 FEI North American Youth Championships with the Juniors and Young Riders presenting their freestyle tests. Ella Fruchterman (Woodbury, Minn.) and Holts Le’Mans struck gold in the Junior division, while Erin Nichols (Yorba Linda, Calif.) and Handsome Rob AR topped the Young Riders podium. 2022 FEI NAYC Junior Dressage...

Traverse City, Mich. - Sunday marked a special milestone for Zayna Rizvi (Zone 4 – Wellington, Fla.) as she claimed her second individual gold medal at the Gotham North FEI North American Youth Championships for Jumping (NAYC) presented by USHJA, aboard Excellent. Zayna Rizvi and Excellent. ©Leslie Potter/US Equestrian On 3.02 penalties after day one, she saw herself lower on the leaderboard than riders who put in extremely quick rounds. A double-clear effort–one of only...

Chandler Wilks receiving her Marshall & Sterling/USEF Pony Medal National Championship (Shawn McMillen Photography) Lexington, Ky . – The 2022 USEF Pony Finals presented by Honor Hill Farms came to a close on Sunday with the Marshall & Sterling /USEF Pony Medal National Championship. A total of 214 combinations competed in round over Jasen Shelley’s winding track, which asked riders to halt and do a trot fence. Twenty-five combinations returned for round two with seven from...

Herning, Denmark – The Adequan U.S. Para Dressage Team finished a strong week at the ECCO FEI World Championships Herning 2022, taking two individual medals and team bronze in the Orifarm Health FEI Para Dressage World Championship. On the final day in the FEI Para Dressage Freestyles, the team saw all four combinations make their way down the centerline in BB Horse Arena. Shoemaker and Quiana began the morning with a personal best in the FEI Para Dressage Grade IV Freestyle, receiving an...

Herning, Denmark - Kate Shoemaker (Wellington, Fla.) and Quiana , her own 2014 Rhinelander mare, earned a personal best score of 80.275 percent in the FEI Para Dressage Grade IV Freestyle to secure the silver medal - Shoemaker's first silver medal in individual international competition. The pair were rewarded handsomely for their flowing and accurate test composed by Tom Hunt. This is the Adequan U.S. Para Dressage Team 's third medal of the Orifarm Health Care FEI World Para Dressage...

Traverse City, Mich. – A dream came through for Erin Nichols on Saturday at the 2022 FEI North American Youth Championship (NAYC) as she finished in gold-medal position for the Individual Young Rider Dressage division. Erin Nichols and Handsome Rob AR. ©KTB Creative Group Nichols (Yorba Linda, Calif.) expertly guided her own Handsome Rob AR, a 2012 Dutch Warmblood gelding, through a precise and flowing test that earned a 69.000% from the judges. The victory comes after Nichols and...

Lexington, Ky . – Pony hunter and pony jumper competition came to a close on Saturday at the 2022 USEF Pony Finals presented by Honor Hill Farms. The Medium Regular Pony Hunter National Championship presented by Pegasus Show Stable & San Marcos Training and the USEF Pony Jumper Individual National Championship crowned their title winners on another lovely day at Pony Finals. Aundrea Hillyard and Goldmark (Shawn McMillen Photography) After the conclusion of the final pony hunter...

Jumping athletes were put to the ultimate test Saturday as they competed for individual honors in the Gotham North FEI North American Youth Championships for Jumping, presented by USHJA. Over two rounds, the Children’s and Pre-Juniors attempted to record clear efforts to their overall scores and emerge on the podium. In the Children’s, Rylynn Conway (Zone 2 – Fair Haven, N.J.) took the gold medal after a tiebreaking jump-off, while in the Pre-Junior category, Lawson Whitaker...

Herning, Denmark – The Adequan U.S. Para Dressage Team captured the bronze medal in team competition to stand on the podium in the Orifarm Healthcare FEI World Para Dressage Championships at Herning 2022. The team finished on a final score of 225.335 behind Denmark who took silver on a 229.751. The Dutch team won their second consecutive FEI World Championship gold, finishing on a team total of 230.225. The Orifarm Healthcare FEI World Para Dressage Championship will conclude tomorrow...