Darragh Kenny and Twister (Sportfot) Wellington, FL - Week seven of the 2013 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival, sponsored by Hermès, began on Wednesday morning at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) in Wellington, FL, with a win for Darragh Kenny (IRL) and Cavallo Farms, LLC's Twister in the $8,000 G&C Farm 1.45m Jumper speed class. Steve Stephens of Palmetto, FL, set the speed track for the 1.45m jumpers in the DeNemethy Arena at PBIEC. Fifteen entries...

Major equestrian competitions attended by U.S. athletes, both domestic and overseas, are listed in this weekly preview. Please look below to find competition listings by discipline* and breed. We hope you will follow the competitions that most interest you, but check Equestrian Weekly on Monday for a report of any top finishes by U.S. Equestrians. *lists of competitions in all international disciplines will include only FEI competitions or USEF Championships within the USA and international FEI...

A new National Collegiate Equestrian Association (NCEA) coaches poll was released Wednesday and as expected, there wasn’t any shakeup among the top hree teams. The most notable change was Kansas State’s flip with South Carolina to No.4 and No.5 respectively. Coming into the spring season the top four spots were occupied by SEC teams. Though the conference still has a stranglehold on the top two, good showings by Oklahoma State and Kansas State, in conjunction with South Carolina and...

Gabe Aniello has officially qualified to start in the 2013 FEI World Cup Vaulting Final, March 14 to 17. One of six male vaulters selected to compete at the competition in Braunschweig, Germany, Aniello is the sole representative from the United States. Aniello’s qualification is a result of his participation in the two World Cup competitions held late last year and early this year in Paris, France and Leipzig, Germany respectively. This will be Aniello’s first time competing in a...

Adrienne Lyle will be one of a multitude of Olympians competing at this weekend's Mid-Winter Dressage Fair CDI 3*/Y/J (SusanJStickle.com) Burbank, CA - The West Coast's 2013 international dressage competition season gets underway this week at the Mid-Winter Dressage Fair & CDI 3*/Y/J, February 22 - 24 in Burbank, CA. Final preparations are being made at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center to welcome an impressive roster of U.S. and Canadian competitors whose aspirations are already...

Jared Petersen and Titus 2:11 were the only pair to ride double clear on Sunday and it earned them the victory in the $50,000 HITS Grand Prix, presented by Zoetis, at HITS Ocala this weekend (ESI Photography) Ocala, FL – Jared Petersen and Hayley Waters both shined as up-and-coming junior riders and are beginning to leave their mark on grand prix competition as well. Petersen and Waters went one-two in the $50,000 HITS Grand Prix, presented by Zoetis, this weekend. Success at the highest...

Jennifer Alfano and Rose Hill, just back from a colic surgery that took place last May, rode to a win and a coveted prize-money check in the $10,000 Devoucoux Hunter Prix at HITS Ocala this weekend (©ESI Photography) Ocala, FL – Jennifer Alfano got down to business at HITS Post Time Farm in Ocala, Florida, and won the $10,000 Devoucoux Hunter Prix this weekend. Alfano of Buffalo, New York and Sharon O’Neill’s Rose Hill rode to a sweet victory and a $2,800 winner’s check....

Lexington, KY - The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) wishes to remind all dressage competitors of the rule change to DR120. This change goes into effect on April 1, 2013 and necessitates the usage of protective headgear by anyone mounted on the grounds at all USEF dressage competitions. DR120 has been amended to require protective headgear as follows: From the time horses are officially admitted to the competition grounds by competition management, anyone mounted on a horse at any...

Holly Shepherd and Triompf sail over the Adequan jump on the grand prix field in Gulfport, Mississippi on their way to the win in the $35,000 Adequan Grand Prix (Classic Communications) Gulfport, MS - Twenty two horses took to the pristine grand prix field under sunny skies for the $35,000 Adequan Grand Prix Sunday to close out the Gulf Coast Classic's National Week. A packed VIP tent and crowded bleachers watched the horse and rider teams from across the country tackle the course designed...

I am thrilled to say the Cowboy Dressage Judges Orientation was a huge success on Friday, February 15th in Medford, OR. A stellar cast of presenters spoke on various topics to fifty plus attendees, most of whom were women. I was surprised there were not more men since it is Cowboy Dressage, but was very happy to see that at least seven states were represented including two individuals from as far away as Wisconsin. Beginning with the video called “From Then to Now” and proceeding to...