Friday morning dawned cold and rainy as the CIC3* and Advanced Division A both got underway at 8:00 AM at The Fork Horse Trials in Norwood, North Carolina. The 60 competitor strong CIC3*, which is running as part of the PRO Tour Series, had split dressage days with half running on Thursday afternoon and the remaining this morning. Michael Pollard and Jude’s Law held the overnight lead on a 41.1, but the very first rider of the morning, Will Faudree, upset that lead by scoring a 39.6 with...

Tampa, FL - Riders demonstrated their proficiency in the equitation classes at the Tampa Equestrian Festival's Tournament of Champions today. Earning the top accolade in the ASPCA Maclay Horsemanship class was Hanna Marco on Careman. Testing Jose Gamarra's equitation course to first place in the Pessoa USEF Hunt Seat Medal was Morgan Ward riding Blitz DU Maris. In the Amateur-Owner Hunters Robin Swinderman earned two blues for her efforts aboard INXS. The ASPCA Maclay course, by...

Claudia Billups and Quick N Easy earn the victory during the $10,000 American Invitational Stake Welcome Presented By CWD at the Tournament of Champions. Billups earned both top spots with her mounts as the only rider to successfully master the first round course. (Kendall Bierer/PMG) Tampa, FL - It was a muddy morning as the Bob Thomas Equestrian Center welcomed numerous horses to the third day of the Tournament of Champions. Luckily, the jumpers were able to dodge the effects of the inclement...

Scott Hassler evaluates a young athlete/horse combination in San Juan Capistrano (Sigrid Wolff/Cavallis) Lexington, KY - The Markel/USEF Young Horse Dressage Program wrapped up March with the second of two Observation Sessions held in 2012. Taking place March 3-4 in Loxahatchee, FL, the first session ran prior to the Palm Beach Dressage Derby. The second session was held March 28-29 in San Juan Capistrano, CA, prior to the Festival of the Horse. These two-day Observation Sessions allow USEF...

Christopher Hickey and Balissa HTF (Susan J. Stickle) Wellington, FL - Christopher Hickey of Colora, MD and Hilltop Farm's Balissa HTF took top honors once again at the Global Dressage Festival National 2 Horse Show on Thursday. Hickey and the Hanoverian mare received the highest score of 74.516% in the USEF First Level Test 3 - Open at the Stadium show grounds of the Global Dressage Festival (GDF). The reserve high score was awarded to Jennifer Griger of Wellington, FL on Delhia with 71....

Lexington, KY - The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) will be well represented at the Rolex/FEI World Cup Final April 17-22 as nine American show jumpers will head to 's-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands for the 2012 Final. After 30 World Cup Qualifying Events throughout the 2011-2012 season the following riders have qualified in this order in their respective Leagues: East: Margie Engle (Wellington, FL) will ride Gladewinds, Griese, Garber, and Hidden Creek Farm's Indigo Indigo...

Lexington, KY - Meagan Nusz, of The Woodlands, TX, has been named the Show Jumping Hall of Fame Rider of the Month for March. Nusz competes in the East Conference Amateur-Owner division of the Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series aboard Vesuvius. The month of March was a success for Nusz and her riding partner, as they earned one 2nd and two 1st place finishes during the eighth, ninth and eleventh weeks at the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, FL, earning 368 points. The...

Wellington, FL - Christopher Hickey of Colora, MD rode Balissa HTF to the highest score of the day at the Global Dressage Festival National 2 Horse Show on Wednesday. The pair scored 75.323% in the USEF First Level Test 3-Open at the Stadium show grounds of the Global Dressage Festival (GDF). Mary Ambrose of Canada and Ming Dynasty were reserve high score receiving 71.757% in the USEF Fourth Level Test 2- Open. Balissa HTF is a Hanoverian owned and bred by Jane MacElree of Hilltop Farm in...

Tampa, FL - The Tournament of Champions got off to a start with the Pre-Green Hunters [yesterday] morning in the Main Hunter Ring, with top riders and horses vying for the honors throughout the afternoon. It was Amanda Steege and Mary Euphemia who stole the show on the second day of the Tournament of Champions. Steege flawlessly piloted Winter Wonder to the Reserve Championship in the Pre-Green Hunters coming just shy of the championship honors behind Euphemia. Euphemia also took home the...

Lexington, KY - The deadline to submit applications for American Saddlebred Horse Association (ASHA) Youth Scholarships is Monday, April 30, 2012. Since 1991, the American Saddlebred Horse Association has awarded more than $200,000 in scholarships to youth involved with Saddlebreds. Each year, ASHA recognizes its members in grade 11 or higher, age 21 and under, on the basis of academic success, financial need, extracurricular activities, including community service, involvement with American...