With something of an upset in the team medals (Netherlands atop the podium, Great Britain winning its first-ever World Equestrian Games medal, a silver) and with Steffen Peters collecting the first US individual world championships dressage medal in history (bronze in Wednesday’s Grand Prix Special), the sellout crowd of 25,000 was primed for more history-making in tonight’s Grand Prix Freestyle at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Lexington, Kentucky. The top fifteen...

Shannon Brinkman (Steffen Peters and Ravel.) Lexington, KY - Simply put, it was the greatest night of dressage action in the history of the sport on American soil. It came down to a dashing Dutchman, a young English woman and the superstar American rider - all who continually broke and set records in a week that saw the world turn its attention to the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Lexington, KY. For the Americans, it was a double-dose of new heights achieved in the sport. Steffen...

Just sitting watching some dressage, as the best 15 horses and riders in the world groove before a packed house. These days have been incredibly long, and different from any other championship I have ever been to because even though it is home turf, it is such a big venue – getting around getting things done takes seemingly longer than anticipated. The jumpers have arrived. Sapphire, Cedric, Quick Study, Urico and Davos walked off the truck like they owned the place. Cedric is very, very flea...

Shannon Brinkman (Becky Holder and her Courageous Comet.) Lexington, KY - The Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team continued to demonstrate consistency in the first phase with Karen O’Connor, Becky Holder and Phillip Dutton performing their dressage tests on Friday at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. Riding as an Individual, Becky Holder and her own and Tom Holder’s Courageous Comet were second to go after the lunch break. They set the stage for the remainder of the afternoon scoring a 39....

U.S. Team Supporters Look On at the Games. (Photo by Shannon Brinkman for USEF.) Lexington, KY - Week One of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games proved to be an exciting and action-packed experience for the thousands of fans who witnessed the international competition firsthand. The Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY, welcomed visitors beginning Saturday, September 25. ENDURANCE The 100-mile endurance race was the first competition to award medals. More than 110 horses from 30 nations...

Tom McCutcheon and Gunners Special Nite. (Photo by Shannon Brinkman for USEF.) Lexington, KY - The United States upped its medal count by two today in the FEI Reining World Championship presented by John Deere at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. In the Individual Final, the U.S. took gold and silver when Tom McCutcheon on Gunners Special Nite, owned by Turnabout Ranch, and Craig Schmersal with Mister Montana Nic, owned by the Mister Montana Nic Syndicate, had the two best patterns...

Keeping your horse happy and healthy pays off! All week, U.S. reiner Tom McCutcheon has been trying to keep his mount, Gunners Special Nite, fresh and happy. Thursday afternoon, the 6-year-old American Quarter Horse stallion returned the favor by turning in a score of 228 in the individual finals at the FEI World Reining Championship presented by John Deere, held as part of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. It was enough to earn the gold medal by a margin of five points. “I...

Folks, the drought is over. With a score of 78.542%, Steffen Peters and Akiko Yamazaki's Ravel rode to the first individual dressage world championships medal for the US in...well, a long time. On a day when a number of horses looked a bit tired from the Grand Prix exertions of the past few days -- exacerbated, perhaps, by a temperature spike that pushed the mercury up around 80 -- some of the top competitors actually seemed more relaxed and able to deliver better performances. Ravel was...

USHJA Blog - 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games Meet Our Blogger: Jeannie Blancq Putney Jeannie Blancq Putney is an avid horse enthusiast who enjoys covering all breeds and all levels of equestrian sport. Jeannie blogged the 2009 & 2010 Derby Finals. As a result, in 2009 USHJA won the American Horse Publications Editorial & Graphics Award for an Equine-Related Blog. She has also covered the World Equestrian Games, World Cup, Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, Pony Finals and NAJYRC....

Steffen Peters Celebrates a Bronze Medal. (Photo by Shannon Brinkman for USEF.) Lexington, KY - The brilliant United States dressage duo, Steffen Peters of San Diego, CA, and Ravel, owned by Four Winds Farm and Akiko Yamazaki, won the bronze medal at the FEI World Dressage Championship in the Grand Prix Special. They received a score of 78.542%, the best Grand Prix Special score that they have ever received. It was quite an accomplishment for Peters; an American rider has never won an...