The twenty first in a series of blog post from Michelle Binder It was an exciting weekend for western dressage in the Pacific Northwest November 2-4. On Friday the Washington State Horsemen (WSH) voted to add Western Dressage as a new discipline on the roster of events offered by the organization statewide. WD has been added as a sub-category of dressage and will utilize NAWD Official Rules and Tests for the 2013 show season so WD classes may now be added to any WSH approved Dressage show...

Lexington, KY – Meagan Nusz, of The Woodlands, TX, has been named the Show Jumping Hall of Fame Rider of the Month for October. This is the second time this year that Nusz has captured the honor, as she was the Rider of the Month for March as well. Nusz competes in the East Conference Amateur-Owner division of the Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series aboard Vesuvius. The month of October was a success for Nusz and her riding partner, as they earned a 1st place finish at the...

The twentieth in a series of guest blog posts from Michelle Binder This week is all about news, news and more news. Never a dull moment in Western Dressage! This just out via a press release from WDAA: “The WDAA has been guided throughout by the leadership, strategy, and policies of its Board of Directors and Advisory Board, both of which are volunteer positions and provide their services without funding. Each are comprised of distinguished professionals from all facets of the equine...

Jacob Pope completes the Final Test at the Alltech National Horse Show aboard Patrick to win the coveted ASPCA Alfred B. Maclay Finals (Rebecca Walton/PMG) Lexington, KY - It was another fairytale day for Jacob Pope of Columbia, MD, during the 2012 Maclay National Championship for the ASCPA Alfred B. Maclay Horsemanship Classes. The Alltech National Horse Show, 129th Edition, welcomed 152 riders for the prestigious event. At the end of the day, it was 18-year-old Pope whose horsemanship...

David Rudder and Phind the Treasure (Brooke Jacobs with Jacobs Photography) Lexington, KY - Saturday night at the 129th Edition of the Alltech National Horse Show, the American Saddlebred Divisions concluded their amateur division championships of Three Gaited, Park Horse and Five Gaited. The return of the Saddle Horses to the Alltech National Horse Show at the Alltech Arena in Lexington, KY has been met with much enthusiasm. Kentucky is a hub of some of the most celebrated trainers in the...

Lexington, KY - The United States Equestrian Federation and Georgetown College are excited to announce a long term strategic partnership that will combine the academic and facility resources available at Georgetown College with the membership of the largest multi-breed and discipline organization in the United States. To kick off the partnership, Georgetown College will offer USEF members, employees and their children an opportunity to receive a $10,000 annual scholarship upon admittance as a...

Lexington, KY - The American Saddlebreds made a triumphant return into the fold of the Alltech National Horse Show on Wednesday night to the delight of the spectators. The favorite breed of enthusiasts like William Shatner and Carson Kressley, the breed is known for its style, stamina and its bold, high-stepping way of moving. Thursday evening at the Alltech National Horse Show, American Saddlebreds showed in Three-Gaited, Park Horse and Five-Gaited classes. "They're both three-gaited-...

Temecula, CA - The Galway Downs International Three-Day event got underway this morning with the first horse inspection for the four divisions, followed by dressage for 30 of the 49 starters in the CCI1*. Competition continues on Friday with the completion of the CCI1* dressage, before all the horses in the training three-day event, the CCI2* and the featured CCI3* perform in the dressage ring. The early leader in the CCI1* is Julie Flettner, of Petaluma, Calif., on Ping Pong, who scored 42.5...

Sassafras Creek and Daisy Farish. (Shawn McMillen Photography) Washington, D.C. - The 54th annual Washington International Horse Show (WIHS) concluded competition at Verizon Center in downtown Washington D.C. on Sunday, October 28, with the presentation of championship awards in the pony hunter divisions. Twelve-year-old Daisy Farish, of Versailles, KY, earned the coveted Grand Pony Hunter Championship aboard Bibby Hill’s Sassafras Creek after topping the Medium Pony hunter division....

Cylana and Reed Kessler. (Shawn McMillen Photography) Washington, D.C. - Eighteen-year-old U.S. Olympian Reed Kessler added yet another accolade to her impressive year with a win in the $100,000 President's Cup Grand Prix, presented by Events DC, at the 54th annual Washington International Horse Show (WIHS). A FEI World Cup Qualifier, Kessler topped an impressive list of international competitors aboard her phenomenal mare Cylana to win in her first time competing in the class....