Equestrian Weekly Articles

Growing up in Ireland, Kevin Babington was immersed in horses from a young age. He was the youngest of 11 children, and while his siblings weren’t into horses, a school friend invited him to watch a riding lesson at age nine, and Babington was instantly hooked. The first equine he bought was a donkey named Fred ... but the future Olympian still managed to teach him how to jump! After graduating from donkeys to horses, Babington took his riding instructor exams with the British Horse

When the best ponies from across the U.S. travelled to the Kentucky Horse Park in August, there was a very special pony among them who had already beaten the odds. Photo courtsey of Leigha Schrader Just Do It (“Nike”) and his owner/rider Adelaide Thompson had their dreams come true when they qualified for the pony jumper division in the large pony category at the 2026 USEF Pony Finals presented by Marshall+Sterling. But Nike isn’t any ordinary pony. As a yearling in 2016, he

Most equestrians will experience an injury at some point in their lives. Nearly everyone remembers sitting in a doctor’s office, anxiously awaiting the verdict that determines how long they’ll be sidelined, and perhaps more painfully, how much time they’ll spend away from the horses they love. For some, an injury means pressing pause on a dream. For others, it forces a reevaluation of long-term goals. Sometimes, it's simply time away from a place that feels like home.

Kristen Petzold has always loved Arabians. Her first horse was an Arabian, and she credits that experience with introducing her to not only a remarkable breed, but a close-knit community that would shape her life. “I’ve been so lucky to have so many horses of a lifetime, and I think partly due to the fact they’re all Arabians,” she said. “The bond you feel with an Arabian is something I haven’t experienced with any other breed of horse. Once I discovered how

Nyssa Sheridan has been a part of Chili’s life since the very beginning. From deciding to breed her beloved mare, Dancing Gdynia, to watching the embryo that would become Chili develop through an ultrasound, Sheridan has been a part of her journey every step of the way. Long before Chili entered the show ring, Sheridan was there imagining what kind of horse she might become. Years later, the foal has grown into No Greater Honor+++/, a versatile Arabian mare preparing to compete on one of

The rich breed history of Los Caballos de Paso Fino, better known as the Paso Fino, dates back over 500 years to 1493 when Christopher Columbus brought a combination of Berber Horses (also known as Barbs), Spanish Jennets, and Andalusians to the Americas. Photo courtesy of Javier Suarez Following orders from King Ferdinand II and Queen Isabella of Spain, Columbus landed with his horses and Spanish conquistadors on the island of Borinquen at the Bay of Aguada, which is now known as

Some horses are purchased, but some are priceless. Pedro was rescued for $900 out of a neglect situation, and more than a decade later, he's carried two generations of the same family to national competition, most recently finishing sixth in the Aspen Leaf Farm/USEF Pony Rider Dressage National Championship with 15-year-old Zoe Lewis of Elgin, Texas, in the irons. Pedro and Zoe Lewis with her mother, Marsha (left) and older sister, Ruby (right). (©US Equestrian) Pedro, a 2003 Appaloosa

Adam Steffens-Smienk made the move from his native Minnesota to Wellington, Fla. at the age of 16 to chase his dreams. This week, that leap of faith has led him all the way to the U.S. Dressage Festival of Champions at HITS Lamplight Equestrian Center. When Steffens-Smienk made the move, he had to start from the ground up, putting in lots of early mornings. He had started dressage lessons aboard Arabians in Minnesota and made the leap to Florida to accept a working student position at

Elan Stremmel of Cazanozia, N.Y., is making her first appearance at the U.S. Dressage Festival of Champions this week, riding her longtime partner Bitsy's Itsy, an 11-year-old Connemara-Oldenburg-Thoroughbred cross (Wasabi x Bitsy), in the Aspen Leaf Farm/USEF Pony Rider Dressage National Championship. Stremmel and Itsy with George Williams, US Equestrian Dressage Youth Coach and High Performance & Pathway Development Advisor (©US Equestrian) "She loves to work, and she loves to

Practically raised in the dressage saddle, Cassie Benson grew up riding alongside her family members at Hilltop Dressage, located in Heber City, Utah. Eventually, Benson took over her grandmother’s role in the business as a trainer alongside her aunt, Margo Gogan. As a child, the farm was a haven for Benson. Whether she was frustrated or sad, horses were her safe space, and you could always find her down at the barn. ©Impulsion Images “Being with them, hearing them eat, their

An impromptu shopping trip for a student turned into Tillie Jones finding her now up-and-coming Grand Prix partner, Cilla Franchesca. “Coco,” as she’s known in the barn, came into Jones’ life when she least expected it, and the pair has blossomed into serious competitors and partners. Finding her way to the saddle at 7, Jones became enamored with the sport after her family surprised her with a horseback riding lesson. “They blindfolded me, took me out to a barn,

Finding the perfect partnership in para dressage can be a daunting task, as both horse and athlete need to communicate and understand each other in ways that differ from able body riding. The best para dressage horses are intelligent, compassionate, and of course competitive in nature, but also genuine. For U.S. Paralympian Fiona Howard, she knew Diamond Dunes was special from the moment she sat on him for the first time. “Dunes,” as he’s affectionately known around the barn,