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According to Horse and Hound the British Equestrian Federation has expressed their concerns about the draft rules that have been drawn up for the FEI Nations Cup.The format that has been drawn up is based on regional competitions where the teams qualify for two semi-finals and then a final that will be held in September/October next year. The British concern is that the draft leaves more questions then answers, and that these questions may not be answered in time for the 2013–season.

Trevor Breen and Adventure De Kannan. Photo by Julian Portch. A huge class of 52 riders came forward for the £6,000 All England Grand Prix at Hickstead on Sunday (9 September), and the very last rider to jump – Ireland's Trevor Breen – walked away with the top prize.

Twelve riders made it through to the jump-off, with the times getting quicker as the class progressed. A fast clear by Paul Crago and About Time V put the pressure on the remaining riders, but his time was soon bettered by Keith Doyle and Walk Tall II, winners of the Templant Events Queen Elizabeth II Cup earlier this summer.

But Keith wasn't the only rider in the class to have already secured a big win at Hickstead this season, and Trevor Breen – winner of both the Bunn Leisure Speed Derby and the Amlin Plus Eventing Grand Prix with Adventure De Kannan – made it a hat-trick with a superb clear to win the All England Grand Prix by 2 secs.

Antares and McLain Ward won the Pfizer $ 1 million Grand Prix at HITS Saugerties. Photo by ESI Photography.While the tunes of concert headliner Michael McDonald played in the background, McLain Ward soaked in another Pfizer $1 Million Grand Prix victory Sunday. After riding to a win in the inaugural event in 2010 aboard the famed mare Sapphire, Ward returned to glory, this time in the irons of Grant Road Partners, LLC's Antares F, who is fresh off the Olympic Games in London. "With being injured and trying to qualify for the Olympics, our schedule was a little unpredictable this year, but I knew that I wanted to be a part of this class and it was a great thing to aim this horse to at the end of his year," said Ward. "The jumps were beautiful and the course was hard. You needed a real Olympic caliber horse to jump a lot of those obstacles."

Will Ludger be able to take another GCT win this weekend? Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.The Global Champions Tour moves on to Lausanne, Switzerland this weekend for the tenth leg of the tour. After Lausanne there is only one leg left in Vienna before the final is held in Abu Dhabi in November.

Several of the best riders in the world will participate in Lausanne including Edwina Tops-Alexander, Rodrigo Pessoa, Kevin Staut, Marcus Ehning, Gerco Schröder, Rolf-Göran Bengtsson and Nick Skelton.

Click here to see the entire riders list.

Tina Fletcher has broken her ankle. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.British rider Tina Fletcher has according to horses.nl broken her ankle. Fletcher's accident happened when she fell of her horse Hello Sailor in yesterday's Grand Prix at Spruce Meadows. Tina had to be taken to hospital, where examinations revealed the injury.

Source: horses.nl

Mikael Forstén became Finnish Champion this weekend. Photo by Sonja Holma, SRL.Mikael Forstén won the Finnish showjumping championship this weekend in Ypäjä, Finland. The championships were ridden over the weekend in all age categories as well as for ponies cat. I and II. The main championship was of course the one for seniors which was ridden over three days and four different 140-155cm tracks.

The first leg was ridden against the clock in a 1.40 table C class and was won by Mikael Forstén riding Nandele. Sanna Backlund was second aboard Wiseguy before Mikael on his second ride Isaac du Jonquet. Saturday's course was ridden over a 145cm track under difficult windy conditions and the only clear came from Sanna Backlund and Wiseguy. Mikael Forstén was second with only a time penalty on Isaac du Jonquet after suffering a fall from Nandele. Germany based Lotta-Riikka Rintamäki claimed third place with FIM Fräulein Smilla.

Eric Lamaze pointing at Hickstead’s statue that was unveiled Sunday on the International ring, joined by John Fleischhacker (co-owner of Hickstead) and Mary Sand, artist. Photo Credits: Spruce Meadows Media Services. At Spruce Meadows the Sunday began with a tribute to one of the greatest show jumping horses of all time; Hickstead. A statue made in Hickstead’s likeness was unveiled to a capacity crowd. In a touching ceremony, Eric Lamaze (CAN) was inducted into the Spruce Meadows Hall of Fame along with his famed mount who passed away in November 2011. The bronze, made by Mary Sand, will stay permanently at Spruce Meadows, as per Lamaze’s wishes.

Source: Press release from Spruce Meadows Media Services

Olivier Philippaerts and Cabrio Van De Heffinck, winner of the CN International Grand Prix. Photo Credits: Spruce Meadows Media Services. The biggest day in show jumping saw the youngest CN International winner in History in an exciting finale to the 2012 Spruce Meadows tournament season. With $1,000,000 on the line in the CN International Grand Prix, 30 horse/rider combinations entered the International ring. Round one, designed by Leopoldo Palacios (VEN) saw only one clear round through the 17 jumping obstacles stretched over 580 meters of course. Round two began with the top twelve riders returning to the changed course, with 480 meters of track and 14 jumping obstacles.

Katrin Eckermann won the first leg in Hagen and is in the overall lead. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.The Grand Prix in Paderborn was the fifth leg of the DKB Riders Tour. Only two leg remain - the German Classics in Hanover and the Munich Indoors. The rider with the most points after the show in Munich gets the title "The Rider of the Year". Ludger Beerbaum won the DKB Riders Tour last year.

At the moment Katrin Eckermann is in the lead with 39 points. She is just one point ahead of Marcus Ehning who holds the second place. Luciana Diniz is third and David Will fourth.

Marcus Ehning won with Noltes Küchengirl in Paderborn - here in Hamburg. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.Marcus Ehning, Eric van der Vleuten and Julien Epaillard were this weekends Grand Prix winners at the CSI3* in Paderborn and in Humlikon and the CSI2* in Castres.

Marcus Ehning with Noltes Küchengirl (Lord Z x Cambridge Cole) won the Grand Prix in Paderborn after being more than a second faster than second placed David Will and Colorit (Coriano x Capitol). Luciana Diniz ended third with Lennox (Lifestyle x Grammus) and Albert Zoer with Sam (Calvados x Sable Rose) took the fourth place.

Click here for the total result list.

Eric Lamaze takes a break. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.According to Eric Lamaze’s website the former Olympic Champion has decided to take a break from competition. Lamaze can look back on an amazing career, but his life made an unexpected turn when his top horse Hickstead suddenly died last year.

On his website Lamaze states: “After many great years of contesting the sport at the top level for 12 months of the year, week in and week out, I’m looking forward to taking a little break and enjoying myself by travelling and playing a little golf." This weekend the Canadian rider is competing at Spruce Meadows, and his break will start when the event finishes. Lamaze does not plan to return to competition ring himself until the 2013 season.

We wish Lamaze a happy holiday and hope to see him back in the arena sooner rather than later.

 Source: torreypinesstable.com

Beezie Madden and Coral Reef Via Volo winners of the Suncor Energy Winning Round. Photo Credits: Spruce Meadows Media Services.With the sun was shining and 80,961 spectators watching in the stands, 25 horse/rider combinations saddled up for the Suncor Energy Winning Round, spread over 495 meters with 15 jumping obstacles. The top eight riders returned to the course designed by Leopoldo Palacios (VEN), and in the end veteran Beezie Madden (USA) took home gold aboard Coral Reef Via Volo, “It’s a good win for her,” Madden commented about her 14 year old Belgian Warmblood mare. “She’s been pretty consistent all week, I couldn’t have asked for much more from her today”. Madden is busy preparing for tomorrow’s $1,000,000 CN International Grand Prix, where Madden is one of three riders qualified for a $50,000 bonus, after winning the ATCO Power Queen Elizabeth II Cup in July

Team Germany, Hans Dieter Dreher, Daniel Deußer, Philipp Weishaupt and Christian Ahlmann, this year’s winner of the BMO Nations’ cup. Photo Credits: Spruce Meadows Media Services.With 9 nations represented in the $300,000 BMO Nations’ Cup, 35 horse/rider combinations took to the International ring. The Leopoldo Palacios (VEN) course featured 15 jumping obstacles over 560 meters of track. After round one, 2011 champions team France, were forced to withdraw after only 2 of their 3 riders completed the course. After finishing first in the second round with a combined total of 4 faults, team Germany rode to victory for the first time since 2007. Mentored by Chef D’Equipe Sonke Sonksen, Christian Ahlmann, Hans Dieter Dreher, Daniel Deußer and Philipp Weishaupt completed the course with a combined total of 12 faults over two rounds. This win comes as a surprise to Weishaupt, who is at Spruce Meadows for the first time. “This place is incredible” Weishaupt commented after the competition. “You hear about how good it is, but it’s nothing compared to what it feels like to actually be here.”

This weekend we are very lucky to have super-freelance-groom Alison Prescott blogging from Spruce Meadows- Alison has taken the long trip to Calgary together with Italian rider Juan Carlos Garcia and his two horses Bonzai van de Warande  and Prince. Alison is almost always smiling and (trying to) enjoy life wherever she is.

You can follow her blog here.