Morton, IL-The American Miniature Horse Registry (AMHR) and the American Shetland Pony Club (ASPC) announced today that their two major horse shows drew record participation. The 2004 AMHR National Horse Show held in September in Tulsa, OK, boasted 5,269 entries, making the show the largest miniature horse show in history and one of the largest all-breed shows of the year. The AMHR National Horse Show is the equivalent of the Super Bowl for Miniature Horses and attracts top Miniature Horses...

Mark your calendars—this season will go down in the history books as the United States’ own Beezie Madden again claims a top three ranking in world show jumping standings. Madden, a true pioneer for equestrians, is the first woman ever to reach a top three placing. “It gives hope,” Madden says. “Women that ride here [in the United States] don’t think about it because we have more women [riders] than men, but Europe has always been a little behind, so it might...

Gladstone, NJ – After two days of rigorous testing, topped off with a final-four ride-off, 16-year-old Brianne Goutal surpassed even her own expectations with a well-earned, but nonetheless, surprise victory. “I was never expecting to get into the top four,” Goutal says. “I asked my trainer before the last round what score I would need and she wouldn’t give me an answer. She just said ‘ride well.’” And ride well, she did. Give her a few years, and...

The FEI has announced that four horses tested positive during the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. None of the four horses represented the United States. “Although lengthy, the medications hearing process is an intentionally thorough procedure and all countries and riders involved deserve to present their case. We will wait until that outcome before making any statement,” said John Long, Chief Executive Officer of the USEF.

Royal Kaliber, one of the United States most brilliant horses ever to compete internationally in show jumping, was humanely euthanized today in the Netherlands. He underwent colic surgery for intestinal adhesions, on September 27th and had been recovering well until two days ago when his progress considerably slowed. Royal Kaliber took Chris Kappler to a Team Silver medal and an Individual Bronze medal at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. According to Dr. Tim Ober, a veterinarian for the USEF...

As the door shut behind him, a 13-year-old show jumping stallion named Judgement tried to relax over the dull roar of the engines. This was no mere vacation—this was his shot at the Olympic short list, and carefully stored in style, he settled down for a long FedEx flight to the Olympic Selection Trials in California. While the cost of the departing flight from Newark to Los Angeles might have been worth every penny, Meghan De Garay, office manager at Iron Spring Farm, which owns Judgement,...

Lexington, KY —Nominations for the 2004 United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) Awards for Media Excellence must arrive in the Lexington, KY office no later than Monday, October 18, 2004. There is no fee to enter. These awards celebrate the very best coverage in both equestrian and non-equestrian media that help to shine light on the beauty of our sport. A panel of media experts will judge the awards and recipients will be honored with a formal presentation during the 2005 USEF Annual...

The 29th Annual Hampton Classic Horse Show’s feature event, the $150,000 Prudential Financial Grand Prix, will be broadcast on Fox Sports New York at 4 p.m. EDT on Saturday, September 25. In the Grand Prix, Darragh Kerins of Ireland, along with his horse Nabucco, rode to victory. Kerins was one of three entries from a starting field of 26 to qualify for the tiebreaking jump-off by riding without penalty over the 14-jump, first-round course designed by Olympic veteran Conrad Homfeld. Kerins...

The United States Equestrian Team (USET) Foundation has announced the cancellation of its Fifth Annual Golf Outing scheduled for Monday, October 4. The Golf Outing, sponsored by Paul Miller, Inc., was to be held at the Hamilton Farm Golf Club located on the same property as the USET Foundation Headquarters and Olympic Training Center in Gladstone, NJ. The cancellation was necessitated by scheduling difficulties. “We are sorry to have to cancel this year’s Golf Outing, but unfortunately it can’t...

Kevin Ferguson, 13, of Parkland, FL, won the 2004 USEF Pony Jumper National Championship individual competition aboard Krome. The championships were held August 6 in Lexington, VA, at the Virginia Horse Center. Ferguson was awarded the Swann Creek Perpetual Trophy and the Gold Medal. The USEF Pony Jumper National Championship has been designated as a USA Junior Olympic – Equestrian event. The Silver Medal was awarded to: Hot Fudge ridden and owned by Stephanie Fialco. The Bronze Medal was...

At the United States Equestrian Federation Board Meeting on July 6th, the Directors approved a new USEF recognized affiliate, the International Friesian Show Horse Association (IFSHA). The purpose of this non-profit organization, based in Clovis, California, is to provide a USEF recognized show circuit for the Friesian horse which will help increase the recognition of the breed and help ensure competitive consistency for exhibitors and competitors. This is the first new recognized affiliate...

Equestrian fans can follow the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team like never before. The networks of NBC: NBC, MSNBC, CNBC, USA, Bravo, Telemundo and NBC HDTV will broadcast an unprecedented 1,210 hours – more than the past five Summer Olympics combined. The 24-hour coverage will include action from all 28 Summer Olympic sports for the first time, with equestrian events featured on NBC, USA, Bravo and CNBC. Over the 17 days of the Athens Games, the networks of NBC will average more than 70 hours of...