Sharon McCusker and Wrigley with Anne Gribbons (Eva Salomon/USEF Archives) Lexington, KY - Dressage riders in Florida had the opportunity to hone their skills with USEF Technical Advisor Anne Gribbons and USEF Developing Dressage Coach Debbie McDonald in a USEF Observation Session, February 14-15. Ten riders and 12 horses took part in the two day session which followed a weekend of competition for many at the Wellington Classic Spring Challenge CDI-W. Held at Walter and Mary Anne McPhail's High...

Ocala, FL - February 22, 2011 - The Ocala Winter Circuit had a record-breaking weekend as the $50,000 HITS Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, had the largest Grand Prix starting field ever seen in Ocala with 50 competitors in the tack. Sunday's record came on the heels of Thursday's $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, which set the record at 48 starters. Andre Thieme of Plau Am See, Germany, and his own Cesar captured the top prize in the $50,000 event to...

Interagro, a stallion participating in the 2011 Lusitano Collection International Horse Auction. (Photo courtesy of Tupa.) Wellington, FL – The 2011 Lusitano Collection International Horse Auction is right around the corner, and fans of the magnificent Lusitano breed are thrilled to learn that the horses taking part in this year’s highly anticipated auction have settled in Florida. Hosted by the Lusitano Collection, the auction is considered the social event of the season and will take place...

Jim Brandon Equestrian Center. (Phelps Media Group. ) Wellington, FL - Preparations are under way at the Jim Brandon Equestrian Center in West Palm Beach, FL, as the World Dressage Masters Palm Beach, the American leg of the world's premier dressage series, draws nearer. The Jim Brandon Center will welcome a group of the most successful international dressage riders and horses from North America and Europe on March 9-11, as they compete for 100,000 Euros in prize money at the WDM Palm Beach...

Culpeper, VA HITS, Inc. is pleased to announce that the 2011 HITS Culpeper Show Series, that takes place in the heart of Virginia horse country, will host a total of six $40,000 Grand Prix, five of which will qualify for this year’s Pfizer $1 Million Grand Prix. In addition, HITS Culpeper will also host five $5,000 Devoucoux Hunter Prix, all of which will qualify for the all-new Diamond Mills $500,000 Hunter Prix Final. The HITS Culpeper Show Series will get underway when the Commonwealth...

Shawna Harding. (Photo by Susan J. Stickle.) Lincoln, NE – The Board of Directors of The Dressage Foundation announced that Shawna Harding of Aiken, SC, is a recipient of the 2011 “Carol Lavell Advanced Dressage Prize” in the amount of $25,000. The purpose of the Prize, established at The Dressage Foundation, is to provide financial assistance for coaching and training to a talented, committed, qualified rider whose plan is to reach and excel at the elite, international standards of high...

Hadji and Palmer-DuRoss. (Steven Bradley Photography.) Aurora, CO - Hadji Halef Omar (Centavo x ZA Sabbaths Joy), a 1992 grey gelding, owned by Stephanie Palmer-DuRoss of Queen Creek, AZ. has been named the 2010 AHA Distance Horse of the Year. The 10-year veteran of endurance competition has taken Palmer-DuRoss over 5,810 miles, a journey for which she is very grateful. “I am nominating Hadji for the Distance Horse of the Year Award in appreciation for all the beautiful places he has taken me...

Alexandria Desiderio and TL Foolin Around+. (Photo by Don Stine.) Aurora, CO - Earning 522.5 points might come naturally for the 2010 Youth Amateur of the Year Alexandria Desiderio, from Chester, NJ. "It kinda happened by accident—I didn't go out of my way—I just show so much now, it's crazy," says Desiderio. But you can't really say Desiderio's points came easily; unless 30-plus hours a week in the saddle sounds easy. Desiderio came by her 522.5 points with the help of three horses at 13...

Lewisburg, OH - The National Show Horse Registry (NSHR) has recently relocated to Lewisburg, OH. The new mailing address is: PO Box 862, Lewisburg, OH 45338; (phone) 937-962-4336; (fax) 937-962-4332. The Registry is excited about the move and the convenience it will be for members. In other NSHR news, changes have been made to make it easier and to expedite the process for competitions to offer NSH classes. Please contact the NSHR office for information. NSH Western rules have also changed to...

Karen O’Connor, Pat Parelli, Linda Parelli and David O’Connor. (Photo courtesy Coco Photography.) Ocala, FL - February 21, 2011 – Children in the central and northern Florida area had their wishes granted when Pat Parelli, the founder of Parelli Natural Horsemanship, traded in his cowboy boots for a jumping saddle during the Second Annual Make-A-Wish Equine Challenge on Valentine’s Day at the Ocala Equestrian Complex. At the same time, David O’Connor, Olympian and President of the United States...