The Kentucky Horse Council (KHC) recommends that all event participants are notified in advance (show bill or flyer, etc.) that the law requires them to provide proof of current negative Coggins Test and Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI) when attending a public equine event. A Coggins test is a simple blood test that determines whether a horse is a carrier for Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA), a blood borne, incurable disease. The disease can be spread by using contaminated needles or...

Competition in the 2010 Cavalor Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series grew more intense in the month of May. Following standout performances in the West Conference, rider Richard Neal was named the Rider of the Month for the month of May. Classes continue to be in full swing in both the East and West Conferences, and riders are active in earning points on the Series' overall standings. Richard Neal of Pasadena, CA, competes in the Series' West Conference Junior division with his mount...

Tickets to the eight world championships of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games are selling quickly, with many sessions, particularly finals sessions, approaching sell-outs. Finals rounds are in highest demand across all sports, as these sessions determine the world champions. The Dressage Individual Freestyle and the Reining Individual Finals could be the first to reach full capacity. Less than 1,000 Level A tickets are available for the Dressage Freestyle on October 1 in the outdoor...

Photo Courtesy Epona and Hassler Dressage (Lauren Spreiser and Ellegria with Kyra Kyrklund.) This week several horse-and-rider combinations were privileged to participate in clinics given by Kyra Kyrklund. Kyrklund, who lives and trains out of her farm in West Sussex, Great Britain, is a world-class dressage trainer and has represented Finland in six Olympic Games. Kyrklund is a heavily sought-after coach who has trained multiple Olympic medalists; at the 2006 FEI World Equestrian Games she had...

Photo by Dr. C. Mike Tomlinson (Mary Jordan, a Grade IV Para-Dressage rider used this competition as a practice before the selection trials at the end of June.) This year is the most exciting calendar year for the United States Para-Equestrian Team in history. It will be the first time ever that the para-dressage team will compete with all of the equestrian disciplines at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ (WEG) in Lexington, KY. The hopeful WEG riders first stop this summer was May...

Photo by ESI Photography (Kelsey Hart and Agostino in the $10,000 Devoucoux Hunter Derby. ) Two of the most decorated high-performance riders in the country became serious contenders to qualify for the unprecedented Pfizer $1 Million Grand Prix after a pair of impressive outings at HITS-on-the-Hudson I in Saugerties, NY. First, in Friday's $25,000 HITS Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, it was Olympian Margie Engle and Hidden Creek's Pamina L that took the blue ribbon in her first...

Riders4helmets website aims to encourage more equestrians to wear helmets Leading equine digestive health product Succeed® has teamed up with helmet advocate Jeri Bryant to launch an online helmet awareness campaign— www.riders4helmets.com . The campaign is designed to educate equestrians on the benefits of wearing helmets. The Equestrian Medical Safety Association (EMSA) states that head injuries account for approximately 60% of deaths resulting from equestrian accidents. Approximately...

The United States Dressage Federation (USDF) is pleased to announce that GMOs now have the ability to submit membership roster entries online by logging onto the USDF website. This new program allows GMOs to submit their member updates in a more efficient manner, eliminating the need to e-mail or mail hard copy. When a GMO representative logs onto the USDF website, they will be able to view the previous year’s membership roster. Members for the new year can then be selected from the previous...

The first major exhibition to explore the dynamic impact of the horse on Near Eastern civilization, A Gift from the Desert will have a particular emphasis on the first horse breed, the Arabian Horse. The exhibition will be a fascinating journey from the arrival of the first domesticated horses in the Near East to the renaissance of purebred Arabian horse breeding in the Near East today. As with all horse breeds, the story of the Arabian horse is dependent upon the cultures that created,...

Photo Courtesy CKRH (A group lesson at CKRH.) Central Kentucky Riding for Hope (CKRH) a NARHA premier therapeutic riding program is currently looking for horses to add to its equine team. The program has recently expanded into a new facility and a new year-round schedule. CKRH has many requests to provide services but is currently limited in its ability to expand due to a shortage of appropriate horses. The type of horse CKRH is looking for at this time must meet a set of requirements in order...