On November 19, 2007, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) will begin using the Veterinary Services Process Streamlining (VSPS) Web-based system to take online reservations for the USDA Animal Import Center in Miami, FL. This change applies only to the Miami import center, though it is expected that the import center in Rock Tavern, NY, will begin to use the VSPS system for online reservations in early 2008. The required documentation and procedures for making online reservations...

The American Horse Council (AHC) wants to ensure that the American horse industry is properly accounted for in the upcoming census. There are three ways in which horse owners can participate in the USDA’s 2007 Census of Agriculture: 1. If a farm received a survey for census participation in the past (the last census was taken in 2002), the farm will be mailed a survey that can be filled in and mailed back. 2. If a farm was not part of the 2002 Census, the owner can fill out a basic USDA census...

Creating a solid base to any structure will ensure that further up the line the order and overall cohesiveness is maintained. Indeed, to not sound too cryptic, good foundations are a must when you want to continue building onwards and upwards. As part of the FEI Development Strategy, ensuring this very cohesiveness at the base, a workshop for FEI Tutors was held in Geneva, Switzerland, just under two months ago—with an objective of bringing the tutors together and solidifying both their...

The World Games 2010 Foundation, Inc., the organization responsible for planning, staging and conducting the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG), announced that Michael Etherington-Smith has been selected as the eventing course designer for the 2010 WEG. Etherington-Smith brings to the Foundation more than 30 years of international experience in competition riding, training and course designing. He has been an FEI international course designer and technical delegate since 1985....

Morris Animal Foundation (MAF) provides a unique opportunity for individuals or groups to help animals through health study sponsorship. In 2008, MAF will fund about 120 animal health studies, including 11 new and continuing studies for horses. Animal lovers are invited to sponsor or co-sponsor one of these studies with a total gift of $3,000 or more per study. The complete listing of 2008 studies and their descriptions is available at www.MorrisAnimalFoundation.org , or request a printed...

Lexington, KY - Baseball is baseball, but baseball at Fenway Park or Wrigley Field is a whole new ballgame. Horse racing is horse racing but watching the field come around the turn at Saratoga provides goosebumps race after race. Show jumping is show jumping but at Spruce Meadows the mountains make a difference. Dressage is dressage but Dressage at Devon is a completely unique experience. Located in Berwyn, Pa. the 33rd consecutive running of the show has attracted some of the country’s...

Burbank, CA - The first of the two Platinum Performance USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Finals provided top-class competition despite a nasty battle with Mother Nature which resulted in lots of cancelled classes and some creative competition management by the Los Angeles International Horse Show. Held in Griffith Park, the horse show was abbreviated by a powerful storm on Friday night which knocked out power to the show grounds and over 25,000 homes in the surrounding area. This warranted the...

While the Dressage at Devon performance show is one of the hottest tickets of the year, those in the know also come to the Breed Show. These classes take place the first three days of the event that is held, September 25-30, 2007. The Dressage at Devon Breed Show is one of the largest and most prestigious sport horse shows outside of Europe. With nearly 70 classes and more than $5,000 in prize money and awards, competitors come from coast to coast to stake their claim for glory. “Winning at...

In response to numerous inquiries and requests from American breeders, Hilltop Farm announced that Bugatti Hilltop will come home this fall to stand at stud at Hilltop Farm, making him available in the U.S. for breeding by both fresh cooled and frozen semen for the 2008 season. The 1998 Hanoverian stallion, by Bergamon out of a Rubinstein I x Donnerhall mare, has competed successfully in dressage for several years with Michael Klimke in Germany. Currently competing at Prix St. Georges and...

The 2007 American Trakehner Association (ATA) convention and breed inspection will be held November 8-10 in Denton, TX. In addition to convention meetings, many North American Trakehner breeders will bring their horses to be shown before an international committee of judges. All horse activities will be held at Whispering Farms Equestrian Center in Prosper and are open to the public. Events include a performance exhibition, stallion parade, and hunter and jumper stake classes. The Trakehner...