The Hong Kong Jockey Club announced on July 7 that it had now completed all key venues for the 2008 Beijing Olympic and Paralympic equestrian events for testing as scheduled and that the facilities would set new world standards in terms of quality, environmental consideration, cost effectiveness and legacy value. Moreover, the project had been achieved from initial planning to completion within the remarkably short time of less than two years. The Club will hand over the competition and...

A record number of almost 130 horses have been nominated so far to compete in the 2007 Markel/USEF National Young Horse Dressage Championships, presented by Collecting Gaits Farm, which will be held at the Kentucky Horse Park, September 14–16 in Lexington, KY. The nomination list (to date) is now posted on the Markel/USEF Young Horse Dressage Program web page at www.usef.org/_IFrames/breedsDisciplines/discipline/allDressage/2004yhProgram.aspx . The inaugural USEF National Developing Horse...

The first World Para-Equestrian Dressage Championships under the governance of the FEI are looming in the not so distant foreground. These not only mark a first for the FEI, but also a first in the past 21 years for Great Britain to be hosting a World Championship. This important event will take place at Hartpury College, Gloucestershire, and no less than 142 competitors spanning 22 nations will be competing for the coveted title. The numbers alone already make this the largest World...

The 2007 League of Agricultural and Equine Centers (LAEC) Footing Academy will be held August 7-8 at the Georgia International Horse Park in Conyers, GA, former site of the 1996 Summer Olympics. CEU credits will be offered. To register, visit www.laec.info/footing%20academy/2007%20Registration%20form.pdf . This year's sponsors include Absolute Innovations; Bullock, Smith & Partners; Los Angeles Equestrian Center; Oaks Blenheim Exhibitions; SMG Management and WW Livestock. The 2008 Annual...

When a stable falls victim to the bulldozer or a long-ridden trail gets closed to horseback riding, the leaders of the Equestrian Land Conservation Resource (ELCR) care about it as much as you do. That’s why they’re stepping up their efforts to foster communication and to expand it, working hard to stay ahead of the developers’ bulldozers and cement trucks. “There are many small and diverse equestrian groups around the country,” said John Strassburger of California, a member of the ELCR’s...

The American Saddlebred Horse Association is offering live streaming video of the Lexington Junior League Horse Show via its website at www.saddlebred.com . The webcast began with the show’s first session on Monday, July 9, and will include each session through the show’s conclusion on Saturday night, July 14. The same video feed that goes out to the Red Mile’s jumbotron and other video monitors will be broadcast worldwide on www.saddlebred.com . Plans are also underway to webcast the American...

The six selected chairmen of the newly established FEI Endurance Task Force held conference calls over the last two weeks to discuss and agree on their respective timetables and reporting procedures. Each chairman, together with their two co-members, will now start to review the various areas that have been designated to each division. Specific e-mail addresses have been established so that National Federations can send any comments and suggestions they may received from their members directly...

The FEI is proud to announce that on July 7, 2007, HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein was elected as the member representing the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and as President of the Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI). The election took place during the 119th IOC Session held in Guatemala City. HRH Princess Haya was elected with 78 out of 91 valid votes. “On behalf of the Olympic movement, I would like to congratulate HRH Princess Haya on her...

Vermont Summer Festival is presenting live webcasts of its horse show competition. The webcasts are being produced by LiveBroadcast.TV and Productions East Video. The Vermont Summer Festival began on July 11 and features six full weeks of hunter/jumper competition. The Vermont Summer Festival offers $800,000 in prize money, making it the largest sporting event in the state of Vermont based on total purse. The Vermont Summer Festival is New England’s largest “AA” rated hunter/jumper horse show...

Edward “Eddy” Leidenheimer, American Saddlebred trainer and owner of DreamView Stables of Versailles, KY, died Saturday, June 23, 2007. He was 28 years old. Leidenheimer was a member of the American Saddlebred Horse Association, the Unied Professional Horseman's Association and the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF). He will be honored posthumously at the Lexington Junior League Horse Show on Thursday, July 12. Memorial trophies in his honor have been announced for the American...