(Lexington, KY) – The United States Equestrian Federation has established the Hurricane Equine Relief Fund to assist those agencies working directly with the equine victims and refugees from Hurricane Katrina. The money will be used to support efforts to deliver food, veterinary services, and shelter for horses and ponies in the hurricane stricken areas. All donations are tax deductible, and gifts of any size are appreciated. Donations can be made online at www.usef.org, click on the Hurricane...

Photos.com Lexington, KY – Hundreds of people in the southern states are opening their barns, their hearts, and in many cases their homes, to assist horses and their owners affected by the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. To date, the response has been overwhelming, with more than 5,000 people willing to offer assistance nationwide. The next step in this massive effort is to spread the word to those in the equine world who have been hurt and stranded by this national tragedy. Please help us in...

Photos.com Nearly 4000 e-mails and hundreds of phone calls received (Lexington, KY) - Thousands of individuals responded to yesterday’s USEF appeal for donations of shelter and much-needed services for the equine refugees of Hurricane Katrina. E-mails came from all sections of the United States and Canada and ranged from offers of 350 stalls in San Antonio to two pint-size stalls for Miniature horses in the Midwest. Because of this huge response, only e-mails, not voicemails or phone calls,...

During his presentation at the 2005 American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) Practice Management Seminar: Focus on Equine Colic, internationally recognized veterinarian Frank Andrews, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVIM, discussed the importance of recent research conducted by Franklin Pellegrini, DVM. Pellegrini’s work, published in the March issue of the Journal of Equine Veterinary Science , sharply highlighted the previously unrecognized frequency and importance of colonic ulcers in horses. Dr....

America's future equine dressage stars are coming to the Kentucky Horse Park. The 2005 USEF/Markel Young Horse Dressage National Championships (sponsored by Markel Insurance) will be held at MSEDA Dressage at the Park, September 9-11 in Lexington, KY. This event will feature the best five- and six-year-old dressage horses in the country competing for national titles and the honor of the perpetual Dr. Edgar Hotz Memorial Trophy. Included in the fields will be the three horses which represented...

Two sales will be held in conjunction with the 2005 Paso Fino Horse Association (PFHA) Grand National Championship Show, September 18-24, at the Georgia National Fairgrounds and Agricenter, in Perry, GA. The Eighth Annual Grand National Horse Sale will be held, Thursday, September 22, at 6 p.m. in the Beef and Dairy Arena. The sale is open to registered Paso Finos of all ages. The Fabulous Futurity Auction will be held Friday, September 23, at 6 p.m. and is open to two-year-old registered Paso...

An online auction will begin on September 1 and run through September 15 to benefit Jan Michael, grandson of Philadelphia-based racehorse trainer Don White. Jan Michael was born prematurely on February 3 of this year with extensive complications, including a cleft lip and palate leaving him unable to swallow, necessitating stomach tube feeding and constant aspiration to prevent choking to death. Proceeds from the auction will be used to pay for home nursing care and other health care costs not...

Lexington, KY – Craig Schmersal of Menifee, California, and Tim McQuay of Tioga, Texas will represent the United States in the 2005 FEI World Reining Masters Series Final in Manerbio, Italy, September 24. Each, a master, in his own right, Schmersal was a member of the Gold Medal U.S. team at the 2002 FEI World Equestrian Games in Jerez, Spain, while McQuay is the NRHA’s all-time leading money earner. Schmersal took the Gold medal and Championship title August 27, riding Tidal Wave...

Lexington, KY – Riding Topsail Ma Cee Blair, 13-year-old Jordan Brown of Selma, North Carolina, took home the Championship title and Gold medal in the 13 and under division at the inaugural 2005 USEF Youth Reining Championship, presented by Markel and Hagyard-Davidson-McGee on Sunday, August 28, at the Kentucky Horse Park, with a winning score of 210. “It was exciting!” said Brown. “It’s a big honor to win. It’s something I’ll remember all my life....

Craig Schmersal and Tidal Wave Jack, Winners of the 2005 Adequan/USEF Open Reining Championship (Waltenberry Photography) Lexington, KY – With swift and calculated moves, amazing 360-degree spins and stop-on-a-dime sliding stops that left an unabashed crowd going wild, Craig Schmersal and Tidal Wave Jack claimed their landmark USEF Gold medal and trophy in one fell swoop at the 2005 Adequan/USEF Open Reining Championship on Saturday, August 27, at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington....