The American Saddlebred Horse Association 2005 annual convention had 579 attendees. The total includes both adults and youth who attended the various events that took place February 17-19, including the American Saddlebred Ball, youth field trip, forums, luncheons and more. This year 248 adults attended the Annual Meeting and other functions at the Embassy Suites of Lexington and the Keeneland Race Course. In addition, 206 youth members attended the Youth Conference. Youth Conference attendance...

The American Vaulting Association (AVA) has launched a significantly improved and updated website. Visitors to the www.americanvaulting.org site can expect to find the addition of many new resources and educational tools, including video. Whether you are interested in finding a club, starting a program or learning about vaulting, the expanded website provides multiple sources of information. The AVA first entered the information highway in 1995, long before many had heard of the worldwide web....

Lexington, KY – When the world’s most talented show jumpers converge on Las Vegas, April 20-24, Nicole Simpson, of Thousand Oaks, California, will be among them. Following her third-place performance on El Campeon’s So Long at the $75,000 Ultimate Equine Grand Prix in Indio, California, February 27, Simpson’s ticket to the Entertainment Capital of the World has essentially been purchased. Leading a group of more than 30 equestrian hopefuls in the West Coast League,...

Lexington, KY – The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) is pleased to announce a new and exciting opportunity for drivers to be recognized for their achievements, with the newly created Carriage Driving Horse of the Year Awards. The following class descriptions (restricted to open classes) are eligible for points: turnout, working, reinsmanship, obstacle driving, and coaching. There will be categories for both horses and ponies, and awards will be given for singles, pairs or...

Randi Muster (McLain Ward) Lexington, KY – Exactly three-quarters of the way through a series of 12 qualifying competitions for the East Coast League, the dust of a heated race to the 2005 FEI World Cup Show Jumping Final is quickly starting to settle. Just as quickly, a clear trend in leaders begins to unfold, and Brewster, New York’s McLain Ward seems determined to lead the way to Las Vegas on April 20. Heading up a varied group of more than 60 riders, Ward holds onto the...

Winning the American Hunter Jumper Foundation Hunter Classic Spectacular is important to any hunter rider, but for Louise Serio this time was especially important. Just the day before one of her young clients (Rachel Geiger) lost her mom, Jeannie, in an unexpected turn of events and Louise made a decision that she was going to try and win for Jeannie. And so on Saturday, February 19, 2005, in Wellington, FL, with sadness in her heart but determination in her ride, Serio and Costello negotiated...

The Drug Compounding Task Force of the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) has released guidelines regarding the responsible use of compounded medications by veterinarians. The guidelines are the result of the association’s commitment to educating its members on this increasingly important topic within the animal health industry. Issues addressed in the guidelines include the negative effects on efficacy that can result from using products not held to the government’s standards...

The Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event has been honored by three tourism organizations as one of the state’s, region’s and nation’s most outstanding events. The 2005 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event will return to the magnificent Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, April 28-May 1. Once again, many of the world’s best three-day event horses and riders will be on hand to compete for one of the sport’s most coveted titles. Foremost among the three honors paid to America’s only four-star three-day event...

Lendon Gray’s Youth Dressage Festival (YDF), to be held in Saugerties, NY, August 12-14, 2005, is pleased to introduce the inclusion of ParaEquestrian competition in 2005. ParaEquestrian has recently been accepted by both the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) and the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) as a full discipline, providing national and international competition in both dressage and driving for individuals with a disability. Both sports have been developing for many...

The Zada Enterprises, LLC, Florida Dressage Classic ended on a high note on Sunday, February 20, as spectators were treated to more than 20 musical freestyles performances. The $2,000 Grand Prix Musical Freestyle class drew a huge crowd and Leslie Morse’s winning ride on Kingston garnered almost unprecedented enthusiasm from the spectators. The dynamic ride to the Pirates of the Caribbean tune, "The Curse of the Black Pearl" was perfectly suited to Kingston, who seemed as pumped up as the crowd....