Hurricane Wilma dealt a damaging blow to South Florida and the equestrian community of Wellington when she struck the area on October 24, 2005. Despite the widespread impact, the equestrian community is rapidly recovering and gradually returning to normal. The Palm Beach Polo Equestrian Club, home to the 122nd Annual National Horse Show and Family Festival, sustained some damage, but nothing that will prevent this year’s show from going on as scheduled beginning on November 30 and running...

In a brilliant display of skill and finesse, Sara Schmitt, of Glen Gardner, NJ, drove her Morgan stallion, High Country Doc, to one of only a few clean and clear rounds in the cones phase at The Laurels at Landhope and her first national championship. The last in the order of go on Sunday, September 11, Schmitt had some wiggle room. Ahead by only four points under the new rules where a ball down is now a three-point penalty instead of five. This gave her a small margin of error, one that could...

Courtesy Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine (Dr. Shannon Gonsoulin (LSU Grad) and a helper rescuing a Miniature Horse and loading it into a trailer.) Word from the Louisiana State University Veterinary School about the overall situation at the LaMar Dixon Expo Center which has been the large animal evacuation center, is positive. Dr. Rustin Moore, Director of Equine Health Studies at LSU, reports that they now have approximately 275 horses at the center and because...

Gladstone, NJ – In their first national competition riding together, husband and wife team Steffen and Shannon Peters of San Diego, California, won first and second place respectively, taking home the titles in the 2005 Collecting Gaits Farm/United States Equestrian Federation National Intermediaire I Dressage Championship, presented by Paul Miller Auto Group, Inc. Steffen earned a cumulative score of 73.425%, riding Marlando (1999 Dutch Warmblood gelding), and Shannon was awarded a 71....

Courtesy of Karina Benish (Karina and Hawkeye) He was the ugliest male I had ever seen in my life. He had a bloody wound on his nose, hair six inches long on his chest, and he weighed about 700-800 pounds—400 shy of his best weight. His name was Hawkeye, and he was my partner for more than 14 years. Hawkeye was a mustang horse, and it was he who taught me what it is to trust. Horses, in my opinion, given good care and a little attention, are high up in Maslow’s hierarchy. Since...

The Jersey Fresh Three-Day Event ended as it began for Australian Olympic Gold medalist Phillip Dutton, at the top of the scoreboard. Dutton, who lives in West Grove, PA, but rides for his native Australia, maintained his lead in the show jumping phase of the three-star event, which kept Buck Davidson, of Ringoes, NJ, in second place. Dutton was delighted with the performance of his mount Amazing Odyssey, a horse he described as “one of the best jumping horses I’ve ever ridden.” The panel of...

Olympic equestrian Kathy Kusner will join NFL quarterback Drew Bledsoe and Track and Field legend Louis Zamperini for the 2005 Class of Inductees into the World Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame. These three world-class athletes will be enshrined into this unique Hall of Fame for utilizing their platform of sports to make positive changes in the world. Watts in South Central Los Angeles, is a low-income community where there is a strong presence of drug activity and gang violence. Unfortunately,...

Despite a previous week of sunshine when the field of 30 competitors began the Gulf Coast Mid Winter $10,000 Open Welcome, Mother Nature decided to add another challenge to Anthony D’Ambrosio’s course. A deluge of rain began as the first horse passed judges Fred Brown and Mike Christian. David Q Wright’s Step Right Up did just that. After a clear first round the 14-year-old Thoroughbred gelding from Murfreesboro, TN, gave a repeat performance in a jump-off field of eight with a speedy 34.494...

U.S. Endurance Team at first inspection. (Jan Mansfield ) United Arab Emirates - Two of the six riders representing the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) completed the 100-mile 2005 FEI World Endurance Championship on January 27 at Dubai International City in Dubai, UAE. The highest place finisher was Becky Harris of Medina, OH, who came in 20th place with a ride time of 8:47:03 on GA Tyfa Mynte. Carolyn Hock of Riverside, CA and GT Sando were 56th with a ride time of 11:10:13....

Burbank, CA – With a weekend of competition to prove themselves, a ring full of young riders set out to convince judges they have what it takes to become tomorrow’s equestrian stars. Emerging at the top of the list from the BET/USEF West Coast Show Jumping Talent Search Finals is 17-year-old Kasey Ament (Reche Canyon, CA), who took home the Denali Trophy atop San Francisco. Riding her own horse first and then starting the rotations that are characteristic of these tests, Ament...