Monday, July 7, was an emotional day at SpiritHorse Therapeutic Riding Center in Corinth, TX. Highly respected horseman and clinician Chris Cox paid the center a visit and donated his time to conduct a clinic, working with staff and special needs riders who receive free lessons at SpiritHorse. The event was covered by five different news networks. "SpiritHorse was honored to have the support of Chris Cox. He was so generous with the time he spent conducting a free clinic with our children and...

Lexington, KY- This past weekend at the CHIO Aachen World Equestrian Festival (July 1-6, 2008) the U.S. Show Jumping Team took third in the Nations Cup which improved the U.S. Team’s placing overall in the Samsung Super League with FEI. The U.S. now sits in Fourth Place with three competitions left. We had very strong performances from our riders though out the CHIO Aachen World Equestrian Festival. Beezie Madden and Authentic were fourth in the Rolex 350,000 Euro Grand Prix of Aachen. McLain...

Dressage trainer Elizabeth Niemi won the grand prix on Sunday at the Windy Hollow Hunt Dressage Show in New Jersey. Niemi rode Stan and Vivian Picheny’s strapping dark bay gelding Wholio to a score of 65.625% for the win. Following a torrential downpour the night before, the show opened on Sunday to a crystal clear day that provided perfect footing for the competitors. After competing in torrid heat Saturday, Wholio gave Niemi a relaxed and focused ride, coasting into the Grand Prix victory on...

The Gold Coast 4 hunter/jumper show (June 13-15) marks the halfway point in Langer Equestrian Group’s (LEG) Gold Coast Series, which consists of seven United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) "B" rated shows at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center. Markel Insurance is the sponsor the 2008 series awards. The Gold Coast Shows offer a three day, six ring format. There are a wide variety of classes suitable for many levels of horses and riders from green horses and short stirrup riders, to 1.40...

At the Oaks Blenheim Classic, Karen Healey's riders were major players and very successful. Starting with the jumpers, in the $5,000 1.45m classic, Hannah Selleck of Thousand Oaks, CA, and her horse Bauer rode their way to victory. In addition, her name has been added to the Young Riders team for Zone 10 at the 2008 North American Junior and Young Rider Championships (NAJYRC). Shelby Wakeman of Westlake Village, CA, and Pandoer, were named as the alternates for the junior team. They finished...

Horse Shows by the Bay, a three-week equestrian festival held in beautiful Traverse City, MI, will feature many social events for exhibitors and their families at the show. The horse show, which has three weeks of hunter/jumper competition and two dressage events, runs from July 16-August 3 at the Flintfields Horse Park. The social event of the horse show will be the Third Annual Celebration Dinner held on Sunday, July 20, at the stunning Bowers Harbor Inn on the Old Mission Peninsula. The...

The newest benefit to joining and becoming an active member of the American Paint Horse Association (APHA) is to save money. For a limited time, APHA is offering members significant savings on transactions through the Registration Incentive Program. The two major parts of the Registration Incentive give deep savings for registering older horses and for multiple transfers of registered horses. Registering Older Horses The incentive allows a discounted registration fee for Paint Horses two years...

Top FEI competitor Susan Dutta retired her famous grand prix partner of many years, Gumshoes DC, a 17-year-old Dutch gelding in a touching ceremony held in the International ring at the Zada Enterprises CDI show in Wellington. Her husband, Tim Dutta, son Timmy, and groom Robbie Sanderson accompanied Gumshoes into the ring where a well-deserved shawl of red flowers draped his shoulders. After a decade of being a consistent finisher in both the large and small tour FEI competition, Dutta...

After winning the Hunter Derby at Pin Oak, Peter Pletcher and Argentum took home the Gold for the second time in two weeks, winning the $10,000 United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) International Hunter Challenge Derby Classic at the Spring Gathering Horse Show in the Houston suburb of Katy, TX. The class was held under the lights in the main arena at the Great Southwest Equestrian Center. An enthusiastic crowd cheered their favorites as 23 entries competed over the first round-track...

Iron Spring Farm’s UB40 continues to make a name for himself in both North America and Europe. Two UB40 sons were selected for performance testing at the 2008 KWPN Stallion Keuring held in s’ Hertogenbosch last week. One three-year-old son bred by A.A. van de Koppel, Amigo out of Tolanda (Elite) by Krack C, finished in the reserve championship position in the dressage stallion category. Amigo is a beautiful, modern-type with a gorgeous head and neck and uphill build. The result is incredible...