Photo by Robbi Meisel (Taylor Adams and Kassandra) Ocala, FL-based Taylor Adams began the curtain calls for the 2010 Jacksonville Winter Series on Friday evening with a big win in the $10,000 Bruning Equitation Classic, presented by the Jerry Parks Insurance Group. Adams partnered with the Devon Walther owned Kassandra bested a field of 15 over an intricate layout of 11 obstacles co-designed by international great Pierre Jolicoeur and Joe Carnicom. The course zig-zagged the length of the...

Steffen Peters, Jessica Ransehousen, Maxance McManamy (Geoff Oliver Bugbee) Louisville, KY – In January of 2009 Steffen Peters was honored with the USEF’s Equestrian of the Year Award for his uncanny sportsmanship and his achievements on the field of play throughout 2008. In 2010, at the USEF Pegasus Awards dinner he was bestowed the title again – this time for simply blowing the doors off the dressage world in 2009. Made even sweeter by the fact that the beloved horse who made it all possible...

The United States Pony Clubs (USPC), Inc., will hold its 2010 Annual Meeting and Convention from January 27-31 in Houston, TX. The Annual Meeting will be held at the Houston’s JW Marriot located in Uptown Houston. The weekend’s events will include a banquet, a trade fair featuring equestrian products, including the USPC Bookstore, and workshops for volunteer leaders and active USPC members. An exciting highlight of the 2010 Annual Meeting takes place Saturday evening during the banquet, when...

The United States Dressage Federation (USDF) would like to congratulate the 11-year-old 16.3-hand Dutch Warmblood gelding Ravel, owned by Akiko Yamazaki of Woodside, CA, and ridden by Steffen Peters of San Diego, CA, for being named 2009 Adequan/United States Dressage Federation Grand Prix Horse of the Year. Ravel’s median score of 75.574% made him the top horse in the United States competing at this level and the recipient of USDF’s highest honor. Ravel was recognized at the 2009 Adequan/USDF...

Erica Sessa and Lightly Frosted started the holidays in festive style, winning the Training Jumper division at the Equestrian Sport Productions Holiday Festival I Show. Sessa, who raised the Quarter Horse/Arabian cross herself, rode the eight-year-old gelding to the championship in the division sponsored by The Sanctuary Equine Sports Therapy & Rehabilitation Center in Ocala. “They had a nice, smooth but very fast ride,” said Sessa’s trainer, Marianne Pack, of Competition Farm in Ft....

Mikala Munter Gundersen and Festivo Win Equilite Sponsored Class International dressage trainer and competitor Mikala Munter Gundersen was in the ribbons at the Wellington Classic Holiday Challenge, winning the USEF Third Level Test 3 with Christine DeHerrera’s Westphalian gelding Festivo. The class was sponsored by Equilite, makers of Sore No More, Herbal Blends and Botanical Animal Flower Essences, and Gundersen took home a giant tote filled with Equilite products. “Christine, who owns...

The world’s most colorful horses raced for the finish line in a 350-yard allowance race on November 28 at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, TX, and it was Appaloosa Moon Bully that took the first-place prize. Eight Appaloosas and Paint Horses lined up to compete for a piece of the $10,000 purse. Moon Bully (Man With The Power x Tb Fancy Moon, JC) darted across the finish line in 17.68 seconds to win, with Cody Jensen aboard. The five-year-old gelding won $5,910, bringing his lifetime earnings to...

The National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) Futurity will bring the best three-year-old reining horses to Oklahoma City, OK, starting Thanksgiving day, but to many NRHA members the Adequan® North American Affiliate Championships (NAAC) is the final leg of their quest to proudly represent their region among riders from the U.S., Canada and Mexico; and battle for an NRHA North American Affiliate Championship title. This year’s Adequan® NAAC, held in conjunction with the NRHA Futurity, will see...

The United States Equestrian Federation has partnered with Harris Connect, a Virginia-based publisher of directories, to produce the 2010 USEF Membership Directory. The directory will enable USEF members to keep in touch with old friends, trainers and competitors. To ensure that the most up-to-date directory is printed, Harris Connect is mailing postcards to the members of the Federation asking them to respond to a toll-free number with their information. Those members not responding will...

The 2009 Irish Draught Horse Society of North America (IDHSNA)/United States Eventing Association (USEA_ Future Event Horse East Coast Championships will take place this Friday, October 30, beginning at noon, in the East Complex Arena of the Virginia Horse Center in Lexington, VA. Come out and watch the yearlings, two-, and three-year-old future eventing superstars. Competitors' times are now posted on the Virginia Horse Trials website at www.vahorsetrials.com/pages/va_FEH_times.htm . The...