Kona Gold, winner of the 2000 Eclipse Award for Sprinter of the Year was humanely euthanized at the Kentucky Horse Park on the morning of September 29 after suffering a severe fracture to his left front leg while exercising in his paddock. He was 15-years-old. Within minutes of the accident, he was taken to Hagyard Equine Medical Institute for evaluation where it was determined by the surgical staff that his injury was beyond repair. The unanimous decision to euthanize was made by the surgeons,...

Photo by Diana DeRosa (Hunt Tosh and Fine Kiss) Hunt Tosh went into the first round of the 15th Annual Professional World Championship Hunter Rider (WCHR) Finals for the 2009 American Hunter Jumper Foundation (AHJF) Professional WCHR title, as if it belonged to him. He negotiated the highest mark in the first round and never looked back. Four rounds later he won the highest honor for a professional rider for his very first attempt in this prestigious class, which took place on October 2 at the...

Lady Calido's first time was a charm as she and Robyn Fisher took home the big win in the mare's inaugural CIC*** this past weekend at Twin Rivers Ranch in Paso Robles, CA. The CIC*** also served as the final event in the 2009 $10,000 Adequan/United States Eventing Association (USEA) Gold Cup Series, where top horses and riders across the country competed for cash, prizes, and leaderboard points. Needless to say, Fisher, 29, of Topanga, CA, was thrilled with "Callie's" performance. "She was...

Lexington, KY – It wasn’t easy, but Chester Weber never wavered and netted his seventh straight USEF National Four-in-Hand Driving Championship at the Kentucky Cup and Lexington Driving Classic. Weber’s win also bodes well for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, as this event served as the test event for next year’s WEG also to be held at the Kentucky Horse Park. Weber beat long time teammate Tucker Johnson (and another driver going for a record seven wins) by 10 points, but the...

Each year endurance riders from around the U.S. and Canada gather to compete for the American Endurance Ride Conference’s (AERC) top honors in the National Championship rides. This year, tiny Greenville, CA, (population 1,150) will be the launching point for the 100-mile ride on September 11 and 50-mile ride on September 13. Midway between Redding and Reno, the Northern California location has all that riders ask of a trail: elevation changes, gorgeous views, shallow creek crossings, and...

The $25,000 Chicago Hunter Derby saw big crowds and tremendous competition Sunday afternoon of August 30 at Annali Farm in Antioch, IL. The class hosted 35 of the nation's top hunters and riders for a "Derby Day" full of festivities. The show raised money for Chicago Equestrians for a Cause, which donates to the Children's Memorial Hospital. Jennifer Alfano of Buffalo, NY, rode SBS Farms' Jersey Boy to victory in the $25,000 Hunter Derby. The courses were designed by Bobby Murphy, who also...

On Sunday at HITS Culpeper Tracy Magness was back to her winning ways riding Tarco Van Ter Moude to the blue in the $30,000 HITS Grand Prix to conclude the Winston National at HITS Commonwealth Park in Culpeper, VA. Magness got the best of 19 pairs that challenged course designer Jerry Dougherty’s first-round course and the additional six that advanced to the jump-off en route to collecting $9,000 in first-place prize money. With the victory, Magness and Mr. and Mrs. John Bartko’s Tarco Van Ter...

The High Roller Reining Classic is pleased to announce that the only female $1 Million Elite Rider, Mandy McQuay McCutcheon, will be showing at this year's competition. The horse show will be held at the South Point Hotel and Casino, September 4-12, 2009. McCutcheon is the only non-pro Elite Rider and the daughter of Elite Rider Tim McQuay, who will also be competing at this year's event. The High Roller Reining Classic is the international "crown jewel" of western riding competition, and...

Team Gold medalists—Zone 8—from the Team Jumper competition. (USEF Archive/Randi Muster) Lexington, KY —Last night the joint was, as they say, jumpin’. Day three of the five-day USEF Pony Finals National Championships kicked off this morning with Phase I for the Regular Pony Hunters (model and under saddle), moved on to the Small Pony over fences class, and segued by sunset into the rousing 2009 USEF National Pony Jumper Team Championship. This year’s Small Pony Hunter title...

Maddy Darst (USEF Archive/Randi Muster) Lexington, KY—There is a lot that goes into the makings of a champion pony. Just ask Ohio’s Meredith “Maddy” Darst. She would know. And to prove it, two of her mounts—Rock the Boat and Brownland’s Mr. Mac—jumped their way through the over fences phase of the 2009 United States Equestrian Federation Pony Finals National Championships to take the Medium Green Hunter Pony and the Small Green Hunter Pony champion...