At a tense horse auction in Sugarcreek, OH last weekend, Pure Thoughts Horse Rescue left angry horse "kill" buyers no choice but to haul their trailers home empty. One hundred sixty three horses stood for sale that night facing the same grim future: a grueling trip to a painful slaughter in Canada or Mexico, then on to fill overseas dinner plates. But Pure Thoughts co-founder Jennifer Swanson and sponsor Victoria McCullough gave every one of those horses a second chance. "I have bought...

29 April 2008 Dear Members of the Equestrian Community, This past weekend at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day, Laine Ashker suffered a serious fall during the cross-country stage of the competition. She is currently in critical condition at the University of Kentucky hospital in Lexington. Laine’s horse and another involved in a separate accident had to be euthanized. These accidents come just a month after Darren Chiacchia, an Olympic rider, had a serious fall at an event in Tallahassee, Florida....

The United States Equestrian Team (USEF) Foundation is proud to announce that Hillary Dobbs of Sussex, NJ, is this year's winner of the Maxine Beard Show Jumping Developing Rider Award. The USET Foundation awarded the rising young equestrian this honor because of her competitive record to date and because of her promise for the future. The recipients of this award are chosen based on their potential to represent the United States in international competition. A Show Jumping Developing Rider is...

The successful Heat and Humidity Workshop recently staged in Lausanne put the challenges facing horses and riders at this summer's Olympic Games in Hong Kong into ever-sharper focus and provided a wealth of information for veterinary officials and others involved in the world of equestrian sport. The speakers included officials from the Hong Kong Jockey Club which is providing the venue facilities, as well as veterinary expertise and the use of its top-class laboratory, the Equestrian Company...

President Bush signed into law the Economic Stimulus Act on February 13. The bill is intended to provide a jump-start to the lagging U.S. economy. “The new law includes two tax incentives that would allow a much bigger write-off for horses and other depreciable property purchased and placed in service during 2008,” said Jay Hickey, President of the American Horse Council. “This should provide an additional incentive for people to invest in more horses for racing, showing and breeding as part of...

Horse Shows in the Sun (HITS) is pleased to announce that Ocala Style Magazine will be the title sponsor of the Ocala Style Award that will be presented on March 16, 2008. This special award will be presented to the rider who exhibits the best American style of riding and possesses the respectful, dignified, courteous and workmanlike manner of a true sportsman at the 2008 HITS Ocala Winter Circuit. The award winner will be revealed prior to the $100,000 DeLuca Toyota Tundra Grand Prix,...

Lexington, KY – Plans are under way for the 2008 United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) Youth Convention and registration is open, but space is limited for the convention. Already, over half of the available spots have been filled for the first annual Youth Convention, which will be held January 12 in Louisville, KY. Along with the schedule, the break-out sessions have been finalized. The Youth Convention will feature many notable speakers, including experts in the equine industry as well...

Gunner has long been the horse the whole reining world loves. When he was shown, the cheering started as soon as his name was announced, long before he made it into the ring, and he never disappointed his fans. The trademark white leg and tail, floppy ears and explosive maneuvers made him a horse for the ages. In 2007, Gunner has come of age as a breeding horse, as well, becoming a National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) Million Dollar Sire. That’s a huge accomplishment, considering that his...

Elkton, MD - Just before the event horses got underway in the show jumping at Fair Hill International, four USEF National Champions were crowned in advanced combined driving. In the third and final portion, the cones, a carefully designed course tested driver control and steering as well as the horses’ attentiveness and training. In the National Pair Horse Championship, Larry Poulin and Lisa Singer were neck and neck throughout the entire weekend. Poulin, who had won the competition six times...

Kent Farrington may have had a different horse in the $75,000 Fidelity Investments AGA Grand Prix this year but he still had the same magic touch conquering world renowned course designer Richard Jeffery's challenging course. A field of 30 riders entered the grand prix with seven riders advancing to the jump-off. The Ultimate Resort skinny jump with a roll back to the Fidelity Investments triple combination proved the most challenging elements of the course coming down consistently throughout...