In addition to being the exclusive financial services partner to the FEI, HSBC, the world’s local bank, has made a commitment to the discipline of eventing on a global basis. This commitment will cover the prestigious four-star events, which will be known as the HSBC FEI Classics. The five four-star events currently on the FEI calendar will make up the HSBC FEI Classics; these events not only have the richest tradition but are also the pinnacle of eventing attracting the best riders and horses...

Georgina Bloomberg of New York City, set to embark on an extensive summer tour of show jumping, took time out last week to participate in the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Media Summit, held April 13-16 at the Palmer House Hilton in downtown Chicago, IL. The hotel, which opened in 1871, is one of Chicago's landmarks in the heart of the city's downtown. The U.S. Olympic Team Media Summit was a four-day opportunity for print, broadcast, internet and photo journalists to conduct interviews and photo...

Allan Ehrlick from Campbellville, Ontario, Canada, took home top honors for this year’s Amateur High-Point Achievement Award with 451 points. Ehrlick showed four horses in 10 shows—three purebreds and one Half-Arabian. Most of his points were earned on Dal-Apollo, (Sea Ben Ben Bilal x Rudaynah), a 13-year-old purebred gelding who earned Ehrlick two national championships, two reserve national championships and six Top 10s at the 2007 Sport Horse Nationals in Lexington, VA, and Canadian...

Lexington, KY —Forty-four horses were presented in glorious weather conditions at the first horse inspection at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by Farnam, 35 of which are vying for the 11th USEF National CCI**** Championship. The ground jury of Martin Plewa from Germany, Nick Burton from Great Britain and Jo Young from Canada saw horses and a pony of all shapes and sizes ranging from last year’s runner-up in the USEF National CCI**** Championship—Theodore...

Lexington, KY - The 2008 Rolex FEI World Cup Final boasts another strong international field of show jumpers. The U.S. horses shipped to Goteborg, Sweden, on April 18 to take on the world’s best. The Rolex FEI World Cup Final features a unique format of three rounds of jumping. Goteborg hosted the inaugural World Cup Final 30 years ago. Seventeen nations will be represented in the Final, to be held April 24-27, 2008. East Coast League winner Kent Farrington has been on in serious form with Up...

Release provided by Baylor University WACO, Texas — The University of Georgia won its third overall Varsity Equestrian National Championship (VENC) at the Heart O’ Texas Fair Complex on Saturday in Waco, TX. Texas Christian University (TCU) won the Western national title while Auburn claimed the hunter seat championship. The Bulldog riders claimed their first national crown since 2004 without finishing first in either riding discipline, hunter seat or Western. Georgia’s strong finish in both...

At the Queen City Classic, which concluded Sunday at North Carolina’s “Why Not an American Ark” Equestrian Facility outside Charlotte, Hunters Lane, led by trainer Robert Hunt, had a veritable clean sweep. In one of the week’s premiere event, the $5,000 Welcome Open Hunter Challenge, the Hunters Lane team captured the top six spots. Steve Heinecke, pro rider and co-trainer, won the class aboard the Alise Oken-owned Quintin. He also took second with Oken’s Alisette, fourth with the Robert...

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...

From a Baylor University release WACO, Texas — The seventh annual Varsity Equestrian National Championships (VENC) are slated to begin on Thursday, April 17, at the Heart O’ Texas Fairgrounds. South Carolina enters the show as the defending overall national champion. For the second straight year, the varsity collegiate riding national championships are being hosted by Baylor University. Baylor is in its third year as a fully funded varsity program after the university’s athletic department...

Mike Plumb Will Join the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame in 2008 (USEF Archive) By USOC Media and Public Relations Division Chicago, Ill. - Karch Kiraly, three-time U.S. Olympian in volleyball (1984, 1988 and 1996) and three-time gold medalist, leads the distinguished Class of 2008 that will be inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame Presented by Allstate. The induction ceremony will take place June 19 in Chicago. The U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame Class of 2008 is comprised of nine Olympians, one...