The Kentucky Spring Horse Shows, held at the scenic Kentucky Horse Park, have increased the prize money for this year's two-week event. Scheduled for the weeks of May 7-11 and May 14-18, 2008, the Kentucky Horse Shows upped the ante for the Sunday grand prix classes. The $55,000 Commonwealth Grand Prix CSI*** and the $55,000 Mary Rena Murphy Grand Prix CSI***, a member event of the American Grand Prix Association (AGA) Grand Prix Series, have both raised their prize money up from $50,000. The...

Stadium Jumping, Inc., is pleased to announce that it will present a $20,000 International Hunter Derby on April 6, 2008. This special High-Performance Hunter class will be hosted by Wrenwood Farms in Naples, FL. The International Hunter Derby is a return to the tradition and roots of the show hunters, where horses and riders will tackle a course of banks, stone walls, hedges, coops and more set in an open field. The class will be run under a two-round format, with Round One as a traditional...

A new program has been launched to provide prize money for exhibitors at the Arabian Sport Horse National Championships beginning in 2008. Founded by a group of Sport Horse National (SHN) exhibitors and supporters, the program features half-price stallion services as the main source of funding. By donating a breeding, all existing offspring of that stallion become eligible for the prize money in all payback classes. The stallion services are sold on a first-come-first-served basis to any mare...

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...

John French rode Tache Rouge to victory in front of an energetic crowd on Friday evening in the $10,000 ASG Software Solutions/USHJA International Hunter Derby, presented by Dietrich Insurance featuring Walsh Harness & Saddlery, to kick off an exciting season finale weekend at HITS Thermal. French, from Gilroy, CA, had the ride for owner Alison Baileys and collected $3,000 in first-place prize money. A field of 35 combinations in the first round were trimmed into a final round of 12 exhibitors...

Equestrian Sport Productions, LLC, announced Wednesday a preliminary plan for a new round of major improvements at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) to be completed by the "Celebration of the Horse" event in early December and well before the start of the 2009 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF). The improvements are the initial next stage in the top-to-bottom rebuilding of the PBIEC that began last December when Equestrian Sport Productions (ESP) took over management of the...

Jane Hannigan and Maksymillian Head to Europe to Represent the U.S. for the First Time at the FEI World Cup Final (phelpsphoto.com) Lexington, KY ­– Following the final North American League qualifying competitions in Loxahatchee, Florida and Burbank, California, two horses and riders have been named to represent the United States at the 2008 FEI World Cup™ Dressage Final in 's-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands, on March 27 - 30. Courtney King of New Milford, Connecticut...

Thunderbird Show Park and the Washington State Hunter and Jumper Association have teamed together to create a new hunter/jumper circuit named the Northwest Summer Circuit. The circuit includes the Evergreen Classic, the Thunderbird Summer Classic and the Thunderbird Summer Festival. The Evergreen Classic will be held at Remlinger Farms Equestrian Park in Carnation, WA, from August 6-10. The Thunderbird Summer Classic is scheduled from August 13-17 at Thunderbird Show Park in Langley, British...

Lexington, KY – The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) announces the continuation of a partnership with Ariat International, the leading manufacturer of equestrian footwear and apparel, as the “Official Apparel Supplier to the USEF.” In addition, Ariat will continue to produce a collection of high-performance athletic gear for the nation’s top equestrian athletes. “The USEF is thrilled to continue our partnership with Ariat, a notable brand which has a strong reputation among...

The 2008 Charlotte Jumper Classic will be held on April 11-13 at the Charlotte Bobcats Arena. It promises to be one of the biggest and best show jumping events in the United States this year for juniors, amateur owners and international open jumpers. The top international show jumpers in the nation will be vying for a purse of $500,000 and will show why the Charlotte Jumper Classic is one of America's premiere equestrian competitions. The biggest class of the week is the $500,000 Grand Prix of...