Photo by Randi Muster (Laura Kraut and Cedric) Lexington, KY – Following the completion of the USEF Selection Trials for the US Show Jumping Team in Wellington, FL, the United States Equestrian Federation's Ad Hoc Committee on Selection has approved naming the following 15 horse/rider combinations to the Show Jumping Long List for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Lexington, KY September 25-October 10, 2010. As per the Selection Procedures, the top nine horse/rider combinations are...

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,...

With great sadness, Mo and Jim Swanson of Rolling Stone Farm announce the passing of a World Champion dressage legend on August 11, 2009. The Hanoverian stallion Welcome S (World Cup I-Grebina/Grande) was euthanized in August 2009, due to infirmities of age. He was 22 years old. Welcome was owned by Jan van der Kamp and was managed by his daughter, Patricia Stemerdink of Dekstation de Havikerwaard in De Steeg, The Netherlands. The Swanson’s leased Welcome for breeding after a chance meeting in...

George Lucas’ Storm Troopers from the blockbuster Star Wars films were created as an elite army with no fears, just a determination to be victorious. This week saw a new breed of Storm Troopers at the Atlanta Spring Classics finale. Shaker Heights, OH-based David Jennings and partner Marcus Aurelius triumphed over Mother Nature in the Lucky Sevens Welcome Stake and the Atlanta Spring Grand Prix, both presented by Classic Company. Despite torrents of rain that came and went throughout most of...

A new trend in horse showing? Last fall Bob Bell, President of Classic Company, looked at his budget for the 2009 show season and decided there had to be some changes made. From May 22 to May 24, Bell will produce his first “Boutique” horse show in Tryon, NC, at the Harmon Field location, virtually in the downtown area, which only added to the new “definition” the show manager has created for these new events. Boutique (boo teek)—A horse show that is fashionable and unique. Always held at...

Did you know that some wilderness management agencies are trying to restrict the use of horses on public lands? Or that the U.S. Forest Service is planning new trail classifications, which might limit our activities? Did you hear about the new bill that could eliminate the current fees for accessing undeveloped federal land? The outcome of these kinds of concerns can have far-reaching consequences, yet they often come and go with little public awareness. But Back Country Horsemen of America...

The 124th National Horse Show and Family Festival, held at the Palm Beach Polo Equestrian Club in Wellington, FL, attracts the very best hunter and jumper athletes in the country. Top caliber competition at the National includes the Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series Championship Finals. Produced by the Show Jumping Hall of Fame, Inc. (SJHOF), Jumper Classic Series classes are held at only the most prestigious shows that meet particular standards and class specifications set forth...

The Nigerian internet fraud, which has pounded U.S. e-mail accounts touting to make large money transfers in exchange for fees, has taken on a new spin with internet horse trailer sales. The increasing growth of equestrian websites offering free classified ads has provided an effective catalyst for the Nigerian scam artists to test their new scheme. Horse trailers have been targeted because they are high-ticket items. “We discovered it through first-hand experience,” stated Tom Scheve, CEO of...

Exciting news for young reiners! The National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) is pleased to be included in a premiere equestrian competition in North America for junior and young riders ages 14-21. For the first time ever, reining has been added to The United States Equestrian Foundation’s (USEF) 2007 North American Young Riders’ Championships (NAYRC). The NAYRC began in 1974 as an eventing challenge between young riders from the United States and Canada. A dressage championship was added in...

—It was standing room only during the much-anticipated Pegasus Awards where the equestrian world’s brightest stars gathered to be honored and celebrate achievements from 2006, as well as a lifetime. Beezie Madden was named as the Equestrian of the Year during the evening’s ceremonies. Madden, who brought home two medals from the 2006 World Equestrian Games (WEG) in Aachen, Germany, this past fall, accepted her awards to a standing ovation. “There are so many people I...