Shane Shiflet (The new USEF Opportunity classes span many breeds and disciplines.) Lexington, KY - In an effort to allow more flexibility and more classes at USEF licensed competitions and to get more people involved in showing horses, the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) has initiated new opportunities for exhibitors to compete at particular competitions. A new rule was approved by the Executive Committee on February 20, 2007, with an effective date of April 1, 2007. This new rule,...

On Saturday evening, February 17, 2007, one of the most unique auction items will be the opportunity for one guest to join judges George Morris, Susie “Paula Abdul” Schoellkopf, Gene “Randy Jackson” Mische, and Mason “Simon Cowell” Phelps to select the top two finalists in the EQUUS Equestrian Idol competition. The celebrity lineup also features Robert “Ryan Seacrest” Dover, who will be the emcee and promises entertaining banter with the judges. The guests will ultimately be called upon to...

The American Horse Council (AHC) submitted comments supporting the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) proposed rules that would permit the establishment and operation of permanent, privately-owned quarantine facilities. The AHC has been calling for the USDA to re-publish the rule proposal that was originally proposed more than four years ago to respond to the need for more import facilities through privately operated stations. “There are presently three facilities through which...

The Kentucky Equine Education Project (KEEP) has designated February as its fundraising and membership month. The organization hopes to receive funds or pledges totaling $850,000 during the month as well as renew its current memberships of more than 10,000. “KEEP is a self-funded organization, meaning we receive no public funds or grants. Our operating funds come from the horse industry that we represent,” said Patrick Neely, KEEP executive director. “We operate on the membership fees collected...

Stadium Jumping, Inc., hosted a meeting in The Jockey Club at the Winter Equestrian Festival show grounds on January 4 to discuss the Equine Herpes Virus (EHV-1) outbreak. Approximately 500 concerned horsemen attended and many pertinent questions were asked of the panel. Dr. Doug Byars, former head of Internal Medicine at Hagyard-Davidson-McGee Associates in Lexington, KY, was brought in to monitor the progress and process in which the EHV-1 is being handled in Wellington. Dr. Byars is...

The National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) announced remarkable success for the very first NRHA Sire and Dam Program online auction. The online auction for 2007 breedings began November 15 and ran through December 2. The “eBay-style” bidding war took off during the 2006 NRHA Futurity at the Oklahoma State Fair Park in Oklahoma City, OK. It went down to the final minutes leading up to cutoff at 8:00 pm CST on Saturday, December 2. The online auction was created to give the NRHA membership an...

The Infectious Disease Task Force of the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) has developed guidelines for the control of contagious infectious disease within the horse population. Recommendations are provided for the control of suspected cases of infectious respiratory, neurologic, diarrheal and vesicular disease. The symptom-based guidelines provide a detailed action plan for veterinarians as they address a possible infectious disease outbreak. From the point at which a case of...

On August 19, 2006, approximately 55 people, of which 10 brought their own Friesian horses, gathered at Robert Labrie’s Friesians of Majesty in Townshend, VT. The horses were evaluated by the Dutch runner, Siep Bangma, in preparation for the upcoming keuring being held in September. Siep Bangma and Judith Slofstra, both from the Netherlands, were invited by the Northeast Friesian Horse Club (NEFHC) to provide the clinic. Since keur season can be stressful, the NEFHC and Friesians of Majesty...

Three new series and continued world premiere coverage of the FEI World Equestrian Games 2006 lead The HorseTV Channel’s October premiere program lineup. “As we approach the one year anniversary of our launch, it’s rewarding to review the evolution of our programming,” said Rachel Falleroni, Head of Programming for The HorseTV Channel. “With three new series introductions this month, we continue to expand and diversify our programming to meet the wide-ranging interests of our viewers.” Kids of...

The United States Dressage Federation (USDF) will induct Major Robert Borg, Sarah (Sally) Swift, and Roemer into the Roemer Foundation/USDF Hall of Fame (HOF) at the Salute Gala on November 30, 2006, at the USDF National Convention & Symposium in Kansas City, MO. Inclusion in the Hall of Fame is an honor bestowed on horses and individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the sport of dressage in the U.S. Major Robert Borg (1913-2005), as well as being a competitor, trained the horses...