Photo Courtesy Iron Spring Farm (UB40) Two of Iron Spring Farm's flagship stallions, Meinse 439 and UB40, began the 2010 show season with big wins. Meinse 439 claimed the Second Level Reserve Championship and High Score Non-Warmblood at Ocala Winter Dressage. The six-year-old KFPS stallion followed that up with wins in both of his Second Level classes at American Dressage Concours with scores to 70.714%. UB40 also impressed. The nine-year-old KWPN stallion won all of his classes, receiving...

Daniel Kaiser, Top Ranked German Vaulter Working with US Vaulter Eric Garcia (Primo Ponies Photography) Dressage: Horses and riders with the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games and the 2011 Pan American Games on the brain got busy in Florida over the weekend training with 2009 FEI World Cup Champion Steffen Peters and US Technical Advisor Anne Gribbons. Peters helped the riders before they rode a test in front of Gribbons. Gribbons is also an ‘O’ judge with one of the keenest eyes in the...

McLain Ward and Sapphire at the Rolex/FEI World Cup Final (Shannon Brinkman/USEF) Lexington, KY - The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) Ad Hoc Committee on Selection has approved naming the horse/rider combination of Sapphire/McLain Ward to the Show Jumping Long List for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG) in Lexington, KY, September 25 – October 10, 2010. Per the USEF Selection Procedure for the Show Jumping Team, the Selectors have the discretion to recommend up to six...

Peter Wetherill's Cedric Winning Gold in 2008 (Shannon Brinkman/USEF) Peter Widener Wetherill passed away of natural causes on February 19th 2010 at Good Samaritan Hospital in West Palm Beach, Florida. Peter was raised at Happy Hill Farm in Newtown Square Pennsylvania by his mother the late Ella Widener Wetherill and his late father Cortright Wetherill. He is survived by his brother Cortright Wetherill Jr, his sister in law Janice N. Wetherill and their children Amanda Widener Wetherill Holmes...

In these tough economic times, nearly every horse owner is trying to pinch pennies. When watching your wallet, it’s also important to remember that trimming many veterinary expenses may cost you more in the end. “Horses can be very expensive animals to own and maintain,” said April Knudson, DVM, Manager, Merial Veterinary Services. “So it’s no surprise that, even in a relatively strong economy, horse owners look for the most inexpensive ways to care for their animals. However, the urge to trim...

Randi Muster (Leah Schwendeman and Gisele.) The 2010 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) had a great fifth week of competition on February 10-14. The week featured the $150,000 FEI World Cup, CSI*** presented by Spy Coast Farm, along with a full schedule of hunter, jumper, and equitation classes. The week five title sponsor was Spy Coast Farm. Along with their week five title sponsorship, Spy Coast Farm was the presenting sponsor of the $150,000 FEI World Cup, CSI*** on Saturday, February 13,...

Adrienne Lyle and Wizard at the 2008 Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Dressage Festival of Champions (Amy McCool) Weekly Updates from the USEF High Performance Programs: Dressage: In the dressage world, sweeps were the order of the weekend. American Tina Konyot rode her own Calecto V to a determined performance in the Grand Prix for the Freestyle on Saturday; they were the only pair to break the 70% barrier – scoring 70.596%. Pierre St. Jacques was second with Lucky Tiger. Konyot then won the Grand...

Photo Courtesy JRPR (Lauren Sammis, left, won the FEI Test of Choice aboard High Field’s Casimirov, owned by Paula Runnells.) Courtney King-Dye and Grandioso III, owned by Hampton Green Farms, turned in an award-winning ride in the Intermediaire II class at the Wellington Classic Dressage Spring Challenge CDI. The class was sponsored by Sho Clothes, and King-Dye and Grandioso rode away with a beautiful scrim from the upscale dressage boutique in Wellington that specializes in the latest and...

Photo by Flying Horse Photography (McLain Ward and Goldika 559 on course in the $30,000 HITS Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health.) Canadian Olympian John Anderson sealed the first half of the HITS Desert Circuit with a kiss on Valentine's Day when he captured the blue ribbon aboard Terrific in the $25,000 HITS Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, on Sunday afternoon at the HITS Desert Horse Park, in Thermal, CA. The win marked the second victory of the circuit for Anderson...

Langer Equestrian Group kicked off its 2010 show season at the Hansen Dam Equestrian Center, January 30-31. The Verdugo Hills shows are approved by USEF, USHJA, LAHJA A, and San Fernando Hunter/Jumper Association A. Open hunter and jumper classes are held on one day, beginning at noon, and the junior and amateur classes run on the second day, along with a complete set of jumper classes for all levels of riders. “We wanted to draw more people from the various sanctioning organizations,” said...