Both Bugatti Hilltop and Festrausch saw their "stardom" grow this year as each earned additional stars from the ISR/OldenburgNA. Earning his star in the "Success of Offspring" category, Bugatti completes his fifth star and joins Parabol (Paradox I x Waldschuetz) in being one of only four stallions in the U.S. to earn the five-star ranking. Bugatti's quickly growing number of offspring are truly storming the dressage scene with horses such as Marcia Richardson's Bocaccio IOF's (Bugatti x...

The audience cheered even more enthusiastically when Will Simpson entered the arena aboard Archie Bunker to contest the $50,000 Los Angeles National Grand Prix. The 2008 Olympic Gold medalist did not disappoint as he piloted Archie Bunker to one of just four clear rounds during the featured class at the LA National, November 12-16. Olaf Petersen, Jr., designed a challenging course for the 34 horse field that served as a West Coast League World Cup Qualifier. "This was a difficult course. This...

The 2008 Trail Blazer Festival took place at the Earl Warren Showgrounds in Santa Barbara, CA, November 14-16, 2008. The festival had many speakers, exhibits and other events. One of the events participated in by Rocky Mountain, Paso Fino, American Saddlebred, Icelandic, Kiger Mustang, Mangalarga Marchador, Morgan, Arabian, Mustang, Quarter Horse, Peruvian, and Tennessee Walker horses was the “Battle of the Breeds,” which was a unique trail competition held between a select group of horses that...

Lifelong horseman Marty Mueller of French Lick, IN, died Friday morning, November 14, 2008, at age 96. During his life, he built a reputation as one of the top trainers of American Saddlebreds. Mueller was raised in the famous resort area of Indiana known as ”The Valley,” where his father was the head gardener at the fabled West Baden Springs Hotel. Marty grew up watching the horses at L. S. Dickey’s French Lick Springs Resort Stables, and he began working at Dickey’s as a stable boy,...

Hanover Shoe Farms, the most prolific Standardbred breeding farm in the world, will be honored with the American Association of Equine Practitioners’ (AAEP) 2008 award for outstanding service in equine welfare, the Lavin Cup. The Lavin Cup, named for former AAEP President A. Gary Lavin, VMD, will be presented to a representative of Hanover Shoe Farms on December 9 at the AAEP’s 54th Annual Convention in San Diego. Each year the Lavin Cup is awarded to a non-veterinary individual or organization...

Olympian Debbie McDonald filled the house as this year's featured clinician at the New England Dressage Association's (NEDA) Annual Fall Symposium. The annual event, which has hosted such leading clinicians as Anky van Grunsven, Klaus Balkenhol and Ingrid Klimke, draws hundreds of riders and trainers from throughout the Northeastern U.S. With her popular partner, the Hanoverian mare Brentina, McDonald, a member of the 2008 and 2004 U.S. Olympic Dressage Teams, is one of America's most...

Mark Leone, George Morris, Mason Phelps and Susie Schoellkopf have signed on again as judges for the 2009 Equestrian Idol Musical Talent Show to benefit The EQUUS Foundation, Inc. New this year, the event will be held at the International Polo Club Palm Beach on Friday (not Saturday) evening, February 6, 2009, in Wellington, FL. Featuring musical performances by talented equestrians, including returning performers, Heather Caristo, Hillary Dobbs, Patricia Griffith, Casey Hodges, Brian...

The latest addition to the Hilltop Farm Guest Stallion Program, Hit Parade (Show Star x Ehrentusch), owned by Savoire Faire Stables, competed at the United States Dressage Federation (USDF) Region 7 Championships & CDS Annual Championships this October and was truly one of the "hits" of the show with his second-level championship win in both the USDF Horse of the Year and the CDS Horse of the Year Championships. The CDS Championship title was awarded based on the averages of Friday and Saturday...

For the second year in a row Friesian horses from all over the United States converged at the very center of the country in beautiful Lake St. Louis, MO. One horse and rider, Bernhard and Christiane Henrichs even traveled all the way from Germany to compete in a variety of classes, winning among others, the Prix St George test in dressage. This year the event was held in honor of International Friesian Show Horse Association (IFSHA) founder and longtime breeder Dr. Genevieve de Montremare who...

Katharine Brunjes and Theatric (Genie Stewart-Spears ) Lexington, KY – 160 km on horseback is no easy feat. But 142 riders from 34 nations will undertake the task when the FEI World Endurance Championships get underway in Terengganu, Malaysia November 6-9, 2008. The US has six horse/rider combinations in Malaysia under the guidance of three-time World Champion Becky Hart, who is serving as Chef d’Equipe. The team includes another multiple world champion: Valarie Kanavy. She is hot...