The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), which has been campaigning to ban the slaughter of American horses for food exports, hailed a decision by the United States Supreme Court denying the foreign-owned horse slaughter industry’s final appeal to resume slaughtering horses. The decision upholds a federal appeals’ court ruling that Illinois can ban slaughtering horses and the sale of horsemeat for human consumption. The slaughter plants had claimed that the Illinois law at issue was...

Ravel and Steffen Peters (Amy McCool) San Juan Capistrano, CA – Overnight leader Steffen Peters returned to the Oaks Blenheim ring with Ravel in the USEF National Grand Prix Dressage Championship and the USEF Selection Trial for Dressage, and made it quite clear that he was not going to relinquish his lead. Owned by Akiko Yamazaki, Ravel, a 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding took some of the much more experienced horses to task and never looked in danger of making a mistake. The elegant...

Steffen Peters and Ravel (Amy McCool) San Juan Capistrano, CA – Day one of the Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Dressage Festival of Champions was highlighted by the afternoon performances of the 12 best horses in the country competing in the USEF Selection Trials for the 2008 Olympic Team in Dressage. Serving also as the National Grand Prix Dressage Championship, the class featured four Olympic veterans. San Diego rider and Olympic veteran Steffen Peters had plenty of fans on hand to watch him...

Lexington, KY- The first day’s competition at CSIO Rotterdam, The Netherlands got off to a great start for the US riders participating there. For the US, McLain Ward won an unprecedented two classes in one day - the Deloitte/AKD Prixsen van Wijmen Prize on Blue Chip Bloodstock’s Goldika and the Dura Vermeer Groep Prize on Larioso, also owned by Blue Chip Bloodstock. Beezie Madden also had a good day, finishing with good ribbons in all three classes (a 2nd with Abigail Wexner’s Authentic, 4th...

At the Wachovia Showplace Spring Spectacular II Horse Show, the $10,000 ASG Software Solutions/USJA International Hunter Derby presented by Dietrich Insurance featuring Walsh Harness & Saddlery was won by New Yorker Patricia Griffith on North Country, owned by Laura King-Kaplan. The class of more than forty entries produced flawless performance after flawless performance, but Griffin was the star of the day aboard North Country, an eight-year-old bay Warmblood. The course, designed by Skip...

Lexington, KY - Five USEF National Champions will be crowned after two weekends of dressage competition in San Juan Capistrano, CA June 21-22 and June 27-29. Always an exciting competition Kassandra Barteau and Gabriella (PhelpsPhotos.com) amongst the nation’s best dressage riders, this year the National Grand Prix Dressage Championship is also the USEF Selection Trials for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team in Dressage. The best horses and riders in each division are coming from across the...

Winner’s of the 2008 Markel Amateur Winter Dressage Championships presented by The Paddock Saddlery were notified this week. The Markel Amateur Winter Dressage Championships recognizes leading amateur’s accomplishments over the winter show season in South Florida. The 2008 awards ceremony will be a virtual presentation. Photographs of winners with their awards will be viewable on The Paddock Saddlery’s website, www.paddocksaddlery.com . The idea for an amateur championship was the brainchild of...

Fair Hill Events, Inc. 501(c)(3) is pleased to announce the inaugural Plantation Field International CIC***, to be held September 19-21, 2008, in Unionville, PA. Already established as a popular venue for horse trials at all levels, this is the first time that Plantation Field will offer an internationally recognized competition. The event will be held on verdant, rolling terrain in the heart of the hunt country of Chester County, PA, on property owned by Mr. and Mrs. Cuyler Walker and Mrs....

The League of Agricultural and Equine Centers (LAEC) is offering a summer League Footing Academy, August 4-6, 2008, at the Foothills Equestrian Nature center in Tryon, NC. Attendees are encouraged to bring a sample of the footing in their arena for analysis. The League is composed of facilities that host and produce equine events and activities. The people who own and operate these complexes represent the center memberships. The Leagues’ mission is to support and promote management personnel...

Traverse City's own world-class equestrian event, Horse Shows by the Bay, announced that it will bring the storied sport and spectacle of polo to Traverse City. The region's first ever polo match will be a charity exhibition between the University of Michigan and Michigan State University co-ed polo teams on Friday, August 1, at 6 p.m. The event will raise funds for both teams. The event will be held in the new Team Elmers competition ring at Flintfields Horse Park on Bates Road in...