The United States Dressage Federation (USDF) has announced the newly revamped business membership available for the 2008 membership year, December 1, 2007 to November 30, 2008. The USDF Business Membership (BM), which previously was divided into two levels, has been combined into one to provide a better value package that is more cost effective to the member. BM dues will now be $175, and benefits will include member discount rates at USDF events, a 10% trade show booth discount, a 15%...

Todd Flettrich of Coatesville, PA, and Wellington, FL, competed Amadeus in two grand prix classes at an indoor national horse show in Zierow, Germany, on October 6-7, and successfully finished in the top three on both days. On Saturday, Flettrich and Amadeus contested the short grand prix and finished with 800 points (65.70%), placing third in a field of 14 horses. On Sunday, Flettrich and Amadeus competed in the grand prix, earning 961 points (66.70%) for second place on the roster of 14...

On November 10, NickerTV charges out of the gate with an initial offering of 26 different equestrian channels all dedicated to a variety of horse-oriented themes and subjects. Nicker Network will be the first Internet-based, on-demand multi-channel television network targeted to the horse world. Each channel will have its own selection of programs, with new ones being added to the rosters on a regular basis. Programs will be available for viewing at no cost, with additional options for viewers...

WELLINGTON, FL -- The United States Equestrian Team (USET) Foundation has announced that Darren Chiacchia, Nina Fout, Kim Severson, and Karen Stives from the Olympic sport of eventing will represent the USET Foundation in the 2008 Rose Parade in Pasadena, CA. The four eventing riders will join dressage Olympians Sue Blinks, Debbie McDonald, Guenter Seidel, and Steffen Peters as riders in a 12-member squad representing the USET Foundation. Next to be selected and announced will be the show...

Nikko Ritter rode Clover Count to victory at the Platinum Performance/USEF Talent Search Finals East (Jennifer Wenzel) Gladstone, NJ - Take some flatwork, add some gymnastic jumping exercises, send all the riders over a carefully designed course, then have the top four riders switch horses and over the course of two days, a very prestigious title is handed out. Welcome to the Platinum Performance//USEF Talent Search Final. Fortunately, in sharp contrast to its West Coast counterpart, the...

Lexington, KY - The USEF named the team of riders and horses selected to represent the U.S. at the 2007 FEI Reining Masters to be held in Oklahoma City, OK on November 29 during the NRHA Futurity. Both Casey Hinton and Gabe Hutchins will be representing the U.S. for the first time. Hinton, 46, of Whitesboro, TX has been named with both Mr Boomerjac and Bueno Starlight. Mr Boomerjac, a 14-year-old palomino Quarter Horse stallion owned by Robert LaPorta and George Easterday, has lifetime earnings...

It's considered the most prestigious show on the East Coast, if not the entire U.S., and only the best of the best emerge as winners at the inimitable Dressage at Devon. Courtney King of New Milford, CT, wrapped up her weekend with more wins than any other competitor showing in the performance division. With five world-class mounts under saddle, King came down the centerline 11 times and galloped the honor round of victory five times at the 33rd Annual Dressage at Devon CDI-W/Y/J presented by...

An active and well-known member of the Saddlebred community, Shan Ellis Donaldson, died on Tuesday, September 25, 2007, at St. Joseph Hospital in Lexington, KY. She was 60. The Georgetown, KY, native became an equestrian at an early age, and her love of horses led to her parents, R. E. Ellis Jr., DMD, and Martha “Perkie” Ellis, founding the Longview Riding Camp. Shan and her husband of 40 years, Jamie Donaldson, started their own horse photography business. For many years, Shan could be found...

Paso Robles, CA - Gina Miles and McKinlaigh galloped away with the win in the CIC3* at Twin Rivers Horse Trials, this year's last USEA/Adequan Gold Cup series event. The pair incurred only a single time fault in show jumping, but left all the rails neatly in their cups to finish with a score of 72.7. The stunning 17-hand Irish Sport Horse gelding owned by Thom Shulz and Miles performed beautifully this weekend, after having just come back from the Pan American Games in Rio, Brazil with a bronze...

Mansfield, ON, Canada - If Phillip Dutton keeps up this winning business, they'll have to stop him at the Canadian border next year so that someone else can have a shot at winning. For the second year in a row Dutton, from West Grove, PA was the overall winner at the Wits End CIC-W*** in Mansfield, ON September 28-30. Last year he won the event riding Tru Luck and this year he was partnered with Acorn Hill Farm's handsome chestnut gelding Woodburn, who was previously successful with Emily...