The American Saddlebred Horse Association’s (ASHA) 2006 Saddlebred Summit and Annual Meeting business concluded on February 18 prior to a sold-out Saddlebred Ball, with the first meeting of the newly elected board of directors. The board seated the following new directors-elect, who began three-year terms of service: William Blacklaw of Oregon, Louise Gilliland of Oklahoma and Jim Ruwoldt of Georgia. Returning directors elected to begin another three-year term are Mary Anne Cronan of Kentucky,...

By Mary Creech Brandie Holloway and S&L So Be It, the winners of last week's $25,000 HITS Grand Prix, were the first to attempt the jump-off course. Holloway left all the rails up, stopping the timers in 37.87 seconds. A time that would end up giving her second place. Monica Rahman rode Cyrano to chase Holloway's time. They also posted a clear round, but a second shy with 38.85 seconds left them in third place. Next to go was Sharn Wordley aboard Mr. Flanagan. The pair took second place in last...

Bob Tarr (TCE Balastrana+++// with Mercy Burwell) TCE Balastrana+++// (TC Expression x Brooklynn), owned by Mercy Burwell of Brentwood, MO, ranked as the top horse among a field of more than 3,000 Arabians, Half-Arabians and Anglo-Arabians to become the 2005 Arabian Horse Association (AHA) High-Point Horse. To reach this pinnacle, the mare accumulated 388 points in Horse Achievement Awards (HAA), the Association's premier rewards program for actively competing horses. The Arabian horse...

Wellington Dressage at the 2006 Winter Equestrian Festival wrapped up on Sunday, February 5, following four days of dressage competition at the Palm Beach Polo Equestrian Club in Wellington, FL. More than 200 horses from across the country competed in the four-ring show, which included 60 classes encompassing Training Level through Grand Prix. Featured classes were the qualifying competitions for the 2006 FEI World Equestrian Games Selection Trials, and qualifiers for the 2006 Collecting Gaits...

The 2006 American Saddlebred Registry Grand National show schedule has been released with 37 shows offering 57 classes with added prize money. The 2006 Grand National show schedule can be found on the prize program's website at www.saddlebred.com/prize-grand-national . A number of owners have received the schedule, but it is important to note that the St. Louis National Charity Horse Show has since added a Three-Gaited Amateur Championship Grand National class for its September show. The Grand...

2004 Olympic Show Jumping Gold Medalists: McLain Ward, Beezie Madden, Chris Kappler and Peter Wylde. (Photo by Kenneth Kraus/PhelpsSports.com) Wellington, FL – It was a perfect star spangled afternoon in the Internationale Arena at the Palm Beach Polo and Equestrian Club as Silver turned to Gold when the 2004 Olympic Team Gold medals were awarded to the United States Show Jumping Team. The 2004 Athens Olympic team of Peter Wylde, residing in Maastricht, The Netherlands; McLain Ward of...

Aaron Vale and Serval, owned by The Serval Group, led the victory gallop in the $25,000 HITS Ocala Grand Prix on Sunday, January 29, posting the only double-clear round out of a class of 22 horse-and-rider combinations. Course Designer Jerry Dougherty set a first-round course that saw only four riders advance to the jump-off. Derek Petersen opened the jump-off with Heaven Bound, a 10-year-old former dressage horse he brought over from Germany in 2004. Had it not been for an unlucky rail at the...

Dr. Rebecca Gimenez and Dr. Tomas Gimenez are preparing a book on technical large animal ermergency rescue for Blackwell Publishing in Oxford that is scheduled for publication in 2007. This book will reflect the increasing demand for proper techniques and standardized procedures for use by veterinarians, horse owners and professional emergency responders on equine incident scenes, both in emergencies and disasters. Throughout the book, emphasis will be on understanding prey animal behavior and...

Lexington, KY – The United States Equestrian Federation, Inc. is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Scott Hassler as the National Young Horse Dressage Coach, as part of the highly successful Markel/USEF Young Horse Dressage Program. The establishment of this coaching position is an illustration of the Federation’s continuing initiatives to support and emphasize structured development of future FEI-level dressage horses and riders. Hassler is the Training Director at the...

Federico Sztyrle on Fatalis Fatum edged out Margie Engle by less than a half second to win the Palm Beach Toyota’s $25,000 Grand Prix at Littlewood on January 22, 2006. Engle came in second place riding Canaille and third riding Hidden Creek’s Charlie Brown. Fourth went to Andres Rodriguez on Indien D’ Adriers. The spectators enjoyed the complimentary buffet with wine and beer provided by Palm Beach Toyota. The crowd filled the tent with every table and chair occupied and spilled out...