The FEI Dressage Task Force met in Lausanne, Switzerland, April 21-22. The Task Force discussed the following items: Olympic Games: competition formula and qualification process. A proposal will be included in the Task Force’s final report to be presented to the FEI Bureau in November. Dressage Committee: future composition. A proposal in line with the FEI Statutes is currently being prepared in cooperation with the FEI Nominations Committee. The Secretary General briefed the task force on the...

Morgan enthusiasts may want to consider attending the 21st annual New York Stallion Service Auction in Saratoga Springs, NY. The day is full of activities for the whole family. Services to 39 of the breed's finest stallions will be auctioned off as well as a photo shoot donated by Debbie Uecker-Keough and full page ads in the New England Show Program , The Morgan Horse magazine, and Saddle Horse Report . Jeanne Mellin Herrick also has generously donated a piece of her artwork. The day begins at...

One of the top hunter breeders in the country will now have a place to store the coolers and saddle pads her horses have been awarded throughout the year thanks to winning a brand new Oakcroft Tack Trunk at the recent USEF Annual Convention. Dr. Paula Pell of St. Petersburg, FL, was the lucky winner of the “Win An Oakcroft Trunk,” which took place during an Oakcroft sponsored breakout session at the annual convention in Cincinnati, OH, and was open to all attendees. Pell and her husband were at...

HITS is pleased to announce that the Stallion Services Department of the Equine Medical Center of Ocala will offer the Leading Mare Award to the mare that finishes the highest in the $100,000 DeLuca Toyota Tundra Grand Prix, presented by Great American Insurance Group on Sunday, March 15, at HITS Ocala. The award consists of a free embryo transfer that will be performed by Dr. Corey Miller, head of reproduction at the Ocala-based veterinary hospital. Any mare based in the United States who...

FEI Anti-Doping and Medication Commission Chair Arne Ljungqvist, FEI First Vice President Sven Holmberg and FEI Secretary General Alexander McLin met on December 16 to plot the way forward for the Commission recently established by the FEI General Assembly . The subject matter to be addressed by the Commission’s members is vast and falls into the broad categories of policy, legislation, education, communication, prevention, evidence, prosecution, adjudication, and financing. The Commission’s...

The American Saddlebred Horse Association (ASHA) announced that its only Triple Crown winner this year, WGC CH Breaking News, has been named Horse of the Year. The connections of the Horse of the Year will be honored at the ASHA Annual Convention during the Saddlebred Ball, Saturday evening, February 14, 2009, at the Griffin Gate Marriott Resort and Spa in Lexington, KY. Rider/trainer Peter Cowart of West Wind Stables in Statesville, NC, will also be awarded with the Five-Gaited World’s Grand...

On behalf of all those who contribute to the equestrian family, the International Equestrian Federation (FEI), governing body of international equestrian sport, announced on November 20 the creation of a commission on medication and doping chaired by Dr. Arne Ljungqvist, Chairman of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Medical Commission and Vice President of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). The Commission will offer a robust examination of the way the equine anti-doping policies can...

The American Holsteiner Horse Association (AHHA) is celebrating the Holsteiner's success in the Olympics as the fall approvals tour kicks off. The Olympic Games in Hong Kong was a big success for the Holsteiner breed. Nine medals went to the Holsteiner horses: four Gold, one Silver and four Bronze. Germany took the Individual Gold and the Team Gold in Olympic eventing thanks to Hinrich Romeike and his extraordinary Holsteiner gelding, Marius, by Condrieu xx out of a Laurin mare. Out of the 30...

The Equine Facilitated Mental Health Association, a section of the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association (NARHA), will hold their annual preconference workshop at Green Chimneys Farm in Brewster, NY, on October 28. Equine facilitated mental health is defined as a number of mutually respectful activities involving equines, such as handling, grooming, riding, carriage driving, vaulting and educational experiences that help participants explore feelings and behavior. Green Chimneys...

Raeford, NC - The Carolina Horse Park is pleased to announce the appointment of a new board of directors and management team to lead the Park to a new level of excellence. M. Nixon Ellis, of Southern Pines, President and CEO of Argolyn Bioscience, a lifelong horseman with deep experience in the hunter/jumper/equitation ranks and a former steeplechase jockey, has been named chairman of the board. Ten new directors in addition to eight existing directors will join Dr. Ellis. This new board will...