Perfect sunny South Florida weather and spectacular competition kicked off the 2009 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. Margie Engle and Hidden Creek's Tosca won the top prize of $9,000 in the opener to the $30,000 Braman Motor Cars WEF Challenge Cup in Round 1 on Thursday, January 8. Only 0.109 secs separated Engle's win from Georgina Bloomberg and her ride on Curius, placing second to win $6,600. McLain Ward jumped Rothchild to the first $25,000...

It's not too late to make plans to attend this years Paso Fino Horse Association (PFHA) Board of Directors Meeting and Membership Convention. Let your voice and opinions be heard. Without your imput changes cannot be made. Election of new officers of the Association will be held at this meeting. The 2009 PFHA Board of Directors Meeting & Membership Convention is taking place January 22-24th, 2009, at the Four Points by Sheraton Orlando City Hotel, located at 5905 International Drive in Orlando,...

The American Saddlebred Horse Association's (ASHA) Annual Convention and Youth Conference will be held Thursday, February 12, through Saturday, February 14, at the Griffin Gate Marriott Resort and Spa in Lexington, KY. With registration set to begin on Thursday morning, the convention will consist of open meetings, forums, youth events, and multiple vendor exhibits, culminating in Saturday night’s Saddlebred Ball, also set to be held onsite at the Griffin Gate Marriott. Thursday afternoon the...

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...

The dates on which McLain Ward and Beezie Madden will be presenting at the 2009 USEF Horsemastership Training Session presented by Bates Saddles, January 5–9 at the South Grounds of the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center Grand Prix Ring in Wellington, FL, have changed. Ward and Madden will swap dates, with Madden now scheduled to present on Thursday, January 8, and Ward now scheduled for Friday, January 9. Also, rider Shelby Wakeman has withdrawn from participation in the clinic and is...

The International Friesian Show Horse Association (IFSHA) now has a limited-time discount offer on IFSHA Lifetime Memberships through the end of July 2009. The normal IFSHA Lifetime Membership fee is $1,000. If you join IFSHA now through July 2009 you will receive a 50% discount, allowing you to join IFSHA for your lifetime, for only $500. This offer is available to new and renewal memberships. If you have already joined for 2009 for an annual membership, you can up-grade your membership and...

Lexington, KY – In its inaugural year, the United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) Lifetime Achievement Award was created to recognize members whose involvement in the sport, and the USHJA itself, has benefited the industry. On December 10, Beth Miner and Alvin Topping were honored with the prestigious award at the 2008 Evening of Equestrians Dinner during the USHJA Annual Meeting in Nashville, TN. Both Miner and Topping have an illustrious history with the USHJA and took a prominent...

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has approved the sports competitions programme for the first Summer Youth Olympic Games (YOG) to be held in Singapore in 2010, as well as the qualification system for each event. Showjumping, the sole discipline representing equestrian sport, will see a total of 30 riders between 17 and 18 years of age competing on borrowed horses at the Singapore Turf Club. The qualification system is available at www.fei....

Lake St. Louis Winter Series Horse Show manager Tommy McIntyre put together another spectacular event that ran through the first weekend in December and featured the ASG Software Solutions/United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) International Hunter Derby on December 5, 2008. Held at the National Equestrian Center in Lake St. Louis, MO, the class was a challenging combination of grace and courage that tested exhibitors’ horsemanship and wowed spectators. “It was an honor, a privilege...

Greenville, SC, is the site for the 2008 Annual Meeting and Convention of the United States Pony Clubs, Inc. From Wednesday, January 21 until Sunday, January 25, an anticipated 1,000 Pony Club leaders, volunteers and youth are expected to attend the meeting for a variety of informative and exciting seminars on equestrian topics. Noted professionals from across the country will conduct workshops on subjects relating to equine activities and sports, and the popular Anatomy Room will be available...