The American Horse Council (AHC) is pleased to announce the American Endurance Ride Conference, the American Paint Horse Association, the National Cutting Horse Association, and the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association have recently endorsed the Welfare Code of Practice further broadening the industry support of a national code. The AHC drafted the Welfare Code of Practice, which outlines in generic terms what it means for an organization to be committed to the responsible breeding,...

Photo by Randi Muster (Farewell and Rachel Koggan capture the Amateur-Owner Hunter 18-35 Championship at the 2010 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival. ) The 2010 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival had a very successful opening week of competition. New faces from across the country and around the world came to show at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center, and close to 1,600 horses showed in the first week of the circuit. That is a 21% increase in horses that showed during the same week at last...

Steffen Peters, Jessica Ransehousen, Maxance McManamy (Geoff Oliver Bugbee) Louisville, KY – In January of 2009 Steffen Peters was honored with the USEF’s Equestrian of the Year Award for his uncanny sportsmanship and his achievements on the field of play throughout 2008. In 2010, at the USEF Pegasus Awards dinner he was bestowed the title again – this time for simply blowing the doors off the dressage world in 2009. Made even sweeter by the fact that the beloved horse who made it all possible...

2009 USEF Farnam/Platform Horse of the Year (Shannon Brinkman/USEF Archives) Louisville, KY – Annually, five of the USEF’s 130,000 registered horses achieve so much in a year that they are named USEF Horses of Honor and enter the running for the title of Farnam®/Platform™ Horse of the Year. In 2009 all five of these horses were nothing short of remarkable. But one forever changed the face of his sport, and with that, Ravel was voted the 2009 USEF Farnam®/Platform™ Horse of the Year. It began in...

While there are countless social events to attend throughout the 2010 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF), the United States Equestrian Team (USET) Foundation's Road to Kentucky benefit dinner on February 5 tops the list of important places to be this season! Nearly sold out, the Road to Kentucky is just three weeks away. Before time runs out, mark your calendars and get your tickets, as this is an event you will not want to miss. As riders gear up for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games,...

Photo by Randi Muster (Pablo Barrios and La Gran) The 2010 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) began their competition on Wednesday, January 14, with opening jumper classes in the International Arena. The first week of the FTI WEF is sponsored by G&C Farm and runs through Sunday, January 17. The 2010 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival has 12 weeks of competition that conclude on April 4, 2010, and almost $6 million in prize money will be awarded through the circuit. This week's course designer is...

Entries for the 2010 HITS Desert Circuit are up nearly 10% over last year for the 2010 HITS Thermal Circuit, for "an impressive leap in a down economy," said Tom Struzzieri, President and CEO of HITS. Struzzieri attributes Thermal's 2010 growth to discounted circuit rates for stabling prices, 16 Pfizer $1 Million Grand Prix Qualifiers, four FEI World Cup Qualifiers, and the $300,000 Grand Prix of the Desert, which will take place on Sunday, March 14. "All of the indications we've had for the...

Capt. Mark Phillips (Photo USEF Archives) Lexington, KY - At the conclusion of 2012 the US Eventing Program will undergo a significant change. After 20 years, Capt. Mark Phillips has announced his retirement as Chef d’Equipe and Technical Advisor following the London Olympic Games to "give someone else the opportunity to put their stamp on the program." To date, Capt. Phillips has led the Eventing Team to 23 Team and Individual medals during his time at the helm of the program. Highlights...

"Why did gorgeous horses like those need new homes?" is a question frequently asked by disbelieving park visitors about the stunning black Arabian horses that recently arrived at the Kentucky Horse Park. An Arabian stallion and mare came to the park through a partnership with the Kentucky Equine Humane Center (KyEHC) and will soon go to work promoting the park's next international blockbuster exhibition, the $2.35 million "A Gift from the Desert: The Art, History and Culture of the Arabian...

Equestrian Sports Productions (ESP), owner and manager of the FTI 2010 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF), is busy with the final preparations to the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) for the January 12 opening day. ESP has spent millions of dollars since the last circuit to ensure that the experience for both customers and horses will be excellent in the New Year. Mark Bellissimo, Chief Executive Officer of ESP, and Managing Partner of Wellington Equestrian Partners (WEP),...