Double Olympic Gold medalist Beezie Madden won her first grand prix of the 2009 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) on Thursday, March 12, aboard Onlight in Round X of the $30,000 Braman Motorcars WEF Challenge Cup Series. Madden of Cazenovia, NY, and Onlight, owned by Team Onlight, were the only double-clear round from the initial 49 entries for the class in the DeNemethy arena. Only four combinations made it to the jump-off on the the course designed by Guilherme Jorge of Brazil. The time by...

The 2009 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) opened Wednesday to rave reviews for the $10-million makeover of the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. Opening day in almost perfect weather with temperatures reaching a high of about 80 degrees F (27 degrees Celsius) saw 854 hunter and jumper trips in 10 competition arenas. The annual George H. Morris Horsemanship Clinic filled another arena. Although the premiere jumper rings, International, DeNemethy and Mogavero arenas drew 231 entries...

When show jumping returns to HITS Culpeper for two consecutive weeks in late August, all eyes will be on the third annual United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) Tad Coffin Zone III Junior Equitation Finals that will take place on August 23 during the Winston National. Following a ringside dinner reception hosted by Bridgewater College, around 35 talented exhibitors will take aim at the course set in the majestic grand prix ring at HITS Commonwealth Park in Culpeper, VA. “HITS has taken...

The Syracuse Invitational Sporthorse Tournament featuring the 125th National Horse Show announces the publication of the 2008 prize list. Held from October 29-November 2, the Syracuse Invitational welcomes the National Horse Show to Syracuse along with top-ranked equestrians from across the U.S. and from around the world to compete in the War Memorial at the Oncenter Complex. Besides the highest level of competition, competitors and spectators alike enjoy shopping, entertainment and dining...

Did you know that some wilderness management agencies are trying to restrict the use of horses on public lands? Or that the U.S. Forest Service is planning new trail classifications, which might limit our activities? Did you hear about the new bill that could eliminate the current fees for accessing undeveloped federal land? The outcome of these kinds of concerns can have far-reaching consequences, yet they often come and go with little public awareness. But Back Country Horsemen of America...

What is Post-Arrival Elective Testing (PAET)? For the first time in the history of anti-doping and medication control at the Olympic Games, Post-Arrival Elective Testing (PAET) will be made available to the participants in the Olympic and Paralympic equestrian events held in Hong Kong. The objective of this procedure is to minimize inadvertent medication violations at the Olympic and Paralympic equestrian events by assisting the competitors to determine whether or not residues of legitimate...

U.S. four-in-hand driving champion Chester Weber maintained a full schedule at the World Equestrian Festival held July 1-6 in Aachen, Germany. In addition to competing successfully, Weber spent time signing autographs at the Life Data Labs, Inc.®, display. Fresh off another undefeated year in the United States, Weber traveled to Europe in June to begin preparations for his European tour including CHIO Aachen, CAI-A Riesenbeck July 31- August 3, and culminating with the World Championship Teams...

Fair Hill Events, Inc. 501(c)(3) is pleased to announce the inaugural Plantation Field International CIC***, to be held September 19-21, 2008, in Unionville, PA. Already established as a popular venue for horse trials at all levels, this is the first time that Plantation Field will offer an internationally recognized competition. The event will be held on verdant, rolling terrain in the heart of the hunt country of Chester County, PA, on property owned by Mr. and Mrs. Cuyler Walker and Mrs....

Equestrian Sport Productions, LLC, announced Wednesday a preliminary plan for a new round of major improvements at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) to be completed by the "Celebration of the Horse" event in early December and well before the start of the 2009 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF). The improvements are the initial next stage in the top-to-bottom rebuilding of the PBIEC that began last December when Equestrian Sport Productions (ESP) took over management of the...

The launch of the P.R.E. Mundial worldwide registry for the Pure Spanish Horse went off without a hitch this week, as the PREA staff of The Foundation in Albuquerque, NM, went into full swing to rush the first batch of cartas to their owners. Horses were registered who were born in five different countries—Germany, Costa Rica, Spain, Mexico and the United States—making a truly worldwide beginning for the new registry. All hands were on deck with two of the directors of The...