The feature classes of the week at the Kentucky Summer Horse Show were the $25,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic, the ASG Software Solutions United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) International Hunter Derby, and the $40,000 Kentucky Summer Grand Prix. Top honors in both grand prix events went to Debbie Stephens. Aaron Vale won the International Hunter Derby by just one point. The Kentucky Summer Horse Show started with an exciting opening day at the Kentucky Horse Park. The Walnut Arena...

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...

Jimmy Torano could not have been happier with his winning performance in the $10,000 Escada/Theory Open Welcome Stake, Presented by Manchester Designer Outlets, on Friday, August 1, at the Vermont Summer Festival in East Dorset, VT. Magic Cruise, an eight-year-old Belgian-bred mare owned by SCNC Investments, Inc., has been knocking on the door of the “big” classes for some time now. According to Torano, Friday’s win marked a highlight for this special mare. “She is a very straightforward horse....

Tickets are now selling for the annual Saddlebred Raffle, with winners to be drawn at random during the Kentucky State Fair World’s Championship Horse Show. According to Brenda Newell, Senior Program Administrator for the American Saddlebred Horse Association (ASHA), the raffle is one of the ASHA’s most important fundraisers. Only 400 tickets are sold worldwide, at $100 each, for gross proceeds of $40,000. Of that, $20,000 goes into the Saddlebred Futures Fund, and $20,000 of it is returned to...

The United States Dressage Federation (USDF) announced the start of its “Going Green” Campaign. The campaign was developed to manage costs in a tough economy and support worldwide environmental efforts while continuing to provide the best in member benefits and services. The first major step in the effort was the launch of the USDF website last fall, which has allowed USDF to provide extensive information and services to its members online, reducing paper usage, shipping costs, and staff...

Twenty-one National Walking Horse Association (NWHA) youth members from across the country attended the First NWHA Youth Leadership Conference held at the Kentucky Horse Park. July 14-16. "The conference was everything we had hoped it would be for the youth and more," stated Tami Steinbrecher, Chair of the Youth Committee. The conference offered workshops on developing leadership skills, effective public speaking, equine first aid and horse judging and included two interactive clinics on...

For the past several years, the American Saddlebred International Youth Program (ASIYP) has conducted their annual competition in conjunction with the United Professional Horsemen’s Association (UPHA) Chapter 10 Saddlebred Fall Horse Show. Competitors must ride in their age group equitation class, participate in junior judging and showmanship at halter, ride in a pattern class, plus complete a written test and hippology stations. Separate ribbons are awarded in each of these classes and there...

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...

Tyler Morris moved to Aiken, SC, from Lafayette, NJ, where he trained with Robin Fairclough of Newton, NJ, and Top Brass Farm in 2007, when he transferred to Aiken County Pony Club. He represented the Carolina Region at the United States Pony Clubs Show Jumping Championships in Lexington, KY, last year and this year in Lexington, VA, July 24-27, 2008. And he won the Vieva Perrin Memorial Award for Horsemanship both years. This perpetual trophy is given in memory of one of the founders of...

America's most successful grand prix rider Margie Engle has no idea how many career wins that she has and likes it that way. "If I started keeping track, I would stop winning them," said Engle, after she navigated the fastest double-clear round aboard Hidden Creek's Coroya Z in Sunday's $50,000 HITS Grand Prix, presented by Smith Barney, at HITS Saugerties. "I am pretty sure I am over 180 wins now." Engle and Hidden Creek's Coroya Z outlasted 27 pairs on course designer Ken Krome's 13-obstacle...