United Professional Horsemen’s Association (UPHA) President Jim Taylor has informed American Saddlebred Horse Association (ASHA) President Fred Sarver that the American Royal will host the 2007 ASHA Junior Exhibitor Driving Challenge Finals, November 13-17, at Kemper Arena in Kansas City. Several qualifying shows are already scheduled; the current list is available online at www.saddlebred.com/files/drivingchallenge.pdf . Any horse show interested in becoming one of the qualifying stops along...

In the past two decades, huge advances have been made in our understanding of many equine diseases, but we have a lot more to learn before we can truly improve the way many of these diseases are prevented or treated. One simply needs to consider the impact that laminitis had on Barbaro, a horse who captured everyone’s imagination, or the effect that equine herpesvirus-1 infections have had up and down the East Coast in the past few months. While these diseases might be the most glaringly...

The National Reining Horse Youth Association (NRHyA) announces seven new regional training clinics across the United States. The clinics are designed to help reining enthusiasts learn from some of the best trainers in the reining business. The Regional Clinic Series is open to all riders—youth and adults. Non-National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) members are also invited to attend and learn what the NRHA has to offer. Proceeds from the clinics benefit the youth association and its...

Lexington, KY – In continuation of their strong commitment to dressage, Collecting Gaits Farm has elevated their partnership with the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) to become title sponsor of the 2007 Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Dressage Festival of Champions which will be held in Gladstone, NJ on June 14-17. “We are excited that USEF will be able to combine five national dressage championships at one venue this year,” said USEF Managing Director of Dressage Gil Merrick. “It marks...

Doug Prather (New York's McLain Ward and Sapphire finish in eighth place in the Rolex FEI World Cup Show Jumping Finals in Las Vegas) Las Vegas, Nevada—On the last day of the 2007 Rolex FEI World Cup for show jumping, it came down to a battle between the Germans and Swiss. In the end, it was a win for Beat Mandli and Ideo du Thot, the 11-year-old Selle Francais gelding after putting in two rounds where they downed only one rail to finish on a score of five World Cup points. Some 15...

Steffen Peters and Floriano scored a 77.80 to place at third in the 2007 Rolex FEI World Cup dressage competition (Doug Prather) The freestyle is one of the most expressive elements of dressage, and there was no lack of emotion and pageantry during the finals of the 2007 Rolex FEI World Cup Dressage competition in Las Vegas. Germany’s Isabell Werth, aboard her 11-year-old Hanoverian gelding, Warum Nicht FRH, took the top prize before an appreciative crowd at the Thomas and Mack Center in...

McLain Ward and Sapphire tackling a tough course at the 2007 Rolex FEI World Cup in Las Vegas. (Doug Prather) Las Vegas, NV - The show jumpers returned to the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas on Friday evening for the second round of the Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping Final, and it was a blistering jump-off performance by American expatriate Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum aboard Shutterfly that left the crowd cheering. In 29.38 seconds, the pair scorched the six-obstacle round ahead of eight others...

Betty Goshorn Weldon, 85, of Jefferson City, MO, died Wednesday morning, April 18, 2007. The former American Saddlebred Horse Association (ASHA) director was owner of one of the most successful breeding operations in American Saddlebred history, Callaway Hills Stable. Her contributions to the breed are countless. An accomplished businesswoman, Weldon also had a remarkable career as a publisher. Callaway Hills was born when Weldon paid a visit to Kentucky to purchase her first Saddlebred, Fourth...

The World Games 2010 Foundation, Inc., announced it has reached an agreement with Red Sky Publishing for Doug Prather to be the “Official Photographer” for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2010. The agreement will allow the Foundation to work closely with and have access to Prather’s work ahead of and during the 2010 Games. The images will be used in the organization’s media and marketing promotional campaigns, brochures, posters and displays, as well as many other areas. “We are excited...

The World Games 2010 Foundation, Inc., the organization responsible for preparing and putting on the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2010, announced that Crystal Bennett has been hired as marketing coordinator. Bennett joins the Foundation after recently completing her graduate degree in sport administration at the University of Louisville. She received her undergraduate degree from Florida A&M University in Tallahassee. While completing her studies at both institutions, Bennett was very...