The First International Combined Festival of Dressage for Para Equestrian held last weekend in Moorsele, Belgium is an important qualifying competition for the Paralympics in 2008. The United States placed riders in the top ten in both the Grade III Individual and the Grade III Freestyle. Three U.S. riders and their horses traveled to Belgium, Barbara Grassmyer from Placerville, California with Mibis, a 12 year old Dutch Warmblood; Rebecca Hart of Erie, Pennsylvania on her Norteassa, a 14 year...

Famed publisher William Randolph Hearst, who also established an important horse breeding operation, is credited with having first coined the name “Morab” for the distinct breed of horses that are Arabian and Morgan crosses. He bred his Arabian stallions to Morgan mares to produce horses which were sure-footed, fast and versatile. Consequently, they were well suited to the rough and varied terrain of his San Simeon ranch near the Pacific Coast of California. More than six generations later, the...

Lexington, KY – Despite a mighty effort, the U.S. team could not rally a win this year in Pratoni del Vivaro, Italy for the 2006 World Singles Driving Championship held September 20-24. Great Britain, Sweden and Germany had a successful championship finishing in that order in both the team and individual championship. Great Britain took first place with a total team score of 248.76. Paul Sidwell of Great Britain and his horse Weirbank John won the combined driving event with a score of 128.47....

DigiKnow, Inc., has been selected as the Interactive Agency of Record for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2010, which will be held at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington. "We needed to find a firm with experience—communicating our event internationally, selling merchandise online and creating and making available a worldwide online ticket program," said Jack Kelly, CEO of the World Games 2010 Foundation, Inc. “DigiKnow has all of those skills.” DigiKnow is an online sports...

The New England Dressage Association (NEDA) is extremely pleased and honored to welcome United States Olympic equestrian dressage team coach and German Olympic Gold medalist Klaus Balkenhol to New England for the first time. NEDA has been working on this event for over two years, and their efforts have finally been rewarded. Balkenhol will visit the University of Massachusetts’ Hadley Farm from his home in Germany this November 3-5. Accompanying him on his trip will be his wife, Judith, and the...

Lexington, KY - The United States Equestrian Federation® (USEF) dressage tests for training through fourth level are now available. These new editions become effective with the beginning of the 2007 USEF competition year (December 1, 2006) and will remain in use for the next four years. “We are very excited about this new generation of USEF dressage tests,” said Jennifer Keeler, National Director of Dressage. “We would like to thank the members of the USEF Test Writing Subcommittee, including...

Julie Welles of West Simsbury, CT, won the SHALANNO Style of Riding Award Perpetual Trophy at the 31st annual Hampton Classic Horse Show. The SHALANNO Style of Riding Award Perpetual Trophy is presented to the junior jumper rider who best exemplifies the American style of equitation as modeled by Olympic medalists Joe Fargis, Conrad Homfeld and George Morris. The award recipient must have the respectful, dignified, courteous and workmanlike manner of a true sportsman. Welles, 18, was selected...

The Arabian Horse Association (AHA) Sport Horse National Arabian and Half-Arabian Championship Show (Sport Horse Nationals) made its debut in Nampa, ID, from September 20-24, 2006, at the Idaho Horse Park in its first northwest appearance. Horses competed in 69 classes in four divisions: sport horse in-hand and under-saddle, dressage, pleasure carriage driving and hunter/jumper. Besides the competition, the show featured clinics by hunter/jumper trainer Linda Allen and dressage notable Hilda...

The American Saddlebred Registry (ASR) Sweepstakes, held during the All American Horse Classic in Indianapolis September 5-9, had a 24% increase in its total payout from 2005 to 2006. The 2006 total payout was $172,822 compared to $139,434 one year before. The biggest increase came in the four-year-old division, which paid winners $45,959 for a 51% increase from the previous year’s total of $30,376. The 2006 four-year-old payout is the highest since 1992. Another increase came in the...

Lexington, KY – There is still time to contact your affiliate and submit a nomination for the USEF Youth Council and the USEF Youth Sportsman’s Charter Award. The deadline for USEF to receive nominations from the affiliates for the Youth Council is October 16, 2006, and the deadline for the USEF to receive nominations from the affiliates for the Youth Sportsman’s Charter Award is October 31, 2006. Both programs require that nominations be received by USEF from the USEF-recognized association....