The General Assembly of the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) elected HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein of Jordan as the 13th FEI President. The other contenders for the position were HRH Princess Benedikte of Denmark and Freddy Serpieri of Greece. The voting took place over two rounds; Princess Haya received 82 votes in the second round. The full details of the voting will be communicated shortly. “I promise to do everything in my power and to work tirelessly to serve the institution...

Who would have thought that the pursuit of controlling that nasty fly problem in your horse’s stable could send you on a trip to Aachen, Germany? Better yet, that you would be doing your part to help the U.S. Team gain the Gold at the FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG)? Farnam Companies, Inc., has committed to donating a portion of the proceeds from the sale of its popular fly control products in a unique partnership with the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) to help send the U.S. team...

The Supreme Kahuna Pony Classic will be debuting during Week One of the 2006 Biltmore Estate Summer Classics. Providing not only a fun time with great rewards, but also a perfect way to prepare for the USEF Pony Finals, as the event will follow a similar format. During Week One of Biltmore, July 12-16, over $14,000 in prize money and awards will be handed out in the Pony Hunter classes. The Pony Model and Under Saddle will be judged using a numeric system. At the end of each day the points and...

Lexington, KY – Tucker Johnson of Hobe Sound, FL, took first in the FEI Driving Four-in-Hand class at the USEF 2006 CAI-B Oldwick at Cedar Lane Farm held April 28-30. Johnson and his team of Warmbloods posted scores of 54.66 in dressage, 88.51 in marathon and 6.00 in cones. James Fairclough of Newton, NJ, and James Richards of Atlanta, GA, were second and third respectively. This four-in-hand competition was one of several selection trials for the 2006 FEI World Games to be held late this...

Longtime American Saddlebred benefactor Joe Stopher, 91, of Louisville, KY, died Thursday April 27, 2006 at Baptist Hospital East. Stopher was the Kentucky State Fair Board Member in Charge of the World’s Championship Horse Show from 1968 to 1996; in that time, the show grew in size and prestige. He also served as a member of the American Saddlebred Horse Association (ASHA) Board of Directors, and as legal counsel for the Association. He was also a member of the board of directors for both the...

The Equine Species Working Group (ESWG) has developed an informational booklet titled NAIS and Horses: the Facts Surrounding the National Animal Identification System as it Applies to the Horse Industry in the U.S. This booklet was put together in an effort to answer the many questions and concerns that have been raised from the equine industry on the very important and difficult issue of the potential application of the national ID system to horses. The booklet addresses the following topics:...

Marc Manning (Australian Andrew Hoy on Master Monarch) Rails fell like raindrops during the final day of the 2006 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by Farnam at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, on Sunday, April 30. The performances were as unpredictable as the weather, which opened the door for Australia’s Andrew Hoy and his Master Monarch to prove they were indeed the masters of the three-day CCI**** grueling showdown. The pair was atop the leaderboard and winners of one of...

Marc Manning (Becky Holder and Courageous Comet tackle the Head of the Lake on the cross-country phase.) It was a big and challenging course that greeted the 59 horse-and-rider combinations going into Saturday’s grueling cross-country phase at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by Farnam. And while many Kentuckians’ minds were on next weekend’s Kentucky Derby and the “most exciting two minutes in sports,” the eventing world and tens of thousands of...

Lexington, KY - Shawn Flarida and Rowdy Yankee took Gold in the Adequan/USEF Open Reining Championship Qualifier at the National Reining Breeders Classic (NRBC) in Katy, TX, on April 21, 2006. The pair marked a 226.5 to win the qualifier as well as the NRBC’s $25,000 Added Open on Friday evening. Rowdy Yankee is a 12-year-old Quarter Horse stallion owned and bred by Keith Crawford. He was the 1997 National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) Non-Pro Futurity Champion and the 1998 NRBC Non-Pro...

Marc Manning (Darren Chiacchia and Windfall II) Call it a day! The dressage phase of the 2006 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by Farnam ended with a second day of unprecedented beautiful weather and sun-kissed crowds who were witness to two days of the expert dressage tests. And with American riders siting in seven of the top 10 placings, it was a particular triumph for the U.S. eventing world. 2004 Modified CCI**** Rolex Kentucky Champion Darren Chiacchia and his black Trakehner...