People Helping Horses (PHH) Founder and Executive Director Gretchen Salstrom was recently made aware of the need in the community to serve children with disabilities through therapeutic riding. After careful consideration and much discussion, Salstrom and the PHH Board of Directors agreed to partner with NARHA certified instructor Laurie Grow in the launch of a new program, Leg Up for Kids Therapeutic Riding. The program officially commenced on April 1, 2009. It is run at Half Trak Farm, a...

The United States Equestrian Federation, Inc., and the United States Dressage Federation invite licensed dressage competitions to apply to become an official 2010 “qualifying competition” for the USEF Dressage Developing Programs and the FEI North American Junior and Young Rider Dressage Championships (NAJYRC). The USEF Developing Programs and the NAJYRC Program include the following: - USEF National Championships for Juniors, Young Riders, and Young Adult “Brentina Cup” - FEI North American...

The 2009 Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Dressage Festival of Champions will be held in Gladstone, New Jersey, June 18–21. This Festival of Champions will once again feature the national championships for the Young Adult “Brentina Cup,” Young Rider, and Junior divisions held in conjunction with the Grand Prix and Intermediaire I divisions. Applications of Intent for the Junior, Young Rider, and “Brentina Cup” divisions are now available on the USEF website at www.usef.org . But the May 1 deadline is...

Lexington, KY – The USEF has named the following horse/rider combinations for the 2009 Pan American Endurance Championships to be held in Costa Azul, Uruguay on April 24, 2009. The following horse/rider combinations will represent the US at the Pan American Championships: Name/Age/Hometown/Horse/Breed/Age/Sex/Owner Valerie Kanavy/62/Fort Valley, VA/LM Francesa Pharr/Arabian/10/M/Valerie Kanavy Gabrielle Mann/35/Bolinas, CA/CM Big Easy/Arabian/14/G/Gabrielle Mann Stephen Rojek/64/South...

Globalization has a special meaning for Oldenburg breeders and owners as an American breeder presented yet again the highest-priced horse at an Oldenburg Auction at the 70th Elite Anniversary Auction in Vechta, Germany, and Nancy Holowesko of Crosiadore Farm is featured in the international "Achievements of 2008" published by the Oldenburg Verband. The wonderful and powerful-moving approved stallion, Somerset, bred by Holly Simensen was the highest-priced horse at the 2009 Spring Elite Auction...

When Katherine Cook took her three young Lusitano stallions to their first dressage show at Rocking Horse Stable in Altoona, FL, on April 4, 2009, her goals were “to get them on and off the trailers, in and out of new environments and see how they would do.” The Brazilian-bred Interagro Farm well-mannered stallions not only made a big impression on the central Florida equestrian show crowd, they scored well with the dressage judges, as well. Cook’s newest acquisition, a four-year-old golden...

Balmullo’s Azalea (Concord River Roaringwater Bay x Courtney’s April Frolic, by Custusha’s Cashel Rock), shown as Ooh La La and ridden by young rider and new owner Sara Powell of Lexington, KY, qualified for the 2009 USEF Pony Finals at their first "A" rated show together. The pair were champions, winning all over fences classes as well as the conformation class, in the large pony division at the USEF "A" rated Lakeside Arena Winter Series show. Powell, who is 15, and Ooh La La are currently...

Las Vegas, NV – Defending champion, Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum, looked impossible to beat throughout the 2009 Rolex FEI World Cup Final. Shutterfly was faultless going into the final round of the final leg. Looks matter: She became the third person, and the first woman to win three World Cup titles. She did it all with Shutterfly. That meant heart break for McLain Ward and Sapphire who chased the German combination through all three legs, jumped two immaculate clear rounds. But it didn’t...

Let me just say wow. Hats off to Steffen Peters and Ravel. They owned Thursday. All of it. Just swooped down and claimed that Grand Prix victory like it was theirs for the taking. I can't think of a more deserving pair. A pair of kings, with a crowd of thousands roaring their approval all around the arena. As he and Ravel exited the arena, a palpable wave of adrenaline washed over all of us lucky enough to witness it. He hoisted wife Shannon up into the air and held her there, hugging her...

Representatives from dozens of national and state-based equine protection, advocacy and rescue organizations gathered April 9-10 at Bally's Las Vegas for the third annual Homes for Horses Coalition Conference to discuss the re-homing of at-risk horses in America and other equine welfare concerns. The conference was held in conjunction with The Humane Society of the United States' Animal Care Expo, which included two equine welfare workshops on Wednesday, April 8. Immediately following Homes for...