After years of hard work and dedication from committee members and professional staff, the United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) is proud to announce that the USHJA Trainers Certification Program will begin in June 2009. The members of the Trainers Certification Program Committee (TCPC) strongly believe that today’s students are the future of the equine industry. The mission of the USHJA Trainer Certification Program is to preserve the American hunter/jumper system of riding through...

Get ready for the ride of a lifetime as Appaloosas and exhibitors from throughout the world gather to compete for prestigious World Championship titles at the Will Rogers Memorial Center in Fort Worth, TX, October 24-November 1. Bring the entire family to watch exceptional Appaloosas demonstrate their versatile skills and abilities in 164 classes. From reining and cutting to pleasure riding and halter, Appaloosas are found in every discipline. The competition in the classes is certainly...

The Extreme Mustang Makeover will offer two of what has become the definitive test of horsemanship when it debuts the Gatorland Extreme Mustang Makeover during Lynn Palm’s Women Luv Horses event, April 3-5, 2009, and returns to the Midwest Horse Fair for the second consecutive year, April 17-19. Applications must be received no later than December 1 for both events. “The Midwest Horse Fair and the people of Wisconsin welcomed our Mustangs with wide open arms and we’re thrilled to be going...

Riders from The Oaks of Lake City’s Equestrian Center are already putting the new community in the limelight. Last week, The Oak’s equestrian member and young rider, Hannah Lisec and the five-year-old Oldenburg, Gladiator HU, swept all four of their classes at the Fall Classic Dressage Horse Shows in the Park in Newberry, FL. Lisec’s dressage scores ranged from 68-76%. Along with winning all of her classes, Lisec topped two divisions, winning both the First Level Championship and Junior...

In a tune up for Sunday's $100,000 United States Grand Prix League (USGPL) Invitational Grand Prix, Laura Bowery and her mount Indy Star II posted the fastest double-clear round to capture the $25,000 Devoucoux Wild Card Grand Prix at HITS Culpeper. Bowery outlasted a starting field of 26 riders to challenge course designer Olaf Petersen's first-round route and an additional six pairs that advanced to the jump-off to collect $7,500. However, coming into the $25,000 Devoucoux Wild Card Grand...

Gladstone, NJ - The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) is pleased to announce that it will be hosting a ParaEquestrian Dressage Workshop for potential Para Dressage Equestrians and Instructors with US ParaEquestrian Team Coach and international eventing rider Missy Ransehousen. The Workshop will be held October 12-13, 2008 at the J.F. Shea Therapeutic Riding Center in San Juan Capistrano, CA. ParaEquestrian provides riders with all kinds of disabilities the chance to compete in dressage...

Final preparations for the 15th annual Capital Challenge Horse Show are under way at the Prince George’s Equestrian Center in Upper Marlboro, MD. The show begins on Saturday, September 27, continuing through Sunday, October 5. The first weekend features the Taylor Harris Insurance Services National Children’s Medal Finals and the Monarch International North American Junior and Adult Equitation Championships. Horses and riders are streaming in from all parts of the country to join in the...

The United States Hunter Jumper Association’s “Building For Growth” Capital Campaign will officially launch on Thursday, September 25, at the Kentucky Horse Park (KHP) from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The launch event will be held at the historic “Farmhouse” on the grounds of the Kentucky Horse Park. This event will kick off the USHJA’s Capital Campaign to raise all funds necessary to construct and maintain a nationally recognized headquarters at the Kentucky Horse Park, the epicenter of equestrian...

Nineteen-year-old Western Star Galaxy (Georgetown Starlight x Cedarvale Splendora) won big at last week's Eastern States Exposition Big E Horse Show in West Springfield, MA. In a class of nine, "Alex" won the New England Horseman's Council's Junior Western Reining Seat Medal Finals with Stephanie Miranda of Assonet, MA, in the saddle. Alex is the only Morgan to ever win the finals to date. Owned by Michelle Cravenho of Kingston, MA, Alex was the only Morgan in the class that included Paints,...

Lexington, KY – For the first time ever, a US Reiner has broken through to the top three on the FEI Reiner of the Year Ranking List. Gabe Hutchins, whose season was highlighted by a runner-up finish at the 2007 FEI World Reining Masters on the legendary Juiced Up Doc, finished with 53 points behind Germany’s Emanuel Ernst and Arc Playsophie (74 points) and Belgium’s Ann Fonck-Poels and Chic Dual (56). “It is an honor for me to win this,” said Hutchins of Sherman, TX. “Especially since I didn’t...