View of the show jumping course at the 2003 World Cup Finals. (Jan Gyllensten) Some of the world’s best riders and horses are placing their bets on Las Vegas this year, eager to see if their scores from earlier qualifying competitions will be enough to earn a ticket to the entertainment capital of the world in April. If they make the final cut, they’ll join the ranks of dozens of world-class athletes, each hoping their skill, combined with Lady Luck, will earn the coveted title of...

With the American Saddlebred Horse Association (ASHA) annual meeting of members scheduled for Thursday through Saturday, February 17-19, at the Embassy Suites of Lexington, KY, proxy and voting materials have been mailed to the entire senior membership. Ballots for election of directors must be returned by members on or before Tuesday, February 1, 2005. The slate of candidates seeking a seat on the Board of Directors includes Victoria Gillenwater, Tim Lockard, Fred K. Sarver, Paul Treiber,...

Lexington, KY —Last year, course designer Richard Jeffery of Dorsett, UK, set a record at the United States Equestrian Federation. He was the first to have been awarded Course Designer of the Year , on six separate occasions. Once again, Jeffery adds to that record winning streak, receiving the Mr. & Mrs. William C. Cox Memorial Trophy for a seventh time. In addition to the 2004 award, Jeffery enjoyed the title in 1989, 1990, 1994, 1999, 2002 and 2003. “He sets a pretty tough...

State Veterinarian Dr. Robert Stout on Tuesday lifted an embargo on the importation of livestock, wild and exotic animals into Kentucky from Colorado that was enacted because of vesicular stomatitis (VS), ending the last of the VS-related restrictions that started with an outbreak in Texas last May. "These embargos have ended because there are no more active cases of vesicular stomatitis in these states," Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer said. "I appreciate the efforts of Dr. Stout and...

Equine Influenza is a viral respiratory disease that is highly contagious to susceptible horses. Outbreaks of the disease are occurring with increased frequency worldwide despite the widespread use of vaccines. The highly contagious nature of equine influenza means that it has the potential to seriously compromise international movement of horses. For a number of years the FEI rules have required an annual booster vaccination, but recent research indicates that, for many vaccines protection...

Lexington, KY —The USEF Executive Committee, on December 21, 2005, approved extraordinary rule changes to the Federation rules regarding the Foreign Rider License. These changes will become effective on January 1, 2005 in conjunction with the new FEI General Regulations. These changes, which can be viewed at https://www.usef.org/documents/rules/ruleChanges/2004/ApprovedEC12-1-04.pdf , now provide that a non–U.S. Citizen may compete in USEF national competitions with proof, in...

AAEP ( ) Nearly 6,300 veterinary professionals, guests and exhibitors attended the American Association of Equine Practitioners’ (AAEP) 50th Annual Convention in Denver, Co, breaking the meeting’s attendance record once again. The convention, held December 4-8, featured nearly 100 scientific presentations, a sold-out trade show and successful equine health seminar for horse owners. "Once again, Dr. Scott Palmer and the Program Committee outdid themselves," said David Foley, AAEP...

The United States Equestrian Team (USET) Foundation officially announced that it has retained GráficaGroup as its Public Relations Agency of Record. The USET Foundation, based in Gladstone, New Jersey, supports American equestrian athletes competing in national and international competitions, including the World Equestrian Games, the Pan American Games, and the Olympics. Gráfica ( www.grafica.com ) is a nationally ranked, full-service, fully integrated advertising and public relations agency...

Lexington, KY – The USEF Search Committee for the new Show Jumping Chef d’Equipe has developed a job description for the position after soliciting important input from owners and riders at two forums, one in Del Mar, California on October 1st, and the other in Syracuse, New York held on November 7th. Eric Straus, Chairman of the Search Committee, emphasized that this position will be different than ever before because it is, “a generational change, a functional change. We are...

Sheila Burke of Elmira New York had her first taste of international glory winning the Grand Prix at CSIO Dublin, Ireland, part of the Samsung Super League Series, on Sunday, August 8th. Four of the five riders had clear rounds in the jump off with Burke aboard 12-year-old Holsteiner mare, Caya (HOL, Carthago Z -), clenching the fastest time of .86 second ahead of Ireland’s Jessica Kürten. Residing in Holland for a little over a year, this is Burke’s biggest win. “It was fantastic and the crowd...