Photo by Randi Muster (Farewell and Rachel Koggan capture the Amateur-Owner Hunter 18-35 Championship at the 2010 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival. ) The 2010 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival had a very successful opening week of competition. New faces from across the country and around the world came to show at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center, and close to 1,600 horses showed in the first week of the circuit. That is a 21% increase in horses that showed during the same week at last...

Steffen Peters, Jessica Ransehousen, Maxance McManamy (Geoff Oliver Bugbee) Louisville, KY – In January of 2009 Steffen Peters was honored with the USEF’s Equestrian of the Year Award for his uncanny sportsmanship and his achievements on the field of play throughout 2008. In 2010, at the USEF Pegasus Awards dinner he was bestowed the title again – this time for simply blowing the doors off the dressage world in 2009. Made even sweeter by the fact that the beloved horse who made it all possible...

2009 USEF Farnam/Platform Horse of the Year (Shannon Brinkman/USEF Archives) Louisville, KY – Annually, five of the USEF’s 130,000 registered horses achieve so much in a year that they are named USEF Horses of Honor and enter the running for the title of Farnam®/Platform™ Horse of the Year. In 2009 all five of these horses were nothing short of remarkable. But one forever changed the face of his sport, and with that, Ravel was voted the 2009 USEF Farnam®/Platform™ Horse of the Year. It began in...

The Kentucky Horse Council (KHC), for over three decades, has worked to benefit and support all equine breeds, disciplines, and activities across Kentucky, primarily through education and leadership. In a move to emphasize this role, the Kentucky Horse Council Board of Directors recently adopted a new mission statement to encompass the operating principles of the organization. The new mission statement of the Kentucky Horse Council is: "The Kentucky Horse Council is a non-profit organization...

Photo by Randi Muster (Pablo Barrios and La Gran) The 2010 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) began their competition on Wednesday, January 14, with opening jumper classes in the International Arena. The first week of the FTI WEF is sponsored by G&C Farm and runs through Sunday, January 17. The 2010 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival has 12 weeks of competition that conclude on April 4, 2010, and almost $6 million in prize money will be awarded through the circuit. This week's course designer is...

As the USEF Horsemastership Training Clinic drew to a close, the United States Equestrian Team (USET) Foundation honored participating riders during a luncheon at the White Horse Tavern on Saturday, January 9. Speakers John Madden, USEF, and Bonnie Jenkins explained the importance of the George H Morris Horsemastership Training Clinic in developing not only the careers of the participating riders, but also the future of the equestrian sport in the United States of America. Addressing the...

Photo by Whitney Allen (Carly Anthony and Ricky Neal) Carly Anthony, 19 of Redmond, WA, and Richard “Ricky” Neal, 17 of Pasadena, CA, were named the inaugural winners of the United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) Emerging Athletes Program National Training Session. For their amazing accomplishments, Carly and Ricky will each receive 30 days of advanced training with a high-performance athlete, as well as $1,500 in gift certificates from Dover Saddlery to purchase show clothes. When...

Denise Wilson and Elenor (Photo by Flashpoint Photography ) The opening week of the 2010 Jacksonville Winter Series kicked off with a warm welcome to competitors, especially Denise Wilson of Dousman, WI, and her brilliant mare For Elenor who won Saturday evening’s Naders $10,000 Jumper Classic. Wilson and the nine-year-old flashy Hanoverian chestnut For Elenor are no strangers to winning, with more than a dozen top five placings in 2009, including the victory lap of the $20,000 Showplace...

The qualifying period for the biggest grand prix in America is about to get under way with the start of the three HITS Winter Circuits in Ocala, Thermal, and Arizona. This winter, HITS horse shows will offer 36 opportunities to qualify for the Pfizer $1 Million Grand Prix, which will take place on September 12 at HITS Saugerties. HITS Ocala Winter Circuit — January 20-March 21 East Coast riders will have their first chance to get in on the action at the HITS Ocala Winter Circuit in Ocala,...

Capt. Mark Phillips (Photo USEF Archives) Lexington, KY - At the conclusion of 2012 the US Eventing Program will undergo a significant change. After 20 years, Capt. Mark Phillips has announced his retirement as Chef d’Equipe and Technical Advisor following the London Olympic Games to "give someone else the opportunity to put their stamp on the program." To date, Capt. Phillips has led the Eventing Team to 23 Team and Individual medals during his time at the helm of the program. Highlights...