The newly renovated Old Salem Farm will once again host its highly popular Spring Horse Shows, May 11-16, and May 18-23. The two-week long horse show series features top-notch hunter-jumper competition at one of the country's most beautiful equestrian training centers. Already popular classes such as the $40,000 Old Salem Farm Grand Prix, $75,000 Empire State Grand Prix and $25,000 North Salem Grand Prix will once again return to the Spring Horse Shows, while the newest class being added to the...

"Why did gorgeous horses like those need new homes?" is a question frequently asked by disbelieving park visitors about the stunning black Arabian horses that recently arrived at the Kentucky Horse Park. An Arabian stallion and mare came to the park through a partnership with the Kentucky Equine Humane Center (KyEHC) and will soon go to work promoting the park's next international blockbuster exhibition, the $2.35 million "A Gift from the Desert: The Art, History and Culture of the Arabian...

The Old Dominion Horse Show in Manakin Sabot, VA, was the site for the inaugural competition for ponies nominated to the North American Pony Futurity (NAPF) Registry incentive program. A parade of lovely young ponies competed in hand, divided by ages and genders. USEF “R” Hunter Breeding judges Joe Dotoli (of Vermont) and Beth Neilsen (of Colorado) evaluated the youngsters at the walk and trot prior to standing for conformation. Amateur and pro handlers were equally represented with Tim Foster...

How can Kentucky's children become better readers? By reading about a horse, to a horse. The Kentucky Horse Park's International Museum of the Horse is partnering with The Black Stallion Literacy Foundation (BSLF) to offer the widely acclaimed Black Stallion Literacy Project in the spring of 2010 to first and fourth graders in Fayette, Bourbon, Madison, Clark, Scott, Woodford and Jessamine counties. The BSLF helps children discover the joys of reading and the excitement of learning through the...

When he entered the room with his confident style, it became the crowning moment to a spectacular evening. Ravel was among his fans and friends. On November 5, guests gathered at the home of Steffen Peters and Ravel—Arroyo Del Mar Farm in San Diego—to relive the team's accomplishments of the year, including a clean sweep of the Rolex FEI World Cup Dressage Finals and the World Equestrian Festival CHIO. The event lived up to its promise to deliver a once-in-a-lifetime event featuring...

Competition in the Cavalor Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series continued during the month of September. Even with the summer competition schedule coming to a close, many horse shows featured Cavalor Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series classes, making it an intense race for the September Rider of the Month. With Cavalor's support, the series honors one rider each month as the Cavalor Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series Rider of the Month. The honor goes to the...

In a major new initiative, the American Hanoverian Society (AHS) is pleased to announce a new foal life recording partnership with the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF). The USEF, which serves as the National Governing Body for Equestrian Sport in the U.S., licenses equestrian competitions of all levels across the United States each year and maintains the points and standings for the annual USEF Horse of the Year (HOTY) Awards in its comprehensive database. Through cooperative efforts...

Each year endurance riders from around the U.S. and Canada gather to compete for the American Endurance Ride Conference’s (AERC) top honors in the National Championship rides. This year, tiny Greenville, CA, (population 1,150) will be the launching point for the 100-mile ride on September 11 and 50-mile ride on September 13. Midway between Redding and Reno, the Northern California location has all that riders ask of a trail: elevation changes, gorgeous views, shallow creek crossings, and...

On Sunday at HITS Culpeper Tracy Magness was back to her winning ways riding Tarco Van Ter Moude to the blue in the $30,000 HITS Grand Prix to conclude the Winston National at HITS Commonwealth Park in Culpeper, VA. Magness got the best of 19 pairs that challenged course designer Jerry Dougherty’s first-round course and the additional six that advanced to the jump-off en route to collecting $9,000 in first-place prize money. With the victory, Magness and Mr. and Mrs. John Bartko’s Tarco Van Ter...

Imagine the scenario. Sitting under a shaded tent facing a perfectly manicured and maintained hunter ring. Free food abounds. Dozen upon dozen of pony riders are mounted upon the most gorgeous ponies you have ever seen in your life. You get to kick back, relax and take in this awesome environment, free of stress or cares. Just another day in the life of this very lucky journalist and editor. Yes…the 2009 USEF Pony Finals is under way at the Kentucky Horse Park, and for the first time in...