The United States Equestrian Team (USET) Foundation is pleased to announce that they have awarded the Amanda Warrington Grant to three-day event rider Heather Morris of Lewisville, TX. The Amanda Warrington Grant is awarded through the Amanda Pirie Warrington Fund. The Amanda Pirie Warrington Fund was established by Amanda's family in her memory with the purpose of helping provide financial assistance to a developing event rider who has been identified as a rider with great talent and ability...

Recently, Brookwood Farm hosted a unique five-day clinic with renowned rider and trainer Ray Texel that featured many different learning techniques. The clinic was held November 18-22, 2009, and while many clinics are two or three days, this longer format gave Texel and the participants more time to develop a unique rapport while working through many different challenges. Brookwood Farm is owned by trainers Rush and Caroline Weeden, who also hosted the 2009 $25,000 Chicago Hunter Derby. "One...

Excellence in equestrian sport does not come easy. It takes an amazing sense of dedication, incredible skill and a courageous heart. And in 2009, five horses (and their riders, drivers and handlers) have shown the world exactly those qualities. For each of them, their hard work and brilliant talent has garnered them a nomination for the United States Equestrian Federation's highest honor bestowed upon a horse - the Farnam/Platform USEF Horse of the Year Award. The five nominees represent the...

The International Jumping Riders Club (IJRC), in partnership with the International Equestrian Federation (FEI), has launched a major new initiative to recognize the world’s best rider according to the Rolex Rankings. Starting at the 2009 Rolex IJRC Top 10 Final in Paris, the leading rider will wear a green and gold armband featuring the words "Number 1, The Rolex Rankings" at FEI Jumping events throughout 2010. The Rolex Rankings are updated every week and officially released at the start of...

The 2009 Cinch® National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) Non Pro Futurity Finals were the featured competition on Friday at the NRHA Futurity & Adequan® North American Affiliate Championship (NAAC) Show in Oklahoma City, OK. Nearly two dozen countries have been competing at the show over the past nine days with nine riders from four countries advancing to the $120,000 added Cinch/NRHA Non Pro Futurity Finals. In draw two in the second section of the Non Pro finals, reigning champion and NRHA’s...

Measured by nearly 1,000 horses stemming from 42 states and four foreign countries, nearly 1,950 entries, beautiful weather and plenty of extra activities, the American Paint Horse Association's first Fall World Championship Paint Horse Show is now complete. The split format was introduced this year with the Youth World Show being the focus of the summer event, while the Open and Amateur World Show, plus the slot classes and Breeders' Futurity, were the focus of the Fall World. The expanded...

Michael Blowen, the Founder and President of Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement Farm in Kentucky, is pleased to announce that the satellite facility, Old Friends at Cabin Creek: The Bobby Frankel Division, will be the new permanent home of Bobby Frankel-trainee Gigli and famed New York-bred stallion Thunder Rumble. The first Old Friends auxiliary farm, Cabin Creek, is located just outside of Saratoga in Greenfield Center, NY, and is owned by Joann and Mark Pepper. In 1992, Thunder Rumble...

The world’s most colorful horses raced for the finish line in a 350-yard allowance race on November 28 at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, TX, and it was Appaloosa Moon Bully that took the first-place prize. Eight Appaloosas and Paint Horses lined up to compete for a piece of the $10,000 purse. Moon Bully (Man With The Power x Tb Fancy Moon, JC) darted across the finish line in 17.68 seconds to win, with Cody Jensen aboard. The five-year-old gelding won $5,910, bringing his lifetime earnings to...

Iron Spring Farm's important KWPN stallion Rampal passed away last week, November 11, 2009, due to the infirmities of old age. The 26-year-old stallion was known not only for his incredible competition record, which included being short listed for the United States Equestrian Team, but also for his contributions to the sport horse world as a sire. His offspring have been competitive through the international levels of both show jumping and dressage. His son Ovation ISF won at such shows as CSIO...

The Illinois Hunter Jumper Association (IHJA) would like to thank everyone involved with their 2009 year-end banquet, which was held on November 21, 2009, at the Renaissance Hotel and Convention Center in Schaumburg, IL. One of the main sponsors of the 2009 IHJA Banquet was WeatherTech.com, owned by David Mac Neil. WeatherTech.com is the online source for MacNeil Automotive Products, a company that designs, engineers and manufactures automotive accessories for cars, trucks, sport utility...