Show jumping fans from around the world gathered for opening day of the final week of action at the 2006 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) in Wellington and were greeted with beautiful sunny skies and mild temperatures. The CN Wellington Finale CSIO*****, the last week of show jumping before the festival moves on to Tampa for the final two weeks of competition, got underway on Wednesday at the Palm Beach Polo Equestrian Club. Wednesday’s mid-morning featured event was the 1.45 m Time First Round...

Sixty years ago, Farnam Companies, Inc., was a diamond in the rough--a name that was introduced as a small mail-order operation in the Midwest. Since 1946, the Farnam brand has become a premier provider of animal health care and nutritional products. In fact, the Farnam name is as ubiquitous in the equine industry as NIKE® is in the sports world. To celebrate 60 years of sharing its passion for animals with its customers, Farnam is holding a Customer Appreciation Sweepstakes to award several...

Jan Gyllensten (World Cup show jumping at the Thomas & Mack Arena.) The International Equestrian Federation (FEI) and Las Vegas Events, Inc. (LVE) jointly announced that the FEI World Cup Finals in both show jumping and dressage will return to the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, April 18-22, 2007. This will mark the fourth time that Las Vegas hosts the FEI World Cup Finals and the second time ever, following the initial time in Las Vegas in 2005, that the world’s premier annual...

Wellington Dressage at the 2006 Winter Equestrian Festival wrapped up on Sunday, February 5, following four days of dressage competition at the Palm Beach Polo Equestrian Club in Wellington, FL. More than 200 horses from across the country competed in the four-ring show, which included 60 classes encompassing Training Level through Grand Prix. Featured classes were the qualifying competitions for the 2006 FEI World Equestrian Games Selection Trials, and qualifiers for the 2006 Collecting Gaits...

Mike Ferrara (Lexington, KY) - Throughout the year there are many competitions which are extremely valuable to the various USEF breed organizations but are a challenge to organize due to required expenses. The USEF wishes to support the widest possible network of shows for its breed members and enthusiasts by announcing a new Outreach Grant program. A total of $125,000 has been budgeted in 2006 for grants to financially challenged breed competitions which meet the grant requirements and are...

The 2006 National Youth Horse Leader’s Symposium will take place February 3-5, 2006, in Gainesville, FL, offering a diverse group of talented and knowledgeable presenters on four different tracks: youth development, successful programs, tools and games and industry issues. The 29th annual symposium will have something for everyone involved in the youth horse industy. Randel Raub, PhD, of Land O’Lakes Purina, will share his knowledge about quality ingredients in feed as well as offer a keynote...

Craig Schmersal had four horses to show at the Southwest Reining Horse Association (SWRHA) Futurity and Horse Show in Ardmore, OK, in October. He had Commanders Nic and Im Genuinely Smart for Open and Novice Horse Open competition. He had two three-year-olds for the SWRHA Futurity, Wrangle Whiz and Conquistadors Star. All four horses earned NRHA paychecks. After the show, Schmersal, his wife Ginger and their sons Chris and Nick drove to their new home and training facility in Overbrook, OK,...

The Area II Adult Riders Program Training Three-Day Event has received an outpouring of support from the equestrian community for its unique educational competition, to be held October 18-22, 2005, at Waredaca Farm in Laytonsville, MD. Among the upper level riders donating expertise are Olympic medalists Jim Wofford and Karen O’Connor, and Pan American Games medalists Jan Thompson and Phyllis Dawson. Other top people in the industry will also participate. The Training Three-Day Event...

Equestrian vaulting combines the strength of gymnastics with the beauty of dance on the back of a moving horse. It is one of the seven recognized disciplines in international equestrian sports. Vaulting is also used to develop basic equitation and in many therapeutic programs. Have you ever considered what vaulting might be able to add to your riding program? Would you need to train a horse for a vaulting club? Do you want to know what the judge is seeing when scoring vaulters? Whether you are...

Lexington, KY – The word “anticipation” doesn’t quite cover it, as the United States Show Jumping Team and its fans expectantly await the eighth and final leg of the 2005 Samsung Super League—the Nations Cup competition at CSIO Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, September 18. “We’ve got a great team and lovely horses,” emphasized USEF Chef d’Equipe George Morris, speaking from Barcelona. As for the riders designated to represent the United States for...