Two of the many highlights planned for the American Saddlebred Horse Association Convention, held at the Marriott Griffin Gate Resort and Spa in Lexington, KY, are the Charter Club Workshop, to be held on Thursday, February 12, beginning at 10 a.m., and the Amateur/Owner Training Forum on Friday, February 13, at 9:30 a.m. For all convention information, click here . Charter Clubs are essential to the promotion of the American Saddlebred and form the national backbone of the breed’s outreach....

The 2008 Trail Blazer Festival took place at the Earl Warren Showgrounds in Santa Barbara, CA, November 14-16, 2008. The festival had many speakers, exhibits and other events. One of the events participated in by Rocky Mountain, Paso Fino, American Saddlebred, Icelandic, Kiger Mustang, Mangalarga Marchador, Morgan, Arabian, Mustang, Quarter Horse, Peruvian, and Tennessee Walker horses was the “Battle of the Breeds,” which was a unique trail competition held between a select group of horses that...

The American Morgan Horse Association (AMHA) recently announced the recipient of this year’s Youth Achievement Award during the 2008 AMHA Awards Luncheon at the AMHA Annual Convention in Minneapolis, MN. The award, regarded as one of the most celebrated annual honors available through AMHA, went to Caralee Conklin of Gainesville, FL. Conklin, a lifetime Morgan enthusiast, is the current president of the AMHA Youth Council and has helped to expand and improve existing programs while providing...

The American Saddlebred Horse Association (ASHA) has announced plans for its upcoming live video streaming Internet webcasts for August and September, following its very well-received Lexington Junior League webcast in early July. According to Will Wood, Technology Manager, the ASHA will again offer live Internet coverage of all events at the Kentucky State Fair’s World’s Championship Horse Show from Freedom Hall in Louisville, KY, from Sunday evening, August 17, through World’s Grand...

The American Trakehner Association (ATA) is pleased to announce its 2008 Inspection schedule. Inspections provide the opportunity to present horses for approval into the ATA studbooks, as well as offer participants a tremendous learning experience. All horses that are presented for inspection must be pre-registered with the ATA. The inspection process is clearly defined on the ATA website, but basically it includes the following elements: 1. Stand to be measured (height, girth, and canon bone)...

The National Horse Show Association of America is pleased to announce the dates and locations for this year's ASPCA Maclay Regional competitions. The horse shows' qualifying classes determine which riders will compete in this year's ASPCA Maclay National Championship, which will be held at the Syracuse Invitational Sporthorse Tournament, featuring the 125th National Horse Show. The show will run from October 29-November 2, 2008, at the Oncenter Complex in Syracuse, NY. The ASPCA Maclay...

The United States Dressage Federation (USDF) welcomes all of it’s new and returning all-breeds participating registries/organizations (POs). The newly added POs for the 2008 competition season include: the Palomino Horse Breeders of America, the Fell Pony Society of North America, the United States P.R.E. Association, the Canadian Horse Breeders Association, the Friesian Sporthorse Association, the Friesian Heritage Horse & Sport Horse International, and the Nokota Horse Conservancy. All POs,...

Trakehners International and friends have joined together to host an online auction to raise funds for Darren Chiacchia, the international event rider who was critically injured in a fall on course at Red Hills Horse Trials on March 15, 2008. All bids are paid to the Equestrian Aid Foundation in Darren Chiacchia’s name and are tax-deductible. Online bidding begins on Thursday, April 24, at www.trakehners-international.com . There are multiple ways to support this fundraiser: 1. Bid on the...

EquiFit, Inc., the equine industry’s innovator of protective performance gear, announces a contest to coincide with the release of its new pony products. The best-selling T-Sport Wrap and supportive T-Boot EXP are now available in pony sizes. As part of its new product launch, EquiFit is searching for a junior rider and pony team to be part of its promotion. Submission will be accepted through March 31, 2008. Contestants are urged to get out their cameras and put the pony T-Boot EXP’s and Pony...

Louisville, KY-On Saturday, more than 100 young equestrians and their parents gathered in Louisville’s downtown Hyatt to celebrate their shared love for horses. Organized by the United States Equestrian Federation’s (USEF) Youth Council, this inaugural convention focused on promoting youth involvement from all 18 affiliated breeds and disciplines and ParaEquestrian which operate under the USEF umbrella. Jane Savoie, one of the most recognized names in dressage, kicked-off the activities with a...