The American Miniature Horse Registry (AMHR) National Championship Show announced the two winning young authors of the Youth Essay Contest in Tulsa, OK, this month. The 2008 winners were Katherine Richey and Allison Payne, each of who was awarded a Miniature horse for their efforts. The Youth Essay Contest was open to all current junior members of the AMHR. In the 13 to 17 age group, Katherine Richey from Meridian, MS, wrote a charming piece on why she would be the best person to win the...

Laura Chapot took advantage of the enviable last-to-go spot in the jump-off of Thursday's final $25,000 Ariat Grand Prix of the season at HITS Saugerties on September 4, as she captured the blue aboard Church Road to rev up an exciting weekend of show jumping. Chapot and Church Road got the best of 16 pairs to challenge course designer Jerry Dougherty's first-round track and the five combinations that advanced to the jump-off to win $7,500 in prize money for horse owners Sarah Becker and B&B...

Phillip Dutton and Connaught in Hong Kong (Ken Braddick) Hong Kong, China – The second day of dressage got underway bright and early at Sha Tin and the overnight leaders, the Australians, never looked in danger of having their lead threatened. The same three scores the team used yesterday (out of the five riders) held their lead on a total mark of 102.80. The U.S. continued to well orchestrated plans, and their two most experienced riders put in very solid performances to leave the U.S....

The feature classes of the week at the Kentucky Summer Horse Show were the $25,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic, the ASG Software Solutions United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) International Hunter Derby, and the $40,000 Kentucky Summer Grand Prix. Top honors in both grand prix events went to Debbie Stephens. Aaron Vale won the International Hunter Derby by just one point. The Kentucky Summer Horse Show started with an exciting opening day at the Kentucky Horse Park. The Walnut Arena...

Jimmy Torano could not have been happier with his winning performance in the $10,000 Escada/Theory Open Welcome Stake, Presented by Manchester Designer Outlets, on Friday, August 1, at the Vermont Summer Festival in East Dorset, VT. Magic Cruise, an eight-year-old Belgian-bred mare owned by SCNC Investments, Inc., has been knocking on the door of the “big” classes for some time now. According to Torano, Friday’s win marked a highlight for this special mare. “She is a very straightforward horse....

With only two more FEI World Cup™ qualifiers to run in the 2008 season, Australia’s Kevin McNab has sensationally swept into a huge lead in the FEI World Cup™ rankings, after scoring a one-two at his local qualifier at Warwick, Australia. A popular member of the local Queensland Eventing Committee, McNab, 30, now has 220 points, 60 clear of his nearest rival, Clark Montgomery (USA) with 160. McNab won at Warwick on Hufflepuff, his Melbourne runner-up, and finished second on Game Play. He is now...

Dressage judge Betsy Berrey was the featured speaker at this month's Shop Talk. Michelle Hundt and Betsy Rebar-Sell, co-owners of Sho Clothes, hosted the third in a series of monthly discussions at the Sho Room in Wellington, FL. The Gold Coast Dressage Association (GCDA) co-sponsors the event with Sho Clothes to provide local equestrians the opportunity to learn from top professionals in the area. Betsy Berrey is a well-respected "S" judge who often officiates at dressage shows on the winter...

Oklahoma, OK – Billed as “The New Breed Of Luxury” and designated as the official horse transport vehicle of the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF), the new Equine Motorcoach™ is in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The all-in-one RV and horse transport is on display at the 2008 National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) Derby at the Oklahoma State Fair Park. The NRHA Derby is the host competition USEF Reining Championships, which include the Open, USEF National CRI* Reining Championship, and the...

Lexington, KY - The USEF/USEA Safety Summit took place on June 7-8, 2008, in downtown Lexington, KY. More than 250 people from all corners of the country and all levels of the sport of eventing showed up to listen, voice their concerns and work with fellow members of the eventing community to find solutions to the safety issues facing the sport. Attendees included spectators, coaches, riders from every level, officials, trainers, veterinarians, horse welfare advocates, media, medical...

Much success in the show pen sent Brent Wright over the top in National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) lifetime earnings to earn a distinction many reiners only dream about. Wright has become the NRHA’s newest Million Dollar Rider. Wright’s triumph came at the 2008 National Reining Breeders Classic (NRBC) in Katy, TX. He won the first go-round and tied for ninth in the Open Finals on Miss Rey O Shine, owned by Bahn Quarter Horses, LLC. He won over $43,000 at this year’s NRBC. According to...