On behalf of all those who contribute to the equestrian family, the International Equestrian Federation (FEI), governing body of international equestrian sport, announced on November 20 the creation of a commission on medication and doping chaired by Dr. Arne Ljungqvist, Chairman of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Medical Commission and Vice President of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). The Commission will offer a robust examination of the way the equine anti-doping policies can...

A new round of multimillion dollar improvements to the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center are under way to prepare for the winter circuits. The latest phase of improvements focus on substantial upgrades to footing in competition arenas and enhanced exhibitor and spectator experiences for the 2009 Winter Equestrian Festival and the holiday circuit in December. Equestrian Sport Productions, LLC, (ESP) that manages the horse shows at PBIEC for the facility owners, Wellington Equestrian...

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...

Spectators holding Olympic Games tickets for the cross-country test of eventing competition on August 11, 2008 (Session EQ-04), can take part in a public course inspection on August 8, 2008, at the Beas River venue. You must register online to participate in this course inspection. Due to preparation work on the course, visitor numbers will be limited to 2,000 on a first-come-first-serve basis. There will be no horse activity during the public course inspection. The online registration system...

The facilities for providing first-rate care of horses brought to Hong Kong for the Olympic Games in August have been given the thumbs-up by members of the Animal Welfare Advisory Group (AWAG) who visited the two equestrian venues. “I think the welfare of the horses is being very well taken care of,” said Chan Pui-tin, after he and five colleagues inspected the venues on June 24.. “We have asked a lot of questions on a range of topics, big and small, such as whether the horses will suffer from...

Visitors to this year’s American Paint Horse Association (APHA) World Championship Show will get a special chance to see National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) and American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) Freestyle Reining Champion and winner of the prestigious Road to the Horse Competition, Stacy Westfall. She will share her secrets to “thinking like a horse” during a free horsemanship seminar on Saturday, June 28, presented by SmartPak. Recently featured on the Ellen DeGeneres show,...

Lexington, KY - On January 13, the final day of the USEF Annual Meeting, the Board of Directors considered rule change proposals for all breeds and disciplines. Included in this review was the much-discussed “performance standards” proposal from the Dressage Committee, which would establish a qualification process for competing at certain levels at USEF-Licensed Dressage Competitions. After extensive discussion, the Board voted to officially table the proposal until the next USEF Annual Meeting...

During the FEI Bureau Meeting in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, November 15-16, 2007, the following items were brought to the attention of the Bureau for information and approval following the two meetings of the FEI Dressage Committee held in Turin, Italy, May 14-15 and September 3, 2007. 1) Safety at Prize-Giving Ceremonies: Due to the increased safety risk for riders and horses, the International Dressage Riders Club (IDRC) proposed that new recommendations should be made for prize-giving...

The New England Dressage Association played host to Ingrid Klimke, one of Germany’s leading event and dressage riders, during NEDA’s annual Fall Weekend. As she has at previous symposiums, Klimke joined forces with Dr. Ina Goesmeier, one of the world’s leading veterinary practitioners in holistic medicine. Like her father, the late Reiner Klimke, Ingrid Klimke has achieved international success in both eventing and dressage. She shares with her father a strong belief in the importance of...

The FEI is proud to announce that as of July 2007, Rolex will become the title sponsor of the FEI World Jumping Rankings, which will henceforth be known as the Rolex Rankings. This is the fourth FEI activity to which Rolex has lent its generous support after the television magazine FEI Equestrian World , the 2007 FEI World Cup™ Jumping and Dressage Finals in Las Vegas and the FEI World Cup™ Jumping, Western European League and the Final, beginning in October 2007. The FEI would like...