2008 was the 25th anniversary for the National Show Horse (NSH) Finals. The show was held September 17-20 in Springfield, IL. The weather could not have been better, and with over $200,000 in prize money available, you can almost always guarantee a good time with a lot of quality horses. This year was no exception. The judges were Cari Bartz, Gayle Lampe and Richard Petty. The National Show Horse Registry (NSHR) was very pleased with the addition of the Hackney Futurity, Hackney Pony and...

After years of hard work and dedication from committee members and professional staff, the United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) is proud to announce that the USHJA Trainers Certification Program will begin in June 2009. The members of the Trainers Certification Program Committee (TCPC) strongly believe that today’s students are the future of the equine industry. The mission of the USHJA Trainer Certification Program is to preserve the American hunter/jumper system of riding through...

Lexington, KY -- The USEF will be hosting a Driving Clinic for Four-in-Hand drivers in order to develop a strong team heading toward the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG). Appropriately, this clinic will be held at the Kentucky Horse Park (site of the Games) and will give six drivers the opportunity to work closely with Peter Tischer during the Lexington CDE. The clinic will run from Sept 30 - Oct 6, 2008, and the competition runs from Oct 2-5. The clinic will feature some of the...

The Capital Challenge Horse Show is proud to open the 2008 show with the prestigious Monarch International Equitation Weekend. The Monarch International Equitation Weekend will take place on Saturday, September 27 and Sunday, September 28, kicking off the nine-day show held September 27-October 5 at the Prince George’s Equestrian Center in Upper Marlboro, MD. The best hunt seat equitation riders in the country will come together to compete in flat and over-fence classes. Saturday’s events will...

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...

Calling it one of the most significant welfare issues affecting any equine breed or discipline, the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) issued recommendations for eliminating the abusive practice within the Tennessee Walking Horse industry known as soring. Soring is the infliction of pain to create an extravagant or exaggerated gait in horses for training or show purposes. Even though soring is prohibited by the federal Horse Protection Act of 1970, some within the industry...

America's most successful grand prix rider Margie Engle has no idea how many career wins that she has and likes it that way. "If I started keeping track, I would stop winning them," said Engle, after she navigated the fastest double-clear round aboard Hidden Creek's Coroya Z in Sunday's $50,000 HITS Grand Prix, presented by Smith Barney, at HITS Saugerties. "I am pretty sure I am over 180 wins now." Engle and Hidden Creek's Coroya Z outlasted 27 pairs on course designer Ken Krome's 13-obstacle...

When the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games take place at the Kentucky Horse Park in 2010, horses and riders will compete on a new state-of-the-art surface, which is being installed by the German company who developed it. The Outdoor Stadium which is currently under construction at the Kentucky Horse Park will be ready to receive its new surface in January or February of 2009. Otto Sport–und Reitplatz GmbH is the developer and supplier of this 86,000-square-foot stadium surface, as well as two...

At the Oaks Blenheim Classic, Karen Healey's riders were major players and very successful. Starting with the jumpers, in the $5,000 1.45m classic, Hannah Selleck of Thousand Oaks, CA, and her horse Bauer rode their way to victory. In addition, her name has been added to the Young Riders team for Zone 10 at the 2008 North American Junior and Young Rider Championships (NAJYRC). Shelby Wakeman of Westlake Village, CA, and Pandoer, were named as the alternates for the junior team. They finished...

LaBaule, France - A Dutch show jumper will be first into the ring as the 2008 Samsung Super League with FEI series gets underway in La Baule, France tomorrow afternoon. At the draw held this morning, the order of go was decided as follows: 1. The Netherlands 2. USA 3. Switzerland 4. Sweden 5. France 6. Germany 7. Belgium 8. Ireland 9. Great Britain. A number of nations have nominated five riders but Switzerland and Germany have sent just four so Steve Guerdat, Christina Liebherr, Jane Richard...