The Arabian Horse Association (AHA) Sport Horse National Arabian and Half-Arabian Championship Horse Show (Sport Horse Nationals) made its sixth annual appearance from September 23-27, 2008, at the Idaho Horse Park in Nampa, ID. The event featured 339 horses and 78 classes in four divisions: sport horse in-hand and under-saddle, dressage, pleasure carriage driving and hunter/jumper. “This was the best Sport Horse Nationals to date,” said Bill Pennington, Chair of the show’s commission. Sport...

The American Holsteiner Horse Association (AHHA) is celebrating the Holsteiner's success in the Olympics as the fall approvals tour kicks off. The Olympic Games in Hong Kong was a big success for the Holsteiner breed. Nine medals went to the Holsteiner horses: four Gold, one Silver and four Bronze. Germany took the Individual Gold and the Team Gold in Olympic eventing thanks to Hinrich Romeike and his extraordinary Holsteiner gelding, Marius, by Condrieu xx out of a Laurin mare. Out of the 30...

The last stop on the 2008 National Reining Horse Youth Association (NRHyA) Regional Clinic Series, a one-on-one training clinic series for all ages, is scheduled for October 11-12 at the Outwest Stallion Station in Scottsdale, AZ. National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) Professionals Randy Paul and Matt Mills will provide their training tips to participants from the Southwest Region and across the United States. NRHyA Regional Clinics include top reining professionals at each event. The...

A crowd favorite at the 2008 Road to the Horse, Tommy Garland will return in 2009 applying his CPR method in his quest to win this prestigious competition. Garland's method is all about confidence, patience and respect when working with and training horses. Garland is considered one of the best trainers and showmen in the world of Arabians and Half-Arabians and was named the Western Pleasure Trainer of the Year in 2002 by the Arabian Professionals and Amateur Horseman's Association. When he...

There is a happy end in sight for the 11 abandoned horses found in early September near Molalla, OR. At a public auction on September 10, six of the horses were purchased by good families. At the request of the Oregon Department of Agriculture, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) purchased the five horses who did not receive bids from prospective owners. The HSUS will house all five horses at its Duchess Sanctuary, a 1,120-acre horse sanctuary and rescue facility in Douglas County,...

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...

An abundance of high-performance riders will call HITS Culpeper home this week as show jumping for the United States Grand Prix League (USGPL) Finals began on September 24 with the $100,000 USGPL Invitational Grand Prix taking the stage on Sunday. Headlining the feature class is Canadian Olympian Jill Henselwood who comes to the USGPL Finals with the Silver medal she earned as a member of Team Canada during the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Hong Kong. The well-decorated grand prix rider won the...

Lexington, KY - The Wellpride USEA American Eventing Championships were, like much of the country, the victim of some volatile weather over the weekend of September 13-14. Torrential rain caused for the amendment of some of the Championships and prizes were awarded after the dressage and show jumping. Advanced, Intermediate and Preliminary were all scored as combined tests, despite the organizers’ best efforts, in the interest of safety due to quagmire conditions at Lamplight Equestrian...

A trailer full of clothing, blankets and other items to help victims of widespread flooding in Haiti has been sent from Wellington to Miami for shipment to the devastated nation. "We have had a tremendous response so far," said Katherine Bellissimo, who initiated the collection effort. She is a partner in Wellington Equestrian Partners that owns the management company, Equestrian Sport Productions, of the Wellington horse shows. "The tremendous response to the needs of the flood victims has...

A strong international field descends on the stylish French seaside town of Deauville, France, this week to contest the HSBC FEI World Cup™ Eventing Final in what should be the most competitive finale yet. It all starts on September 18 with the first horse inspection. The 2008 FEI World Cup™ eventing standings leader Kevin McNab of Australia, will be making his first competitive visit to Europe, and has earned the right to pole position, while the Australian challenge is completed...