With the 2006 World Equestrian Games just three months away, the top endurance riders in the U.S. are preparing to demonstrate their abilities in the hopes of earning a place on the U.S. Endurance Team. In order to be considered, each rider must compete at one of three FEI***/AERC dual-sanctioned 100-mile rides scheduled for May 20 in Oreana, ID; May 27 in Grand Island, MI; and June 11 in Ashland, MT. Members of the National Selection Committee will be present at each event to evaluate the...

PhelpsPhotos.com (Grande Crimson and C. Michelle Folden) The USEF/Markel Young Horse Dressage Program kicked off 2006 with the first of three official selection trials at the CDI***/Y Cincinnati and Spring Classic I & II, held May 12-14, at Paxton Farm in Batavia, OH. This USEF/Markel Young Horse Dressage Central Selection Trial for the FEI World Breeding Championships showcased the region's most promising dressage prospects in their quest to qualify for Verden, Germany. Claiming the...

As a reminder to all Junior Dressage riders, the 2006 USEF Junior Dressage Team Championship, sponsored by Collecting Gaits Farm, the Dutta Corporation and Performance Sales International, will be held at Pebble Beach Dressage and CDI***, July 6–9. In order to be eligible for this championship program, an Application of Intent must be submitted to the USEF office by Monday, May 15. Applications are available on the Federation website at www.usef....

The Colorado Horse Park Two-Star Three-Day Event has been postponed. The event, usually held over the Memorial Day weekend holiday, typically draws several hundred horses and riders from beginner novice to Olympic medalists. Yet, even with its success, the volunteer Eventing Committee recommended postponement of the event in order to upgrade the footing, update the course and to find funding to make these improvements. Ideally, enough enhancements can be made to hold the Fall Horse Trials,...

Lexington, KY – Bracket-style national championships are well-known in the NCAA basketball world and will soon be second nature in the NCAA equestrian world as well. The Varsity Equestrian Steering Committee recently announced that the 2006 Varsity Equestrian National Championship will take on the bracket-style format, a welcomed change by fans, competitors and coaches. Visit www.varsityequestrian.com to view the 2006 Western and English (Hunter Seat) brackets. In the past, each individual...

Thomas Farm's stallions Pharaoh and Gallarius have returned to the United States after their nearly three-year sojourn standing at Gestut Tannenhof in Germany. Susan Thomas chose to give her stallions the opportunity to stand in Germany and continue their training under Oliver and Katrine Luze. Oliver had worked with the stallions earlier in their lives and thought so highly of them he welcomed the opportunity to add them to the Gestut Tannenhof line-up. Oliver Luze is the trainer of Anja...

Helen Krieble, the Founder of the Colorado Horse Park, received the prestigious Colorado Hunter Jumper Association (CHJA) Lifetime Achievement Award at the annual CHJA Banquet. “I am overwhelmed and honored by the support of the hunter/jumper community,” Krieble stated. “The Colorado Hunter Jumper Association and its members have played a key role in the success of the Colorado Horse Park.” The Colorado Horse Park evolved from High Prairie Farms, which began as a community equestrian center....

The Ohio Limited Breeders Stallion Service Auction will take place Saturday, February 25, at the Springfield-Clark County Ohio Equine Facility, near Springfield, OH. The doors will open at 5:15 p.m. with dinner at 5:30 p.m. The cost of the dinner is $15.00 per person, with tickets available at the door. Reservations would be appreciated by calling Claire Messerly at (740) 654-1101. Following the dinner, American Saddlebred Horse Association President Fred Sarver will address the audience on...

The American Saddlebred Horse Association (AHSA) and American Saddlebred Registry, which conduct their annual meetings in Lexington, KY, this week, announced results for the year ending December 31, 2005. On a consolidated basis, net income for the two combined corporations doubled to $168,145 from year-ago figures, from $83,713. Combined revenues rose $174,464 or 10%, to $1,928,291 from $1,753,827, net of the Registry’s prize programs, which accounted for another $548,535 in gross revenues,...

The American Endurance Ride Conference (AERC), the national governing body for endurance riding in the United States, will hold its annual convention in Texas for the first time in 2006. The two-day program of seminars, informational meetings and a free trade show is set for February 24-25 at the Crowne Plaza Riverwalk in San Antonio. Leading experts in equine health care and endurance-related fields will be featured at several seminar sessions. Other highlights of the AERC's convention will...