The dates on which McLain Ward and Beezie Madden will be presenting at the 2009 USEF Horsemastership Training Session presented by Bates Saddles, January 5–9 at the South Grounds of the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center Grand Prix Ring in Wellington, FL, have changed. Ward and Madden will swap dates, with Madden now scheduled to present on Thursday, January 8, and Ward now scheduled for Friday, January 9. Also, rider Shelby Wakeman has withdrawn from participation in the clinic and is...

Lexington, KY – Mindy Darst was named Volunteer of the Year by the United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) at the USHJA Evening of Equestrians on December 10, 2008. Evening of Equestrians is the USHJA’s awards ceremony held in conjunction with the Annual Meeting which took place at the Hilton Downtown in Nashville, TN, December 8-11. The Volunteer of the Year Award is given to an individual who donates their time to develop and implement programs in the organization. Darst was selected...

The stallion Hickstead, winner of Individual Gold and Team Silver medals at the 2008 Olympic Games under Canada’s Eric Lamaze, is now offered for breeding for the first time in North America. Hickstead is a 1996 brown Dutch Warmblood stallion standing 16 hands-high. Sired by Hamlet, his dam is Jomara by the well-known and recently deceased stallion, Ekstein. Hickstead’s bloodlines also feature such prominent show jumping names as Nimmerdor, Notaris, Ulft, Le Mexico and Joost. Based on his...

The United States Dressage Federation’s (USDF) Youth Executive Board is pleased to announce the winners of the USDF Youth Convention Scholarship Program for the 2008 Adequan/USDF National Convention and Symposium. This year’s winners are Arielle Perry, Jannike Gray, and Jessica Rose Deimler. The Youth Executive Board annually awards scholarships of up to $1,000 each to help defray the expenses associated with attending the annual convention. Applicants are judged on such qualities as...

The Extreme Mustang Makeover will offer two of what has become the definitive test of horsemanship when it debuts the Gatorland Extreme Mustang Makeover during Lynn Palm’s Women Luv Horses event, April 3-5, 2009, and returns to the Midwest Horse Fair for the second consecutive year, April 17-19. Applications must be received no later than December 1 for both events. “The Midwest Horse Fair and the people of Wisconsin welcomed our Mustangs with wide open arms and we’re thrilled to be going...

The United States Hunter Jumper Association’s (USHJA) “Building For Growth” Capital Campaign officially launched on Thursday, September 25, at the Kentucky Horse Park. The launch event, held at the historic “Farmhouse” within the horse park, hosted over 300 guests and included Kentucky First Lady Jane Beshear, United States Equestrian Federation CEO John Long, and Director of the Kentucky Horse Park John Nicholson. Plans were unveiled to highlight the new building and provide for its...

In a tune up for Sunday's $100,000 United States Grand Prix League (USGPL) Invitational Grand Prix, Laura Bowery and her mount Indy Star II posted the fastest double-clear round to capture the $25,000 Devoucoux Wild Card Grand Prix at HITS Culpeper. Bowery outlasted a starting field of 26 riders to challenge course designer Olaf Petersen's first-round route and an additional six pairs that advanced to the jump-off to collect $7,500. However, coming into the $25,000 Devoucoux Wild Card Grand...

A packed schedule of world-class show jumping competition, educational opportunities, vendors, exhibitors and children's activities comes to Syracuse's Oncenter Complex, October 29-November 1. The Sporthorse Tournament will feature the top-ranked U.S. riders, included appearances by all members of the 2008 Gold-medal Olympic show jumping team. An international field of competitors will all vie for the Budweiser World Cup Qualifier of Syracuse and the Animal Planet Sporthorse Cup (featured...

The list of headliners for this year’s Western States Horse Expo, June 6-8, in Sacramento, CA, is bound to please all attendees. Clinicians include Chris Cox, John Lyons, Jane Savoie, Jonathan Field, Bob Avila, Al Dunning, Richard Shrake, Dana Boyd-Miller, Sandy Collier, Angelia Almos, Bonnie Davis, David Lichman, Scot Hansen, Muffy Seaton, Rallie McAllister, Donna Snyder-Smith, and Charles Wilhelm. This stellar line-up represents experts in multiple disciplines: starting the young horse,...

The USET Foundation is pleased to announce that it is funding the 2008 United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) Show Jumping Developing/Young Rider Tour, which is part of the long-term high performance strategy to develop the best possible United States equestrian teams for the future. The funds for the 2008 USEF Show Jumping Developing/Young Rider Tour were raised by the USET Foundation, thanks to generous donations from individuals who understand the value and importance of providing the...