At the Kentucky International Equine Summit Olympic Gold medalist David O’Connor urged the disparate elements of America’s horse industry to work in concert to improvement promotion in the sport. He said that the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG) gives America’s horse community a unique opportunity to reach a large segment of the public. The WEG is to be held in September in Lexington, Ky. He made his remarks on Tuesday at the Kentucky International Equine Summit, sponsored jointly...

The American Horse Council’s (AHC) 2008 National Issues Forum will be held June 15-18, 2008, at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. Monday, June 16 will include various committee meetings and an opening reception, with the National Issues Forum, and an awards luncheon and Congressional reception on Capitol Hill to be held on Tuesday, June 17. This year’s National Issues Forum will focus on how the horse industry and individual members can be involved in the 2008 federal...

Young Horse Finals were featured on the closing day of the 12-week CN Winter Equestrian Festival, presented by Zimmerman Advertising, at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. As she had done throughout the circuit, Laura Chapot of Neshanic Station, NJ, continued to dominate the young jumper division. The $20,000 Seven- and Eight-Year-Old Young Jumper Final was the featured class in the International Arena on Sunday, April 6, attracting a total of 48 entries. From the original starting...

29 April 2008 Dear Members of the Equestrian Community, This past weekend at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day, Laine Ashker suffered a serious fall during the cross-country stage of the competition. She is currently in critical condition at the University of Kentucky hospital in Lexington. Laine’s horse and another involved in a separate accident had to be euthanized. These accidents come just a month after Darren Chiacchia, an Olympic rider, had a serious fall at an event in Tallahassee, Florida....

Lexington, KY - Thursday’s dressage winner Becky Holder got a run for her money early on and an assault continued on her score of 39.3 all day but no one was able to top her effort with Courageous Comet. They Becky Holder and Courageous Comet (Mike McNally) remain the only pair under 40 at the 2008 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event Presented by Farnam. Two points separate the top three horses as they head to the cross country phase on Saturday. The third pair to go, Heidi White and Northern...

Georgina Bloomberg of New York City, set to embark on an extensive summer tour of show jumping, took time out last week to participate in the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Media Summit, held April 13-16 at the Palmer House Hilton in downtown Chicago, IL. The hotel, which opened in 1871, is one of Chicago's landmarks in the heart of the city's downtown. The U.S. Olympic Team Media Summit was a four-day opportunity for print, broadcast, internet and photo journalists to conduct interviews and photo...

Allan Ehrlick from Campbellville, Ontario, Canada, took home top honors for this year’s Amateur High-Point Achievement Award with 451 points. Ehrlick showed four horses in 10 shows—three purebreds and one Half-Arabian. Most of his points were earned on Dal-Apollo, (Sea Ben Ben Bilal x Rudaynah), a 13-year-old purebred gelding who earned Ehrlick two national championships, two reserve national championships and six Top 10s at the 2007 Sport Horse Nationals in Lexington, VA, and Canadian...

At the Queen City Classic, which concluded Sunday at North Carolina’s “Why Not an American Ark” Equestrian Facility outside Charlotte, Hunters Lane, led by trainer Robert Hunt, had a veritable clean sweep. In one of the week’s premiere event, the $5,000 Welcome Open Hunter Challenge, the Hunters Lane team captured the top six spots. Steve Heinecke, pro rider and co-trainer, won the class aboard the Alise Oken-owned Quintin. He also took second with Oken’s Alisette, fourth with the Robert...

Top FEI competitor Susan Dutta retired her famous grand prix partner of many years, Gumshoes DC, a 17-year-old Dutch gelding in a touching ceremony held in the International ring at the Zada Enterprises CDI show in Wellington. Her husband, Tim Dutta, son Timmy, and groom Robbie Sanderson accompanied Gumshoes into the ring where a well-deserved shawl of red flowers draped his shoulders. After a decade of being a consistent finisher in both the large and small tour FEI competition, Dutta...

Lexington, KY – As part of the continuing efforts to expand the base of young people contributing to the leadership and promotion of equestrian sports, the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) announces the third annual Youth Sportsman’s Award. This awards program recognizes youths who are members of both the USEF and their recognized national affiliate. These candidates need to demonstrate an ongoing commitment and dedication to the USEF and their affiliate organization by...