There was only one clean round, and it was ridden by Richard Spooner on Quirino in the $50,000 HBO World Cup Grand Prix of Del Mar presented by Mary’s Tack and Feed, a World Cup qualifying event. Spooner rode three horses in the grand prix, but it was his outstanding clear round on Quirino, owned by Oscany, Inc., of Los Angeles, which won, and also gave Spooner valuable points towards a spot representing the United States in the World Cup Finals to be held in Malaysia in 2006. Mariano Alario on...

Directors of the American Saddlebred Horse Association (ASHA) and the American Saddlebred Registry, along with invited guests, are scheduled to gather, beginning Sunday evening, October 9, in French Lick, IN, to begin a three-day conference and retreat to address strategic planning for the breed and its governing organizations. The formal October meetings of both boards will conclude the session on Wednesday morning. Alan F. Balch, Executive Secretary/Registrar of the organizations, said key...

Craig Schmersal and Tim McQuay after their Gold- and Silver-medal wins at the $100,000 FEI World Reining Masters Finals. (Andrea Bonaga) Manerbio, Italy – September 25 – The much awaited second $100,000 FEI World Reining Masters Finals, presented by the Arcese Group and the Italian Equestrian Sports Federation, saw a full house and was truly a tribute to the sport of reining. Craig Schmersal, riding Tidal Wave Jack, received a standing ovation from the enthusiastic crowd, who had a...

Lexington, KY – In preparing for a solid U.S. Vaulting Team for the 2006 World Equestrian Games, the USEF Vaulting High Performance Committee has announced three new hires, all vaulting professionals who will work tirelessly to prepare our athletes for the rigorous competition that awaits them in Aachen, Germany in 2006. This will be the first time that our U.S. High Performance Vaulters have had the advantage of such rigorous team leadership and instruction. Adrienne Stang has been named...

After 30 of 33 events on the 2005 tour, it all comes down to one class in this year’s race for the titles of American Grand Prix Association (AGA) Rider, Horse and Rookie of the Year. Entering its 27th year, the AGA Grand Prix Series of Show Jumping is the world’s richest and longest running series of equestrian show jumping events. The AGA offers over $3 million in prize money on a tour that encompasses 30 events and 20 different equestrian market locations across the United States....

The first four days of competition at the 33rd Paso Fino Horse Association Grand National Championship Show are now in the history books. The very first class of the show, Pleasure Schooling Four-Year-Old Fillies had a total of 48 entries and Dictadora de Flat Rock, ridden by Shaw Laney and owned by Paul and Ali Casey, topped the class. Fifteen national champions were crowned on the first day and 17 the second. Competition on Monday included the very first Pleasure Amateur Owner Geldings For...

The weekend of October 21-23, 2005, a week before the Washington International Horse Show (WIHS) festivities take place in downtown Washington, D.C., local riders will compete at Prince George’s Equestrian Center in Upper Marlboro, MD. This horse show allows riders to qualify for the Local Finals at the MCI Center that will take place on Sunday, October 30. Along with the qualifying classes, this competition features the USEF Zone 3 Finals and offers Regular “C” rated points for the Maryland...

Courtesy Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine (Dr. Shannon Gonsoulin (LSU Grad) and a helper rescuing a Miniature Horse and loading it into a trailer.) Word from the Louisiana State University Veterinary School about the overall situation at the LaMar Dixon Expo Center which has been the large animal evacuation center, is positive. Dr. Rustin Moore, Director of Equine Health Studies at LSU, reports that they now have approximately 275 horses at the center and because...

Lexington, KY – Riding Topsail Ma Cee Blair, 13-year-old Jordan Brown of Selma, North Carolina, took home the Championship title and Gold medal in the 13 and under division at the inaugural 2005 USEF Youth Reining Championship, presented by Markel and Hagyard-Davidson-McGee on Sunday, August 28, at the Kentucky Horse Park, with a winning score of 210. “It was exciting!” said Brown. “It’s a big honor to win. It’s something I’ll remember all my life....

San Juan Capistrano, CA – In an amazing dual victory of sorts, Stephanie Danhakl of Pacific Palisades, California, and her horse In Sync, claimed their second National Championship victories respectively, at the fifth annual Show Circuit Magazine/USEF National Junior Hunter Championships, West Coast, in San Juan Capistrano, California, August 16-17. Stephanie won the 2004 Championships on the West Coast, riding Callaway, while her winning Thoroughbred gelding In Sync, trained by Archie...