Courtesy of Karina Benish (Karina and Hawkeye) He was the ugliest male I had ever seen in my life. He had a bloody wound on his nose, hair six inches long on his chest, and he weighed about 700-800 pounds—400 shy of his best weight. His name was Hawkeye, and he was my partner for more than 14 years. Hawkeye was a mustang horse, and it was he who taught me what it is to trust. Horses, in my opinion, given good care and a little attention, are high up in Maslow’s hierarchy. Since...

In 2004, the Arabian Horse Association (AHA) paid out almost $3 million of a $4.6 million available pot in International Arabian Breeders Sweepstakes (Sweepstakes) prize money to eligible horses and scholarship recipients. Most prize money was won at the 18 regional shows where more than $3 million is available in addition to $261,000 in gelding incentive, an extra 25% paid to Arabian geldings competing in performance classes. At Canadian and U.S. Nationals, competitors vie for more than $1...

The Equestrian World Tsunami Fund will primarily focus on building schools, orphanages and medical facilities in Aceh (Indonesia). Aceh was selected because it is the worst hit area and more hundreds of thousands have lost everything and tens of thousands of children are now orphans. The Fund will be used for a long-term action besides building and equipping these facilities; in addition, their maintenance and upkeep will be ensured. The Executive Council for the KLGP Equestrian World Tsunami...

Rule Changes Address Safety Concerns at Recognized Competitions Lexington, KY – Consistent with one of the primary missions of the United States Equestrian Federation, which is to ensure the safety and welfare of both horses and riders, two important rule changes were approved at the annual meeting of the Board of Directors held in Louisville, Kentucky on January 16th . These changes should significantly contribute to safety at recognized USEF competitions. They involve the operation of...

We’ve all heard the old adage, "if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is." It's one of those time-tested pearls of wisdom that never fails, right? Well think again, because people like Sally Yacka, Business Manager of Derby Down, Inc., will tell you there are exceptions. Big exceptions. When Sally first saw the flyer from the United States Equestrian Federation’s (USEF) purchasing program, detailing how she could get big discounts on products the farm already used, she thought she might...

Prepare to be dazzled when the World Cup Finals of Dressage and Jumping light up Las Vegas like never before, April 20-24, 2005. Tickets are still available for two of the world’s most prestigious and glamorous equestrian events, but they are selling fast. For the first time ever, the two World Cup Finals will be held concurrently in one location, the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, NV. Plenty of good seats remain for the Las Vegas World Cup Finals, but Las Vegas Events President Pat...

For Immediate Release Lexington, KY - Hummingbird Nest Farm in Simi Valley, California will be the site of the 2004 FEI Children's Jumping Final, November 22-28, which hosts competitors from around the world who have qualified in their native country. Due to the expense of shipping horses, the riders will not bring their own mounts. Since the U.S. is the host nation for this international competition, which is contested on borrowed horses, we must provide enough horses for the 32 riders. The...

Three rising dressage stars are representing the U.S. this week in Ermelo, Netherlands, at the 2023 FEI WBFSH Dressage World Breeding Championship for Young Horses (WBC). Get to know more about these up-and-coming equine athletes with insights from their owners and trainers. Vianne and Hope Beerling. ©SusanJStickle.com Vianne (Kastel’s Vitalis x Raureif) 2016 Hanoverian mare Owner: NorCodia USA Rider: Hope Beerling (Califon, N.J.) Vianne is the product of Catherine Haddad...

Hickstead, Great Britain – The NetJets U.S. Jumping Team finished in fifth place overall at the 2023 Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup of Great Britain CSIO5* at the Royal International Horse Show, completing on a final team score of 31. Great Britain took the top podium position on a score of four over two rounds, while Ireland finished in second on 12 faults, and France in third on 16 total faults. “We always strive to hit the podium but sometimes it does not happen and today was...

Drammen, Norway – The U.S. Jumping Team ended their time at CSIO3* European competitions under the guidance of Chef d’Equipe Anne Kursinski at CSIO3* Drammen. The highlight of the week came with Alise Oken and Gelvera’s win in Sunday’s CSIO3* Grand Prix with Alessandra Volpi and Haya Loma N finishing third. After winning last week’s European Equestrian Federation Nations Cup at CSIO3* Uggerhalne , the U.S. Jumping Team of Oken, Volpi, Jacob Pope, and Nikko Ritter...