THERMAL, CA —The Maple Leaf was flying high at the HITS Desert Horse Park during Desert Circuit IV when a pair of Olympians from Canada had Grand Prix triumphs during an action-packed week of show jumping at HITS Thermal. On Saturday night, Pearce aboard Forest View Farm's Chianto, beat out the 22 other starters to challenge international course designer Bernardo Cabral's first-round track, as well as the eight riders who advanced to the jump-off in the $50,000 Purina Mills CSI-W Grand Prix,...

Although the weather threatened to put a damper on the weekend, it held off just enough to allow the first Gold Coast show of the season (February 19-21), held at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center, to be the fun event exhibitors knew it would be. There was a great mix of familiar faces and new ones to make the show a big success with a record number of entries. One group of new faces came from Hayden Show Jumping and Riding School of Laguna Hills, riding under the tutelage of Mickey Hayden and...

Photo by Robbi Meisel (Wilhelm Genn and Chantal) Lebanon, OH-based Wilhelm Genn had a stellar second week at the 2010 Gulf Coast Winter Classics with victories in both Thursday’s $5,000 Welcome Open Jumper Stake aboard Happy Z and Sunday’s $25,000 Gulf Coast Grand Prix with Laura Ryan-Barnaclo’s Chantal. Deciding the path this week’s jumpers would take was one of the sport’s most revered course designers, Michel Vaillancourt, who began testing their limits on Thursday with a curvy 15-effort...

Photo by Randi Muster (Pablo Barrios and Simply The Best) Pablo Barrios of Venezuala was able to score two wins on Wednesday, February 17, at the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) in the Young Jumper Championship (YJC) classes in two age divisions. When up on Simply The Best, owned by Joaquina Barrios, he was victorious in the $1,000 YJC Five-Year-Old Time First Round. Asta Torokvei of Toronto, ON, Canada, and Chabadue, owned by Westhaven Farm, led the way in the $1,500 YJC Six-Year-Old Time...

Photo by Diana DeRosa The atmosphere at the fourth annual Bowling for Equestrians was electrifying. From the thunder of the bowling balls as they sped down the alleys to the misty fog that made the psychedelic lighting system sparkle. The game room was showered with kids testing their skills while young and old alike threw bowling balls down the alleys in hopes of a spare or strike. The fundraiser, which is the brainchild of the American Hunter-Jumper Foundation (AHJF), was held at Greenacres...

In these tough economic times, nearly every horse owner is trying to pinch pennies. When watching your wallet, it’s also important to remember that trimming many veterinary expenses may cost you more in the end. “Horses can be very expensive animals to own and maintain,” said April Knudson, DVM, Manager, Merial Veterinary Services. “So it’s no surprise that, even in a relatively strong economy, horse owners look for the most inexpensive ways to care for their animals. However, the urge to trim...

Ravel Settles for Second (SusanJStickle.com) Wellington, FL – Having convincingly won the Grand Prix at the 2010 Exquis World Dressage Masters on Thursday afternoon, the pressure was on Steffen Peters to continue his winning tear with Ravel. But unfortunately for the US fans, it was a repeat of 2009 and he still couldn’t eclipse Anky van Grunsven and her Olympic champion Salinero. The reigning Gold medalist wowed the fans with a classic fault-free performance and a score of 84.4% for the...

Steffen Peters, Jessica Ransehousen, Maxance McManamy (Geoff Oliver Bugbee) Louisville, KY – In January of 2009 Steffen Peters was honored with the USEF’s Equestrian of the Year Award for his uncanny sportsmanship and his achievements on the field of play throughout 2008. In 2010, at the USEF Pegasus Awards dinner he was bestowed the title again – this time for simply blowing the doors off the dressage world in 2009. Made even sweeter by the fact that the beloved horse who made it all possible...

The turn of the fall season marks not just the beginning of winter, but the time of year when the world’s most talented and colorful Appaloosas head to Fort Worth, TX, for the most prestigious event in the Appaloosa industry—the 2009 World Championship Appaloosa Show. Exhibitors, owners, trainers, equine enthusiasts and nearly 900 Appaloosas participated. The Appaloosa Horse Club (ApHC) counted the event a continued success, as the number of open and non-pro entries was identical to last...

October Hill Farm, a prominent breeder of Warmblood Sporthorses in the United States, announces the 2009 Candy Store Sporthorse Auction, a one-of-a-kind auction to be held at October Hill Farm's facilities in Hudson Oaks, TX, just 23 miles west of Fort Worth. The Candy Store Sporthorse Auction is presented by Texas Select Sporthorse Sales, LLC, and will be held Saturday, November 21, 2009, at 2:00 p.m. Featuring pedigreed Holsteiners, Hanoverians, Oldenburgs, Zweibruckers and other registered...