Votes Due by December 30 Attn: All Publications, Stations, Independent News Media Websites Please select three horses from the list below, whom you feel are most deserving of the inaugural 2005 Farnam®/ Platform™ • USEF Horse of the Year title, one of the most prestigious awards the USEF offers. The five finalists for Horse of the Year are: Authentic, owned by Abigail Wexner; Brentina, owned by Peggy Thomas; Cefnoakpark Bouncer, owned by Sybil Humphreys, WR Sonaskada+//, owned by...

The 21st Annual Wisconsin Limited Breeders Stallion Service Auction will take place Saturday, January 14, 2006, at the Radisson Hotel in Pewaukee, WI, a suburb of Milwaukee. A silent auction and complimentary cocktails will begin at 4:30 p.m. with dinner starting at 6 p.m. The stallion service auction will follow at 7 p.m. The Wisconsin Limited Breeders Stake awards 40% of the auction revenue to the winning weanling, with 75% going to the weanling owner and 25% to the stallion owner. The prize...

The 31st Dressage at Devon (CDI***/CDI-Y) saw ribbons awarded in more than 100 classes. The show, which ran September 27-October 2, is widely considered the most complete breed show outside of Europe, as well as one of North America’s highest-ranked dressage shows. Complete coverage and results for the show can be found at www.dressagedaily.com . ~~~

The American Holsteiner Horse Association (AHHA) announces their 2005 Breeding Stock Approvals Tour, October 1-15, 2005. The AHHA has 11 different sites across the United States and Canada that will be hosting sites for the 2005 Approvals Tour. Additionally, there are three small sites scheduled for 2005 outside the October tour. To get applications and instructions, contact the AHHA central office, or visit their website at www.holsteiner.com .~~~

The Gold Coast series of horse shows, held at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center (LAEC), are three day USEF “B” rated hunter/jumper shows that allow people to stay close to home while enjoying a quality show. There are seven shows in the 2005 series, and the series kicked off with Gold Coast 1, February 18-20. Because of the large size of the LAEC, the shows run with multiple rings and offer classes for a wide range of abilities and interests. From the United States Equestrian Team medal class...

The American Horse Council’s 2005 Horse Industry Directory is now available for purchase. This must-have publication includes listings, both national and international, covering every segment of the equine industry. Updated yearly, it is the definitive source that puts the equine industry at your fingertips. The Directory includes listings for breed registries; racing, rodeo, show, sport and trail organizations; equine and welfare organizations; publications; state extension specialists; state...

Debbie McDonald on Brentina during the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens (Bob Langrish) Lexington, KY – The best and brightest dressage stars will battle it out in Burbank, California this weekend, in a show-down that will determine who will ride at the 2005 FEI World Cup Dressage Final Presented by Offield Farms, in Las Vegas, April 20-24. Tickets to the World Cup won’t come easily though, with a red-hot roster waiting to take home the title at the U.S. Grand Prix Freestyle...

The 2004 United States Olympic Eventing Team will practice on Thursday, August 12th and the media is invited to attend from 10:30 am to 12:00 pm. The riders will be available for interviews. The practice schedule has not yet been finalized. All of the Olympic Equestrian events will take place at the Markopoulo Olympic Equestrian Centre, where the practice session will be held. Members of the Eventing Team are as follows: Darren Chiacchia, 39, Springville, NY, riding Windfall II Julie Burns...

The United States Equestrian Federation today announced the members of the show jumping team for CSIO Spruce Meadows, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, September 8th through the12th. Spruce Meadows is widely regarded as one of North America’s premier show jumping events and most beautiful venues. Riders were selected based on their ranking on the July 23rd, 2004 USET Computer List, providing their first ranked horse is available. If that horse is not available, riders could request that the Show...

Sarah Hamilton from strategic communications consulting firm Kivvit gave a presentation on social media to kick off Friday’s Workshop Sessions. She reviewed the basics, different platforms, strengths and weaknesses of social media, and best practices. Hamilton concluded by fielding questions from the audience for a thoroughly informative session. Social media is a communication tool “Social media is just one tool in a larger communications and marketing external relations plan that...