This morning we are pleased to see more incremental progress with Laine’s lung injury. While she remains on the ventilator, she is beginning to take some breaths on her own. Her vital signs are also improving. Her fever, while still high, is down to a less critical level. Her blood pressure, which has been running low, is beginning to rise up to a more acceptable level and her blood oxygenation saturation is very good (meaning that her lungs are performing their primary function of distribution...

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...

The United States Equestrian Team (USEF) Foundation is proud to announce that Hillary Dobbs of Sussex, NJ, is this year's winner of the Maxine Beard Show Jumping Developing Rider Award. The USET Foundation awarded the rising young equestrian this honor because of her competitive record to date and because of her promise for the future. The recipients of this award are chosen based on their potential to represent the United States in international competition. A Show Jumping Developing Rider is...

Callan Solem and her mount Mianta were up to the challenge in Sunday's $50,000 Duggan Equipment Grand Prix as they secured the blue ribbon and $15,000 in prize money for Quiet Winter Farm at HITS Ocala. Solem and her mount Mianta had the fastest double-clear round on course designer Leopoldo Palacios' track. The pair got the best of 42 starters in the first round and seven combinations in the jump-off. Mianta is 14 and also won the $25,000 HITS Grand Prix on February 3. Solem's win also snaps...

Jane Beshear was announced as the latest addition to the 2010 World Equestrian Games Foundation Board of Directors. She was elected unanimously by the board. “I am pleased to be able to offer my equine experience to the World Equestrian Games Foundation Board as we move toward 2010,” said Beshear. “This event is an excellent opportunity for the state of Kentucky, and I am honored to lend my experience to help make it a success.” Beshear, an avid horsewoman for nearly 30 years, offers vast...

In addition to a new premiere location in Hampton Falls, NH, the Fidelity Investments Jumper Classic welcomes a new course designer, Linda Allen of Salinas, CA. Allen will design the grand prix ring, which will feature the $75,000 Fidelity Investments AGA Grand Prix, the $10,000 Welcome Stake, the $10,000 Speed Stake and $15,000 Mohegan Sun Derby, just to name a few of the classes. There will be a total of over 20 classes held in the grand prix ring. Allen has more than 30 years of experience...

Langer Equestrian Group, Inc., kicked off the 2008 show season with record entries and sunny skies at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center (LAEC) Season Opener, January 18-20, 2008, at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center. Junior rider Laura Ware started off 2008 on a winning streak. She piloted Parker to the large junior championship, and then showed the gelding’s versatility by garnering wins in equitation as well. The pair captured both the USEF Medal and the ASPCA Maclay, as well as a...

WELLINGTON, FL—The CN Winter Equestrian Festival opened a 12-week run Wednesday to accolades from riders over the rebuilt Palm Beach International Equestrian Center that was a celebration of color with thousands of flowers decorating the show grounds. Labels of "world class," "unbelievable" and "amazing" were applied by exhibitors to the show grounds that were taken over by Equestrian Sport Productions, LLC (ESP) just one month and one day before the start of WEF. Opening day saw 929 horses...

For trainer Karen Healey of Thousand Oaks, CA, 2007 was a very good year. Her students won an amazing amount of classes throughout the year, and she was honored at the California Professional Horsemen's Association (CPHA) awards dinner with the CPHA Special Achievement Award and she also received four leading trainer awards. Healey's students won four CPHA equitation finals in 2007. Shelby Wakeman of Westlake Village, CA, won the CPHA Junior Medal Finals, while Yvette Lang-Einczig of Malibu,...

Diane Carney of Telluride Farm led several of her students to top placings this weekend at the Ledge Winter Classic, held January 3-6 at the Ledges Sporting Horses indoor facility in Roscoe, IL. Catie Hope, 16, took home the championship in the Large Junior Hunter division aboard her new mount, Caped Crusader. The pair took a first and a sixth place over fences and won the under saddle for the tricolor. They also placed third in the $1,000 Junior Hunter Classic. Hope's consistency followed her...