Photo Courtesy AHA/Conley Driediger (Conley Driediger with gelding, Winning Afire+//.) Alexis Starer Doughty of Cape Charles, VA, and Conley Driediger of Yarrow, BC, Canada, were named the Arabian Horse Association (AHA) Adult and Youth Amateurs of 2009, respectively. Doughty earned an impressive 646 points at 22 AHA-recognized shows in 2009, while Driediger earned a whopping 485.5 points from 17 shows. The AHA Amateur Achievement Award program began in 2002 and tracks the points of individual...

Photo by ESI Photography (Laura Pfeiffer on Thorstin on course in the $10,000 U-Dump Junior/Amateur Owner Jumper High Classic) HITS Post Time Farm wrapped up a strong week of AA-rated show jumping this past Sunday, February 14, as the show grounds were buzzing with action for the opening week of the season. The big news for the rated circuit is that HITS Ocala will host a total of 12 qualifiers for the Pfizer $1 Million Grand Prix that will take place on September 12 in Saugerties, NY. The...

Photo by Robbi Meisel (Eirin Bruheim and NLF Trans Atlantic) Thermometers were up and down, weathermen forecasted gloom and doom with the supposed arrival of three inches or more of snow, and like all good businesses the managers of the Gulf Coast Winter Classics decided to aire on the side of caution by cancelling Friday classes. The good news was that aside from some nasty rain, it truly was a “non event” day as Bob Bell co-chairman had hoped. Saturday saw the return of warmer temperatures,...

Langer Equestrian Group kicked off its 2010 show season at the Hansen Dam Equestrian Center, January 30-31. The Verdugo Hills shows are approved by USEF, USHJA, LAHJA A, and San Fernando Hunter/Jumper Association A. Open hunter and jumper classes are held on one day, beginning at noon, and the junior and amateur classes run on the second day, along with a complete set of jumper classes for all levels of riders. “We wanted to draw more people from the various sanctioning organizations,” said...

The United States Dressage Federation (USDF) elected a new president and treasurer for three-year terms. George Williams of Delaware, OH, who was vice president of the federation for nine years and a United States high-performance rider, takes the helm as president from Dr. Samuel Barish. Steve Schubert of Methuen, MA, replaces Barb Tuohino Funk as treasurer. Williams also appointed Melissa Creswick of Clovis, CA, as interim vice president for a one-year term. George Williams is currently a...

Karin Offield and her internationally celebrated dressage competition and breeding stallion, Lingh, announce their intention to stay at Flyinge, the National Stud of Sweden, for a second season of breeding. Offield talks about Lingh and the New News. "I was thrilled when I was asked if Lingh could stay for another season of breeding at Flyinge. Lingh will clearly benefit from their newly expanded, export qualified breeding station. It's a modern accommodation that will enable Flyinge to ship...

Lexington, KY - In July, the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) announced a new contest for 2009 designed to let USEF members vote for their "Favorite USEF Breed Competition." The idea behind the contest was to award and promote the USEF licensed breed competitions for their efforts in running a show so well that exhibitors want to call it their favorite. Also, the contest gave exhibitors the opportunity to provide positive feedback about the competitions to the USEF. The exhibitors and...

Victoria Birdsall, Alex Parrish, Josephina Nor and Taylor Siebel emerged as Conference champions in the regular season of the 2009 Cavalor Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series. The Cavalor Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series conducted its 2009 series with classes at more than 100 horse shows across the nation, giving competitors an abundance of opportunities to accumulate points throughout the year. The Series featured separate divisions for amateur-owner and junior...

For the second time this week the Grand Champion cooler was awarded to Confidential at the Washington International Horse Show. Hasbrouck Donovan and Confidential were the winners of this year's Grand Champion Junior Hunter prize, after winning three first-place ribbons and claiming the Small Junior 15 and Under Hunter Championship. This is Confidential's second Grand Championship win this week, after earning the co-Grand Amateur-Owner Hunter Championship title with Erin Stewart in the irons....

The 2009 Washington International Horse Show continued on Wednesday with the best horses and riders in the country competing in jumper championships. There were three jumper classes in total, and the first class victory went to Spencer Smith and Markies in the $10,000 Children's Jumper Championship. Alissa Kinsey guided Grisset to first place in the $10,000 Adult Jumper Championship. Opening up the Amateur-Owner Jumper competition, Susan Knoblauch and Carneval won the $2,500 Time First Jump-Off...