Press release provided by the American Hackney Horse Society Foundation. Lexington, KY— The American Hackney Horse Society Foundation’s (AHHSF) goal is to preserve the past, promote the future and improve the breed of the American Hackney. To help accomplish this goal, the AHHSF announces the 2008 Adult Amateur Driving Challenge to help promote the showing of five-year-old and older Hackney ponies by adult amateurs at the smaller shows in a designated area. There are 15 competitions designated...

Stadium Jumping, Inc., is pleased to announce that it will present a $20,000 International Hunter Derby on April 6, 2008. This special High-Performance Hunter class will be hosted by Wrenwood Farms in Naples, FL. The International Hunter Derby is a return to the tradition and roots of the show hunters, where horses and riders will tackle a course of banks, stone walls, hedges, coops and more set in an open field. The class will be run under a two-round format, with Round One as a traditional...

Lexington, KY—The American Saddlebred Registry (ASR) Sweepstakes nominations made significant leaps forward at the 2008 closing on February 11. Both the Three-Year-Old and the Four-Year-Old Sweepstakes experienced a hike in numbers. In the Four-Year-Old Sweepstakes, 100 four-year-olds of 2008 remain eligible at the February closing, up 31.58% from last year. Likewise, the three-year-old nominations increased 16.67%, to 182 horses. In the Three-Year-Old Sweepstakes, most notable when compared to...

The American Vaulting Association board, at its recent annual meeting, voted to match the United States Hunter Jumper Association’s $1,500 donation to the USEF Youth Council, announced at the recent USEF Inaugural Youth Convention in Lexington. AVA President Nancy Stevens-Brown and AVA Board Member and USEF Youth Council Member Megan Benjamin led the charge. "Those lucky enough to be involved with horses take pride in the positive influence horses have on children, recognizing that every...

The World Games 2010 Foundation announced that the American Farrier’s Association has been named the Official Certified Farriers of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. As the official certified farriers, the American Farrier’s Association will provide a farriery on the venue grounds of the Kentucky Horse Park from September 11-October 10, 2010. Two farriers will be on site per day for the two weeks prior to the Games, and up to six farriers will be on site daily during the 16 days of...

The successful Heat and Humidity Workshop recently staged in Lausanne put the challenges facing horses and riders at this summer's Olympic Games in Hong Kong into ever-sharper focus and provided a wealth of information for veterinary officials and others involved in the world of equestrian sport. The speakers included officials from the Hong Kong Jockey Club which is providing the venue facilities, as well as veterinary expertise and the use of its top-class laboratory, the Equestrian Company...

John French rode Tache Rouge to victory in front of an energetic crowd on Friday evening in the $10,000 ASG Software Solutions/USHJA International Hunter Derby, presented by Dietrich Insurance featuring Walsh Harness & Saddlery, to kick off an exciting season finale weekend at HITS Thermal. French, from Gilroy, CA, had the ride for owner Alison Baileys and collected $3,000 in first-place prize money. A field of 35 combinations in the first round were trimmed into a final round of 12 exhibitors...

The University of Vermont Morgan Horse Farm in Weybridge, VT, has received a pledge of $1 million from the Amy E. Tarrant Foundation. The gift, the largest ever to the historic facility, will be used to create an Amy E. Tarrant Endowed Fund for the Morgan Horse Farm, with $800,000 to establish the endowment and $200,000 designated for current operating needs. Earnings on the endowment will provide funding for the farm in perpetuity. "We are so very grateful to Amy Tarrant for her gift," said...

Lexington, KY ­- The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) is launching a new International Reining initiative for 2008. The inaugural USEF CRI* National Reining Championship will be held concurrently with the Adequan/USEF National Open Reining Championships presented by Equine Motorcoach during the NRHA Derby in Oklahoma City, OK on June 27, 2008. The USEF CRI* National Reining Championship is open to any rider who is not on the 2008 USEF Reining Long List or is on the restricted portion...

Ocala, FL ­- Sterling Graburn of Bonifay, Florida won the first USEF Selection Trial for the 2008 World Singles Driving Championships held at the Sunshine State CDE (CAI-B Ocala) in Ocala, FL February 28-March 2. The World Championships will be held in Jarantow, Poland August 28-31. Besting a field of 11, Graburn and Dante an 8-year-old Sport Cob owned by Graburn and Wendy Ying, narrowly beat Donna Crookston of Saltsburg, PA. Prior to Sunday's cones competition Graburn's score of 121.28 gave...