Following the sold out, three-show Woodside Summer Circuit, John Bragg leads the point standings for the 2005 Woodside Hunter Incentive. At each of the seven USEF “A”- and “AA”-rated hunter/jumper shows at the Horse Park at Woodside, each trainer’s five highest scoring hunters are counted toward his or her Hunter Incentive points. All hunter sections count toward the points: junior, amateur, children’s, adult, ponies and open. This year’s contest ends at the Woodside Fall Finale (September...

Photos.com (The city of Hong Kong, China. ) The Secretary for Home Affairs, Dr. Patrick Ho, welcomed the International Olympic Committee's decision to name Hong Kong as the venue for the equestrian events at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The announcement came on June 8. Dr. Ho also thanked the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG) for its confidence in Hong Kong. "I believe that Hong Kong people are taking a favorable and positive view towards this...

The Reining Horse Sports Foundation (RHSF) recognizes the importance of growing reining worldwide. That growth begins with great leaders. Great leaders begin with our youth, which is why the National Reining Horse Youth Association (NRHyA) delegate elections and Youth Team Tournament Scholarship Reining are being held this year at the NRHA European Affiliate Championship in Deurne, The Netherlands. “Having European representation among the officers of the NRHyA is truly a milestone in the...

Allentown, NJ — Jessica Blackmon of Valley View, Texas, and Marlee O’Neil of Chester, Vermont, were named champions in their respective age divisions at the 2005 USEF Dressage Seat Medal Finals in Allentown, New Jersey, May 27-29. The third-annual Finals took place at the Horse Park of New Jersey, and played host to 23 of the country’s best junior dressage riders, who competed in two age divisions: 13 & under and 14 to 18 years of age. The 17-year-old Blackmon and...

FEI representatives met with leading footing specialists in Windsor, England, on May 16 for a brainstorming session which will likely provide the criteria upon which all future championship arena footing is to be based. The meeting, which drew riding surface experts from around the world, was a proactive response to the report of the FEI Working Group assigned to assess problems associated with footing after the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. The round table discussion covered many areas, including...

The all-time leading sire in national reining horse history, Hollywood Dun It, was humanely put down on March 30. The 22-year-old buckskin stallion had been suffering from severe health problems escalated by his continuing battle with testicular cancer. According to Tim and Colleen McQuay, who owned Hollywood Dun It along with partner Jennifer Easton, the decision to put him down was a difficult one. Tim noted, “He’s been a part of our family, and a part of our lives, for a lot of years. None...

The annual convention of the American Morgan Horse Association (AMHA) was a resounding success. Nearly 350 people went west to enjoy this week-long event held in Phoenix, AZ, February 7-12, 2005. The week was filled with exciting demonstrations and captivating seminars, as well as the AMHA Board of Directors quarterly meeting. The annual stallion service auction brought in more than $50,000, which for the most part goes to support the Association’s ten regional shows. At the Board of Directors...

USEF President and Pegasus Awards Dinner emcee David O'Connor presents the Equestrian of the Year Trophy to the 2004 winner Kim Severson. (Dr. Mike Tomlinson) Friday proved to be a day of widespread celebration at the 2005 USEF Annual Meeting as two special events brought audiences to their feet with thunderous applause and accolades for the national, international and Olympic-level athletes that were saluted for their competitive efforts and hard work in 2004. In addition, those honored during...

The city of Tampa, FL, will once again play host to the final weeks of the Winter Equestrian Festival, beginning March 23, 2005 at the Bob Thomas Equestrian Center at the Florida State Fairgrounds, I. 4 and Orient Road in Tampa. The festival, the nation’s oldest and largest equestrian extravaganza, is celebrating its 33rd season of equestrian excellence. The 2005 Winter Equestrian Festival kicks off in Wellington, FL, on January 26, at the Palm Beach Polo Equestrian Club and will conclude with...

Scott E. Palmer, VMD, of Clarksburg, NJ, was installed as the 51st president of the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) during the group’s annual convention in Denver, CO, December 4-8. Dr. Palmer is the owner of New Jersey Equine Clinic in Clarksburg, where he has practiced for nearly 30 years. He has received international recognition for his studies in minimally invasive surgical techniques and laser surgery, and twice has been named the New Jersey Association of Equine...