Hunters will dominate both rings on Monday, September 27, at the Capital Challenge Horse Show in Upper Marlboro, MD, but it will be the outdoor arena that showcases the industry's future stars. The Future Hunters division has been a great addition to the Capital Challenge since its introduction nine years ago. Future Hunter horses may not be flawless, but that raw talent gives us a hint of what's to come in later professional hunter divisions. The division has provided professionals with an...

Members of the Professional Riders Organization (PRO) took top honors at the Waredaca Horse Trials in Maryland this weekend, with PRO riders winning six divisions. In a crowded field of competitors, PRO founder Phillip Dutton walked away with first-, second- and third-place finishes in Open Intermediate. Dutton is currently ranked second in the nation behind fellow PRO founder Buck Davidson. Boyd Martin, a PRO board member who also competed at Waredaca, is ranked third. Overall, the top five...

Doug Payne, acclaimed rider and board member of the Professional Riders Organization, won top honors at the Millbrook Horse Trials this past weekend in New York. Payne's placings included three wins. "To date, I have not had an event which went so smoothly," Payne said. "And I can't say enough about the horses this weekend." Payne competed with eight horses in six divisions. "I'm excited that several of these horses will be competing for years to come," Payne continued. "Hopefully, their...

Hi Hopes Farm, of Charlotte, NC, took home multiple tricolor ribbons and trophies after a successful two weeks of competition at the 86th Annual Blowing Rock Charity Horse Show. Lucille Oken received the Jennifer Cox Memorial Trophy for high-point rider showing horses and ponies. Alise Oken took home the Large Junior 16-17 Hunter championship award after her excellent performance with her top mount, Take Away. Alise and Lucille Oken both train under the tutelage of top instructors Steve...

The 2009 HSBC FEI World Cup™ Eventing moves to North America for the first time this year, with this weekend’s 7th leg at Kalispell in Montana (July 23-26). The annual event at Rebecca Farm has attracted 19 entries from US and Canadian riders, including dual Olympian Amy Tryon (USA), who this time rides Leyland, 13th at the Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event in April. Canadian Olympian Hawley Bennett brings two horses, her Athens veteran Livingstone and Gin N Juice, and Jil Walton, a member of the...

Ocala, FL (July 13, 2009) – Kentucky Equine Research (KER) has joined forces with combined driver Chester Weber, becoming the latest Team Weber sponsor to join the championship team as they head toward the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. Weber, a force to be reckoned with in the field of four-in-hand combined driving, became the first American to win an Individual medal at the World Championships and his high-profile team includes the now-famous Jamaica, the 2008 USEF Horse of the Year....

The Kentucky Summer Horse Shows are just around the corner. Held at the beautiful Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, the Kentucky Summer Horse Show is scheduled for the week of July 22-26, with the Kentucky Summer Classic following the week of July 29-August 2, 2009. These two weeks of hunter/jumper competition are a main stop for exhibitors on the hunter/jumper circuit, attracting the very best horses and riders in the nation. The Kentucky Summer Classic is a World Championship Hunter Rider...

The Professional Riders Organization (PRO) hosted a press conference at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event. The press conference came on the heels of the first day of competition and in the midst of an exciting membership drive at the competition. “We are excited by the reception the Professional Riders Organization has received in Kentucky,” said Craig R. Thompson, a distinguished event rider and PRO founder. “Though PRO is a relatively new organization, the encouragement and excitement riders...

The Arabian Horse Association (AHA) recently bestowed two distinct horses, Tsarina Bint RII and WH Bodacious, with the honor of being named Arabian ambassadors. The Ambassador Award, presented annually, recognizes Arabians, Half-Arabians and Anglo-Arabians for outstanding achievement in representing the Arabian Horse community to the general public. Tsarina Bint RII (PRI Ibn Masriyyah x Normandie), owned by McKenzie Rae Jenkins of Gallatin, TN, is a 13-year-old Half-Arabian bay mare. Jenkins...

The American Association of Equine Practitioners’ (AAEP) 54th Annual Convention united equine practitioners across the globe in San Diego, CA, December 6-10. As the world’s largest meeting for equine veterinarians, the convention provided quality education to 3,201 veterinarians, students and veterinary technicians. Total convention attendance was 6,579. David Foley, AAEP Executive Director, considered the third largest AAEP convention turnout a success in the midst of a staggering economy. “In...