The United States Dressage Federation (USDF) is proud to recognize the following individuals for achieving USDF Instructor Certification status at the USDF Instructor Certification Test held at the Riverside Equestrian Center in Petaluma, CA, on September 15-17, 2006. The examiners for this Instructor Certification Test were Cindy Sydnor, Michael Poulin and Debbie Bowman. Training-Second Level Susan Gamier, CA Nellie Martin-Giles, CA Marina Murray, WY Anne Reynolds, CA Stacy Zwergel, CA...

Lexington, KY – The United States Equestrian Federation® (USEF) has finalized the third list of breed events that will receive outreach grants through the new program announced in January. The maximum grant is $1,000, and grants are still available. A total of $125,000 has been budgeted in 2006 for grants to financially challenged breed competitions that meet the grant requirements and are approved by the USEF. To date, 68 applications have been received and 54 have been approved. Grant...

On Monday, June 26, 2006, the Office International des Epizooties (OIE.) Reference Laboratory for Equine Viral Arteritis at the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture’s Maxwell H. Gluck Equine Research Center, confirmed an outbreak of equine arteritis virus (EVA) infection involving fetal losses among mares on a Quarter Horse breeding farm in New Mexico. This was based on the widespread prevalence of high antibody levels to the virus in both mares and stallions, plus virus isolation from...

The United States Dressage Federation (USDF) is pleased to announce the new USDF Breeder of the Year Award program, which will be initiated for the 2006 competition season, which started October 1, 2005. This is a year-end award, based on performance in a given competition year. Breeders of dressage performance horses and breeders of dressage in-hand horses will be able to vie for top honors. Scott Hassler, Chairperson of the USDF Sport Horse Committee, stated, "Over the last few years, a...

Lexington, KY – The 2006 United States Equestrian Federation Annual Meeting, previously scheduled to take place in New Orleans, has been relocated to Cincinnati, OH, at the Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza. The dates for the convention will remain January 11–15. “We were very much looking forward to meeting in New Orleans but USEF was one of hundreds of organizations that had to relocate their convention as a result of the devastating hurricane. The Netherland Plaza is a beautiful Art Deco...

Laura Kraut extended her lead to 13 points over Beezie Madden in the race for American Grand Prix Association (AGA) Rider of the Year following a fifth place finish in the Mary Rena Murphy Grand Prix in Kentucky over the weekend. Meanwhile, victories by Aaron Vale in Kentucky and Rich Fellers in California have juggled the standings and moved both of those riders into contention for the American Grand Prix Association title. Entering its 27th year, the AGA Grand Prix Series of Show Jumping is...

Margie Engle and Ashland Farms' Lord Spezi on course in Friday's $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, at HITS-on-the-Hudson in Saugerties, NY (ESI Photography). Saugerties, NY — With competition taking place in 10 different show rings and more than 1,600 horses on the premises, the opening week of the HITS-on-the-Hudson summer series is going like gangbusters, proving that Saugerties, New York is the place to be this summer. Olympian Margie Engle...

Silvio Mazzoni rides to victory aboard his own Remonta Habano in the $40,000 Purina Mills Grand Prix at HITS Culpeper (ESI Photography). . Culpeper, VA – Silvio Mazzoni of Leesburg, VA, and his own Remonta Habano captured their second Grand Prix victory at HITS this year by winning Sunday’s $40,000 Purina Mills Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, at HITS Culpeper. The duo also won the blue in the $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal...

Dressage Jan Ebeling and Rafalca. Photo by Aly Sanderford/Phelps Media Group. Three American dressage riders traveled to Leipzig, Germany, to compete in the Reem Acra FEI World Cup Dressage Final, April 27-May 1. Jan Ebeling, Catherine Haddad-Staller and Shawna Harding all qualified to compete in the Grand Prix Freestyle after strong performances in the Grand Prix presented by Sparkasse on Thursday afternoon. Ebeling rode Ann Romney's Rafalca to a 10th place finish on a score of 68.191% in...

Manuel Torres and Chambacunero. (ESI Photography©.) Saugerties, NY - The HITS winter show season just passed the mid-way point for all three of its circuits in Ocala, FL, Tucson, AZ, and Thermal, CA. As the leading show management company in the sport, HITS hosts 35 weeks of competition each year, with 58 Grand Prix and some of the biggest prize money purses offered anywhere in the world, including the historic Pfizer $1 Million Grand Prix. At its peak, HITS hosts six Grand Prix events a week...