The smart money is often in the progeny of Smart Chic Olena, whether it be in the reining, cutting or cow horse pen. The stallion showed his prowess through his offspring when he first became an NRHA Million Dollar Sire in 1999. Now 10 years later, Smart Chic Olena (Smart Little Lena x Gay Sugar Chic, by Gay Bar King) continues to prove his progeny’s power and is National Reining Horse Association’s (NRHA) third Five Million Dollar Sire with $5,006,800 in offspring earnings. The 1985 stallion...

Vermont Governor Jim Douglas has proclaimed September to be "Morgan Horse Month" in Vermont, celebrating the famous breed that is also Vermont's State Animal. "I am glad to proclaim a month in honor of this magnificent animal, especially on the centennial anniversary of the founding of the American Morgan Horse Association (AMHA)," Douglas said. "This is a fitting time to honor the State Animal, only days before the historic re-creation of the 1796 race between the breed's founding stallion and...

The richest weeks of the year began on Sunday, August 23, for American Saddlebreds, with the opening of the World’s Championship Horse Show at the Kentucky State Fair in Louisville, followed by the All American Classic at Indianapolis, IN, beginning Tuesday, September 8. Total premiums and awards at the Kentucky State Fair are estimated to reach approximately $1.2 million over the week of the World’s Championship, culminating Saturday, August 29, with the World’s Grand Championships and the...

Marilyn E. Smith passed away on Friday, August 7. Smith was born May 14, 1939, in Fort Wayne, IN. For the past six years, she was the office manager at Hamilton Family Medical Center in Hamilton, IN Smith was a graduate of Stephens College in Columbia, MO, and Indiana University, and had a Master's Degree in Education. She taught second grade at Slocum Elementary School. Smith had been President of the Junior Division of the Fort Wayne Women's Club, and was the current president of the Phi Mu...

Marydell Farm is pleased to announce that its stallion Don Principe will now be trained and ridden by Olympian Courtney King-Dye. The 10-year-old Hanoverian by Donnerhall out of a Prince Thatch xx dam, SPS Papagena, has been trained and ridden by Jim Koford of Raleigh, NC, since his arrival in the USA at age six. Throughout their partnership, Don Principe and Koford gathered many honors along the way, including several championships, both regional and BLM, including a triple at the 2008 BLM...

The Arabian horse industry’s largest event for youth, the Youth National Arabian and Half-Arabian Championship Horse Show, moves into Expo New Mexico in Albuquerque, July 25-August 1, 2009. The eight-day event combines top-level equine competition in a variety of disciplines with daily youth activities and a shopping expo, bringing approximately $10.2 million to the city. Nearly 1,000 horses from across the U.S. and Canada will compete each day from 7:30 a.m. to about 10 p.m. in everything from...

The Public Auction Task Force of the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) has developed recommendations regarding the use of radiographic reports as part of the pre-purchase exams that are conducted on horses for sale at public auctions. The goal of the task force is to promote ethical practices during the sales process, particularly at Thoroughbred auctions. “We view our recommendations as a ‘best practices’ approach that is applicable to veterinarians as well as buyers and...

Nearly 500 American Saddlebred Horse Association (ASHA) members, youth, and guests poured into the ballroom at the Marriott Griffin Gate Resort in Lexington, KY, on Saturday night (February 14) to enjoy the Fifth Annual Saddlebred Ball, topped by a series of emotional acceptances delivered by individual award winners. Standing ovations greeted several, including Earl Teater, Jr., and Ed Teater (representing Earl Teater and Sons, who were inducted into the Breeders Hall of Fame in a surprise...

The United States Dressage Federation (USDF) and Great American Insurance Group are pleased to announce that prize money at the Great American/USDF Regional Dressage Championships has been increased to include the adult amateur and junior/young rider divisions at both the intermediate II and grand prix levels. In total, over $143,000 in prize money will be award in the 2009 Great American/USDF Regional Championships, divided evenly among the nine regions and 35 divisions that are offered....

Lexington, KY— The UPHA has initiated a new program designed to reward saddle seat equitation riders for their community service involvement and fundraising efforts for approved charitable organizations. Jim Taylor describes Ribbons of Service as “a shared-commitment program that encourages riders to show an American Saddlebred, Arabian (including Half-Arabians), Morgan or National Show Horse in saddle seat equitation competitions, and encourages donors to pledge funds for charity for each...