After years of hard work and dedication from committee members and professional staff, the United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) is proud to announce that the USHJA Trainers Certification Program will begin in June 2009. The members of the Trainers Certification Program Committee (TCPC) strongly believe that today’s students are the future of the equine industry. The mission of the USHJA Trainer Certification Program is to preserve the American hunter/jumper system of riding through...

In a tune up for Sunday's $100,000 United States Grand Prix League (USGPL) Invitational Grand Prix, Laura Bowery and her mount Indy Star II posted the fastest double-clear round to capture the $25,000 Devoucoux Wild Card Grand Prix at HITS Culpeper. Bowery outlasted a starting field of 26 riders to challenge course designer Olaf Petersen's first-round route and an additional six pairs that advanced to the jump-off to collect $7,500. However, coming into the $25,000 Devoucoux Wild Card Grand...

The feature classes of the week at the Kentucky Summer Horse Show were the $25,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic, the ASG Software Solutions United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) International Hunter Derby, and the $40,000 Kentucky Summer Grand Prix. Top honors in both grand prix events went to Debbie Stephens. Aaron Vale won the International Hunter Derby by just one point. The Kentucky Summer Horse Show started with an exciting opening day at the Kentucky Horse Park. The Walnut Arena...

When show jumping returns to HITS Culpeper for two consecutive weeks in late August, all eyes will be on the third annual United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) Tad Coffin Zone III Junior Equitation Finals that will take place on August 23 during the Winston National. Following a ringside dinner reception hosted by Bridgewater College, around 35 talented exhibitors will take aim at the course set in the majestic grand prix ring at HITS Commonwealth Park in Culpeper, VA. “HITS has taken...

Texas' Tracy Fenney continued her unprecedented run at HITS shows in 2008 with an impressive win in the $40,000 Strongid® C 2X™ Grand Prix to conclude a record-breaking week of show jumping during the Showday National at Commonwealth Park in Culpeper, VA. Fenney and her mount S&L Willie outlasted a field of 20 riders in the first round and seven pairs in the jump-off to capture the blue ribbon and $12,000 in first-place prize money for MTM Farm. Fenney, who competed at the HITS Ocala Winter...

The World Games 2010 Foundation announced it is launching a volunteer recruitment website through the online services of The Registration System to manage the thousands of volunteers needed for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG). Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer can log on to www.feigames2010.org and click on “Volunteer Information” in the “Quick Links” box, to register and receive more information about volunteer opportunities and benefits. Volunteers are needed before,...

The Dutch Warmblood Studbook of North America (KWPN-NA) has had a golden year with KWPN registered horses bringing home top honors at the Pan American Games and the North American Junior Young Riders Championships (NAJYRC.) These horses featured diverse KWPN bloodlines, but showcased both the talent and the soundness that Dutch horses are known for. With horses as young as eight years old, like double Pan Am dressage medalist Sagacious HF, and as experienced as 17-year-old Douwe, Individual...

Mansfield, ON, Canada - If Phillip Dutton keeps up this winning business, they'll have to stop him at the Canadian border next year so that someone else can have a shot at winning. For the second year in a row Dutton, from West Grove, PA was the overall winner at the Wits End CIC-W*** in Mansfield, ON September 28-30. Last year he won the event riding Tru Luck and this year he was partnered with Acorn Hill Farm's handsome chestnut gelding Woodburn, who was previously successful with Emily...

A successful week of hunter/jumper competition at the Kentucky Summer Horse Show came to a close on Sunday, August 5. Produced by Kentucky Horse Shows LLC, the summer shows are held at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington. The Kentucky Summer Classic is scheduled for next week from August 8-12. Jumper Highlights On Wednesday, August 1, ten riders exhibited their talents in the 1.45m Open Jumper class in the famously large Sheila C. Johnson Arena. Course designer Ken Krome, of Westminster, MD,...

Germany will be first into the ring once again when the second leg of the 2007 Samsung Super League with FEI series kicks off at the new-look Piazza di Siena in Rome tomorrow afternoon. Being first to go is not usually the preference for any chef d'equipe, but his team recorded a superb victory in the opening leg at La Baule in France two weeks ago when they were also pathfinders around the course, and Germany's Sonke Sonkssen was looking quietly confident this afternoon despite his side...