Hilary M. Clayton, BVMS, PhD, MRCVS, will be the speaker at the Dressage at Devon Forum on Wednesday, September 24. With "The Bio-Mechanics of the Horse," participants will enjoy a brief lecture as well as a lively question and answer discussion session. A gourmet boxed dinner and soft drinks will be served. There will also be a cash bar. The lecture, "Fitness Training to Maximize Dressage Performance," will address the fitness requirements of dressage horses at different levels of training,...

The United States Dressage Federation (USDF) announced the start of its “Going Green” Campaign. The campaign was developed to manage costs in a tough economy and support worldwide environmental efforts while continuing to provide the best in member benefits and services. The first major step in the effort was the launch of the USDF website last fall, which has allowed USDF to provide extensive information and services to its members online, reducing paper usage, shipping costs, and staff...

Twenty-one National Walking Horse Association (NWHA) youth members from across the country attended the First NWHA Youth Leadership Conference held at the Kentucky Horse Park. July 14-16. "The conference was everything we had hoped it would be for the youth and more," stated Tami Steinbrecher, Chair of the Youth Committee. The conference offered workshops on developing leadership skills, effective public speaking, equine first aid and horse judging and included two interactive clinics on...

The Kentucky State Fair has announced that all entries in park and pleasure sections whose confirmed records demonstrate competition within the official qualifying period including at least three shows with six or more classes, and who have been properly entered by the deadlines specified in the official prize list, have been accepted. According to Scarlett Mattson, Horse Show Manager, "We're very pleased to be able to accept all the Park and Pleasure entries we received as of the entry closing...

The American Saddle Horse Breeders Futurity of Wisconsin announced that it will once again host the American Saddlebred Horse Association’s National Pleasure Equitation Championship. The national championship attracts exhibitors from across the United States and is a “must do” for the most accomplished pleasure equitation competitors. The competition includes rail work followed by a workout. Competitors are scored using a numerical scale by each of the three judges. Scores for rail work and the...

Monday, July 7, was an emotional day at SpiritHorse Therapeutic Riding Center in Corinth, TX. Highly respected horseman and clinician Chris Cox paid the center a visit and donated his time to conduct a clinic, working with staff and special needs riders who receive free lessons at SpiritHorse. The event was covered by five different news networks. "SpiritHorse was honored to have the support of Chris Cox. He was so generous with the time he spent conducting a free clinic with our children and...

David O’Connor, President of the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF), Olympic Gold medalist, Pam American Games and World Equestrian Games medalist, has been elected to the Board of Trustees of the American Horse Council (AHC). In 2004, O’Connor officially retired from international competition and was elected as president of USEF for the 2005-2009 term, and has now been re-elected for another four-year term. As president, he works closely with the FEI, the international governing body...

Riding For Reading, a non-profit organization 501(c)(3) dedicated to promoting reading, literacy and education through equestrian sports and activities, is pleased to announce that its Riding For Reading Class will be held at three different shows during the summer. The Riding For Reading Class at the Golden Gate Classic, July 4, in Woodside, CA, will kick off the summer. “I believe that reading is the most important aspect of a child’s education," stated Show Manager Chris Collman. “After all,...

The prestigious Lexington Junior League Horse Show, first jewel of the American Saddlebred Triple Crown and billed as the largest outdoor Saddlebred competition in the world, begins Monday, July 7. Streaming live video will again be available worldwide at www.saddlebred.com , courtesy of the Junior League and the American Saddlebred Horse Association (ASHA). For times, show schedule, ticket prices to see the show in person, and special events, as well as additional information on the Lexington...

Lexington, KY – To assist breed shows with financial challenges, the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) offers the 2008 Outreach Grant program, which provides assistance to various USEF breed competitions. And even though the competition season is under way, it’s not too late to apply for a USEF grant. The USEF grant program assists financially challenged breed competitions that meet the grant requirements and are approved by the USEF. The grants are available on a first come, first...