A century of sporting history will be celebrated when the much-anticipated first leg of the inaugural Meydan FEI Nations Cup™ series takes place in La Baule, France, this weekend. It was in 1909 that the indoor London Olympia and outdoor San Sebastian shows first hosted military team jumping competitions and, 100 years on, the honor and distinction of representing one's country in the battle for team supremacy has lost none of its edge. The advent of new sponsors, the Dubai-based development...

The American Association of Equine Practitioners’ (AAEP) summer education event, Focus on the Foot and the 17th Annual Practice Management Seminar, will provide a comprehensive continuing education package for equine practitioners, July 19-21, in Columbus, OH. Focus on the Foot will explore the intricacies of one of the most crucial components of equine anatomy—the foot. The 17th Annual Practice Management Seminar program is designed to equip practice managers will the business skills to...

With summer just around the corner, now is the time to vaccinate horses against Potomac horse fever (PHF). “Horse owners need to be aware of the disease and its seasonality,” said Dr. Julia Wilson, DVM, Associate Professor, Large Animal Medicine, University of Minnesota. PHF is a potentially deadly disease that can cause mild depression, anorexia, diarrhea and abortion in pregnant mares. Some horses also may develop severe toxemia, and up to 40% of horses with PHF will develop laminitis. PHF is...

The FEI Dressage Task Force met in Lausanne, Switzerland, April 21-22. The Task Force discussed the following items: Olympic Games: competition formula and qualification process. A proposal will be included in the Task Force’s final report to be presented to the FEI Bureau in November. Dressage Committee: future composition. A proposal in line with the FEI Statutes is currently being prepared in cooperation with the FEI Nominations Committee. The Secretary General briefed the task force on the...

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...

KATY, TEXAS - Matt Mills caught the attention of all in attendance in the open finals at the 2009 National Reining Breeders Classic in Katy, Texas, with his run aboard The Sargeant Dunnit. The pair laid down an impressive run and walked out with a 228.5, which led the Open finals for several runs. When the dust settled, Mills finished second in the Intermediate Open finals, for a check worth $17,563, and won another $28,000 for a seventh-place finish in the Open finals. “He was just really good...

Las Vegas, NV – Defending champion, Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum, looked impossible to beat throughout the 2009 Rolex FEI World Cup Final. Shutterfly was faultless going into the final round of the final leg. Looks matter: She became the third person, and the first woman to win three World Cup titles. She did it all with Shutterfly. That meant heart break for McLain Ward and Sapphire who chased the German combination through all three legs, jumped two immaculate clear rounds. But it didn’t...

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...

Steffen Peters and Ravel (Shannon Brinkman) Las Vegas, NV – With the anticipation building in the Thomas & Mack Arena for the 2009 Rolex FEI World Cup Final, both the Dressage and Jumping competitors got their final tune up in the main arena on Wednesday. 14 Dressage horses from eight nations and 45 Jumping competitors from 22 will take center stage today, the first day of competition. Two masters are back to defend their titles. Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum and Shutterfly are looking...

The United States Equestrian Team (USET) Foundation is pleased to announce that Ashlee Bond, 23, of Hidden Hills, CA, and Michelle Spadone, 25, of Califon, NJ, are this year's co-winners of the Maxine Beard Show Jumping Developing Rider Award. The USET Foundation awarded these rising young equestrians this honor because of their competitive records to date and because of their promise for the future in show jumping. Bond and Spadone were given trophies at a presentation during the 2009...