(Lexington, Ky.)—In order to ensure that the needs and concerns of the equestrian world’s best athletes are addressed at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG), the World Games 2010 Foundation, Inc., the organization in charge of putting on the Games, has formed an Athlete’s Advisory Committee. This committee will provide input to Games organizers from some of the equestrian world’s most experienced athletes. “Every major sporting event professes to be an ‘athlete’s’ event and to...

Randi Muster (McLain Ward and Sapphire) It came down to a four-rider jump-off speed round at the 2006 Rolex/USEF National Show Jumping Championship at the 123rd National Horse Show in Wellington, FL, on Sunday afternoon. And in a finish befitting the championships sponsor—Rolex—the crowds counted split seconds in the final speed test. When the last rider left the course and the points were tallied, McLain Ward and his Sapphire bested all challengers to win the title in a suspenseful, yet...

The Equine Research Coordination Group (ERCG), a group comprised of researchers and organizations that support equine research, has agreed upon and announced objectives for the coming year. "It's time to focus on the future of equine research," said Nathaniel White, II, DVM, Chairman of the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) Foundation Advisory Committee. "Funding quality equine research and promoting the need for more researchers must become a priority for the industry if we...

Prepare for an exciting ride as Appaloosa enthusiasts from all over the world take part in the 2006 World Championship Appaloosa Show coming to the Will Rogers Memorial Center for nine days of thrilling excitement and fun in Fort Worth, TX, October 27-November 4. For more than 40 years, the World Championship Appaloosa Show has united outstanding Appaloosas in the competitive arena. This year will only continue that tradition as more than a thousand Appaloosas and contestants demonstrate their...

Not one, not two, but three USEF eventing championships were contested from October 19-22 at the prestigious Fair Hill Festival in the Country in Elkton, MD. Each year, Fair Hill hosts the USEF CCI*** championship – one of two three-star competitions in the country. In addition to the three-star, the USEF National Owner/Rider and the USEF National Under 25 eventing championships were also contested. Two of the championships were awarded off of the same ride – the three-star and the owner/rider...

The Infectious Disease Task Force of the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) has developed guidelines for the control of contagious infectious disease within the horse population. Recommendations are provided for the control of suspected cases of infectious respiratory, neurologic, diarrheal and vesicular disease. The symptom-based guidelines provide a detailed action plan for veterinarians as they address a possible infectious disease outbreak. From the point at which a case of...

Mike Ferrara (Leslie Lurkin of Rochester, MN, after his win with Melissa LOA in the Half-Arabian Mare Breeding Saddle Pleasure AAOTH at the 40th Annual U.S. National Arabian and Half-Arabian Championship Horse Show. ) The 40th annual U.S. National Arabian and Half-Arabian Championship Horse Show (U.S. Nationals) bid a final farewell to Louisville from October 12-21, 2006, at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, KY. It was the last time the show will be held in this particular venue....

Sometimes winning looks easy, and sometimes it just doesn’t. Ask the junior jumper riders about the 2006 Adequan/USEF National Junior Jumper Team Championship - Prix des States. The Zone 2 team representing the best junior jumper riders from New Jersey , New York and Pennsylvania made every jump count as they edged the Zone 1, New England squad, by a single downed rail. The defending champions, Zone 5 (IL, IN, KY, MI, OH) were never better than third where they tied with West Coast Zone 10 (CA,...

This past weekend, the Capital Challenge Horse Show in Upper Marlboro, MD, held the Monarch International’s Show Circuit Magazine Professional World Championship Hunter Rider (WCHR) finals. The WCHR National Awards program recognizes the top professional, junior, adult amateur, pony and amateur riders through points accumulated throughout the year at the rider’s top four WCHR shows. The top six riders from each region and the top 10 riders in the standings are then invited to compete directly...

It was Maggie McAlary--all day, all the way, from morning till night. The 16-year-old, from Amherst, NH, rode 11th in a cavalcade of 271 junior riders vying for the 2006 prestigious Pessoa/United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) Hunter Seat Medal Final presented by Becker College. This was McAlary’s third year qualifying for this national championship. “My horse, Mid-Accord, was nervous before the first round,” she said. “This is his first year doing equitation.” She topped the first...