On Friday, May 20, Texas joined New Mexico and Arizona as states with confirmed cases of vesicular stomatitis (VS) this spring. Two Travis County horses were hauled home on May 10 from a trail ride in Arizona, where they apparently were exposed to the virus that can cause animals to develop blisters and sores in the mouth, on the tongue, muzzle, teats and hooves. The year’s first VS cases were confirmed April 27 in two horses in southwestern New Mexico. Since then, infection has been detected...

Markel representatives John, Lisa, and Brandon Seger as well as Gil Merrick present the Open Third Level Markel/Cornerstone Series Championship to Sherry Van't Riet and "Sir Deauville" (Genia Ply Photography). Burbank, CA – California's dressage riders enjoyed a weekend of hot championship competition and cool entertainment during Cool August Nights held August 25 - 28, 2011 at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center in Burbank, CA, featuring the popular Cornerstone Open and Amateur...

Two-time Olympic Gold Medalist McLain Ward captures his fourth victory of the season at HITS-on-the-Hudson in Friday's $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, aboard Grant Road Partners' Antares F (ESI Photography). Saugerties, NY — For the fourth time this year, McLain Ward led the victory gallop in the Strongid® C 2X Stadium beating out 51 starters to take home the blue in Friday’s $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer...

Burbank, CA – As Pan American Games fever is sweeping the nation, and winter-weary horses and riders feel the warmth of spring fever, next week's Festival of the Horse CDI-W/Y/J competition will showcase the best of California dressage at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center in Burbank, CA, March 30–April 3, 2011. The level of competition will be high: with over 200 horses entered, more than half will be competing in FEI-level tests, and 65 will contest the international CDI portion of the show....

On Monday, just days before the start of the first leg of the 2010 Exquis World Dressage Masters (WDM) in Palm Beach, the WDM organization announced the signing of a letter of intent to consider staging an event in Brazil in 2011. Camil Smeulders, Managing Director of WDM, announced the signing of the letter of intent with the company Haras Vale da Raposa operated by world renowned Brazilian architect Bennett Nisencwajg and his son, Heitor. WDM said it viewed the discussions as a major step in...

Photo by Ken Braddick (A frisky Satchmo with rider Isabell Werth during the vet check.) All 16 horses that were presented for veterinary inspection were passed Wednesday to start in the €100,000 (US$138,000) Exquis World Dressage Masters at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. Three German combinations, three Dutch, six from the U.S., three from Canada and one pair from Denmark will perform in the €10,000 (US$14,000) Nürnberger Versicherungsgruppe Grand Prix at 1 p.m. It is the only...

The American Horse Council (AHC) has launched a new effort to collect information on access issues equestrians are experiencing on federal lands. The centerpiece of this effort is an online form equestrians can use to report their personal experiences regarding trails and federal lands that have been closed to them or other access issues. Americans who use horses and pack stock enjoy a unique experience when they ride on trails and public lands. It is an experience that ties them to the...

The United States Eventing Association (USEA) is pleased to announce that the Chattahoochee Hills Three-Day Event on May 15-17, 2009, will be a part of this year’s Adequan USEA Gold Cup Series. Chattahoochee Hills offers several events throughout the year at the state-of-the-art facility in Fairburn, GA. “Chat Hills” as it’s known to its fans, kicked off their first events last year, offering divisions from novice through intermediate. This year, they’ve included FEI divisions, and the CIC**...

The focus groups formed by FEI Anti Doping and Medication Commission members, selected experts and FEI staff have begun their work. Four working groups were created: Lab Group, Legal Group, List Group, and Communications and Education Group. Three groups—Lab, Legal and List—met on January 29-30 and February 4, respectively. The remaining group—Communications and Education—will meet on February 9. The groups' composition and main tasks are as follows: Lab Group The main...

After years of research and planning, a much-awaited plan that allows piroplasmosis positive horses to compete in the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG) was announced at November’s FEI General Assembly, by the World Games 2010 Foundation in coordination with the Kentucky Department of Agriculture (KDA) and the United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). The Games will be held in Lexington, KY, at the Kentucky Horse Park September...