Ramiro Quintana won the testing Speed Challenge at the American Gold Cup last year, and he will return with the same mare, Carousel, to defend his title at this year’s event, September 15-18, at the Devon show grounds in Devon, PA. The Speed Challenge is a very exciting class, which pits professionals against juniors and amateurs, and Quintana, who also won this event four years ago, placed first and third in last year’s event. The five top professionals from their qualifying class on Fast...

United States Olympic Silver medalist McLain Ward was back in the saddle for the first time since breaking his collar bone three weeks ago while competing for the United States at the Samsung Super League in Hickstead, England. Ward, of Brewster, NY, rode in two classes on the opening day of Aachen’s World Equestrian Festival, the host for the seventh of eight Samsung Super League events on Friday. Aachen will be the site of the quadrennial World Equestrian Games next year. “I’m still sore,”...

Lexington, KY – The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) will host two open rule forums in the coming month, to discuss rules as they apply to the Hackney Division. The first will take place during the Kentucky State Fair World’s Championship Horse Show in Louisville, Kentucky, on Thursday, August 25th at approximately 3:00 p.m., in the Lock-Heather room at the Executive West Hotel. This forum will immediately follow the American Hackney Horse Society’s Board Meeting,...

Bob Langrish (Laura Kraut and Anthem at Hickstead.) Kraut wins Queen Elizabeth Cup, Welles wins King George V Cup, U.S. Team second in Nations Cup, Madden wins Longines Prize for Elegance (Lexington, KY) – Despite what U.S. Chef d’Equipe George Morris calls a “bittersweet show,” the United States’ show jumping riders staged a spectacular performance in Hickstead this past weekend, demonstrating that they remain a solid world power with which to be reckoned. They...

Britain has been experiencing a heat wave in recent weeks, but the temperature is set to rise even further next week when the 2005 Samsung Super League series resumes at Hickstead on Friday, July 29. It's been a fascinating season so far, with the Americans dominating at the opening leg in La Baule and the British showing their class in Rome. The double Super League champions from France headed the line-up in St. Gallen, and then the Swiss swept to victory in Rotterdam before the series took a...

Courtesy of Karina Benish (Karina and Hawkeye) He was the ugliest male I had ever seen in my life. He had a bloody wound on his nose, hair six inches long on his chest, and he weighed about 700-800 pounds—400 shy of his best weight. His name was Hawkeye, and he was my partner for more than 14 years. Hawkeye was a mustang horse, and it was he who taught me what it is to trust. Horses, in my opinion, given good care and a little attention, are high up in Maslow’s hierarchy. Since...

Courtesy University of South Carolina (University of South Carolina's equestrian team after winning the NCAA National Championship.) Winning the Hunt Seat Division with 40 points, the University of South Carolina’s (USC) Equestrian team clinched its first national title in varsity equestrian on April 16. Overall, South Carolina tallied 60 points to second place University of Georgia’s 51 points (the two-time defending champion). Texas A & M University finished third, and...

The Board of Directors of the American Saddlebred Horse Association(ASHA), Inc., completed the internal corporate reorganization of its governance structure Tuesday, March 29. Members, who approved the reorganization in February, will belong to ASHA, Inc., now a public charity, and the breed’s Registry will be supervised by a companion board, including nine newly-elected directors effective Friday, April 1, 2005. Following solicitation of suggestions for Registry board service from the...

U.S. Endurance Team at first inspection. (Jan Mansfield ) United Arab Emirates - Two of the six riders representing the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) completed the 100-mile 2005 FEI World Endurance Championship on January 27 at Dubai International City in Dubai, UAE. The highest place finisher was Becky Harris of Medina, OH, who came in 20th place with a ride time of 8:47:03 on GA Tyfa Mynte. Carolyn Hock of Riverside, CA and GT Sando were 56th with a ride time of 11:10:13....

Aaron Vale of Aiken, SC, posted the first victory of the season as the 2005 American Grand Prix Association (AGA) tour got underway in Jacksonville, Florida on Saturday, January 23, 2005. The nighttime competition took place at the Paul E. Reinhold Agricultural Center Fairgrounds on State Road 16 in Green Cove Springs, FL. In its 27th year of equestrian excellence, the AGA tour includes 32 events in 22 different equestrian markets and offers over $2.5 million dollars in prize money. Vale’s...