The National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) announced remarkable success for the very first NRHA Sire and Dam Program online auction. The online auction for 2007 breedings began November 15 and ran through December 2. The “eBay-style” bidding war took off during the 2006 NRHA Futurity at the Oklahoma State Fair Park in Oklahoma City, OK. It went down to the final minutes leading up to cutoff at 8:00 pm CST on Saturday, December 2. The online auction was created to give the NRHA membership an...

The Horse Park at Woodside in Menlo Park, CA, will mark its 25th anniversary in August as a venue for the sport of three-day eventing with the reopening of its most challenging cross-country jumping course and a reception/fundraiser. The August 11-13 Event at Woodside Summer is the first Horse Park event in a half decade to offer an advanced division; this level of three-day competition requires that horses jump obstacles up to four feet tall and six feet wide on a winding, and often hilly,...

David Stephenson/Lexington Herald-Leader (Belle Owen and Show Biz Time waited to take to the show ring in the three-gaited junior exhibitor 14 and under class during the first night of the 70th Annual Lexington Junior League Horse Show.) The Junior League of Lexington is celebrating it's 70th annual Lexington Junior League Horse Show, which runs July 10-15, 2006, at the Red Mile Race Track in Lexington, KY. The Lexington Junior League Horse Show is the first leg of the American Saddlebred...

Chris Kappler of the United States opened the CSI-W Blainville Jumping International with a win on Wednesday, July 5. The international show jumping competition runs from July 5-9 at the Blainville Equestrian Park in Blainville, Quebec. Despite some wet footing in the grass grand prix field, 18 horse-and-rider combinations took advantage of the opportunity to jump the track set by one of the most revered course designers in the world, Conrad Homfeld. Both Kappler and Homfeld are Olympic Team...

How to increase funding for equine research was the primary focus of a collaborative equine research summit held in Lexington, KY, April 19-20. Hosted by the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) Foundation, Inc., over 35 leading researchers, industry leaders and funding agencies gathered to develop a blueprint for future success in the equine research field. While the amount of money dedicated to equine research by the racing industry, private foundations, universities and...

Cara Cheska of Waukesha, WI, and her 11-year-old mare My Fair Lady bested a field of 18 to take home the blue ribbon and winner’s check in the $40,000 Country Heir II Grand Prix sponsored by Skara Glen Stables. Three went clear in the first round, which turned out to be more difficult than originally expected. Course designer Pierre Joliceur set a track of 16 efforts that included three double combinations, a liverpool and the open water. Besides Cheska, Angela Moore riding Claus for Stealaway...

The Colorado Horse Park announced that Olympic Gold medalist and president of the United States Equestrian Federation® David O’ Connor has signed on as course designer for the Park’s three-day events and horse trials. O’Connor brings a lifetime of knowledge of eventing and horsemanship to this position. In addition, his persona as the head of national governing body for equestrian sports adds luster to his skills and talents. “We are extremely fortunate to have David O’Connor join the Colorado...

The 2006 National Youth Horse Leader’s Symposium will take place February 3-5, 2006, in Gainesville, FL, offering a diverse group of talented and knowledgeable presenters on four different tracks: youth development, successful programs, tools and games and industry issues. The 29th annual symposium will have something for everyone involved in the youth horse industy. Randel Raub, PhD, of Land O’Lakes Purina, will share his knowledge about quality ingredients in feed as well as offer a keynote...

“Who is Paul Rohrbach?” asked many people after he posted his first major grand prix win at the $50,000 Los Angeles National Grand Prix. Rohrbach, a professional from Colorado who runs a successful hunter/jumper training business with partner Corky Shaha, has been steadily posting strong grand prix finishes over the years. After his stellar performance in the grand prix aboard Mary Dunahay’s Shiraz, everyone knew who he was. Rohrbach came to the Los Angeles National (November 16-20, 2005) by...

Equestrian vaulting combines the strength of gymnastics with the beauty of dance on the back of a moving horse. It is one of the seven recognized disciplines in international equestrian sports. Vaulting is also used to develop basic equitation and in many therapeutic programs. Have you ever considered what vaulting might be able to add to your riding program? Would you need to train a horse for a vaulting club? Do you want to know what the judge is seeing when scoring vaulters? Whether you are...