Local Weekend kicked off a week of Washington International Horse Show (WIHS) activities as riders competed at the Prince George Equestrian Center in Upper Marlboro, MD. Local Weekend, sponsored by The Tack Box, Inc., of Middleburg, VA, was a local horse show that allowed riders to qualify for local day finals at the WIHS. The WIHS began at the MCI Center on Tuesday, October 25, and continues through Sunday, October 30, 2005. The top six riders in each Pony Hunter, Children’s Hunter, and Adult...

Good Times and Ailish Cunniffe. (Shawn McMillen Photography) Washington D.C. - The Junior Hunter divisions concluded their second day of competition on Friday morning with the presentation of championship awards at WIHS. Fifteen-year-old Ailish Cunniffe, of South Salem, NY, and Whipstick Farm Ltd.’s Good Times were awarded the Grand Junior Hunter Championship, sponsored by Roseknoll Sporthorse and Victoria Holstein-Childress. Cunniffe and Good Times were presented The Ides of March...

John Long and Craig Ferrell, M.D. (Riders4Helmet) Lexington, KY - The Riders4Helmets Helmet Safety Symposium held this month in Wellington, FL, was deemed a huge success by participants at the event. Representatives from USEF, USDF, USEA, USHJA, Racing, Polo, Helmet Manufacturers, Helmet Testing Authorities, Leading Equestrians and Medical Experts came together at the symposium with the goal of improving rider safety and went away pledging to work together across the disciplines to do just that....

The final shows have been posted and the 2009 Performance Horse Registry’s (PHR) Silver Stirrup Award winners have been announced. One of the Hunter winners include Krishna Buyalos’s beautiful two-year-old filly, Outstanding. This bay filly is by Popeye K and out of Delilah. She was bred in California by Leslie Nelson. She is the winner of the Hunter Breeding Award. The Anglo-Trakehner gelding Unbelievable (Zarr x Rhapsody II) took home the award for the best Green Working Hunter. The Jumper...

American-bred Hanoverians vied for several special cash awards offered at Dressage at Devon, September 23-28. This was the second year that Paul Cohen of Associations Underwriters, Inc., & Ziplow Horse Insurance Agency (AUIZHI) donated $2,000 for Hanoverians bred by members of the Mid-Atlantic Hanoverian Breeders Club (MAHB) competing in the breeding division of the prestigious show in Devon, PA. The AUIZHI-MAHB award endows $1,000 to the highest-placed young horse and $1,000 to the...

Grand All Over and Emma Kurtz (Photography) Wellington, FL - Grand All Over lived up to his name during week eleven of the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF). The fifteen-year-old Welsh Pony gelding owned by David Gochman was champion of the Visse Wedell Medium Pony Hunter divsion with Emma Kurtz. Kurtz, of Cleveland, OH, piloted Grand All Over to second place under saddle and finished first, third, and third over fences. Reserve champion was Sassafras Creek, ridden by Daisy...

Ned Cunniffe and Cherrybrook Blue Suede Shoes (Photography) Wellington, FL - Ned Cunniffe piloted Cherrybrook Blue Suede Shoes to a St. Patrick's Day victory in the Autism Speaks Children's Large Pony Hunter during week ten of the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF). Paulexi, LLC's "Suede," a seventeen-year-old Welsh Pony/Thoroughbred cross, was fourth under saddle and second in two over fences classes with Cunniffe in the irons. Reserve championship honors went to...

Lucador and Peter Pletcher (Anne Gittins Photography) Wellington, FL - Peter Pletcher and Lucador claimed victory for the second week in a row in the Fumero Law Pre-Green Level 2 Hunter division during week nine of the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF). The five-year-old Oldenburg gelding, owned by Brian and Sophie Baldwin of Sagamore Farm, dominated day one of competition, winning the under saddle and both over fences classes. Pletcher and Lucador wrapped up the division on...

Havens Schatt and Sons Souci. (Anne Gittins Photography) Wellington, FL - Sons Souci and Havens Schatt earned championship honors in the Equine Tack & Nutritionals First Year Green Hunter division during week three of the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF). This will be the third week one of Schatt's mounts has collected championship titles. Caroline Moran's Bacardi, ridden and trained by Schatt, has been division champion weeks one and two at the FTI WEF. Schatt...

Laurie Stevens and Iceman (Anne Gittins Photography) Wellington, FL - Iceman and Laurie Stevens were triumphant for the second week in a row at the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF). The duo received championship honors in the Camping World Adult Amateur Hunter 51 & Older (Section A) division during week one before taking home the championship again in week two. Stevens, of Boca Raton, FL, and her eleven-year-old Westphalian gelding placed first and eighth over fences on...