The stallion Hickstead, winner of Individual Gold and Team Silver medals at the 2008 Olympic Games under Canada’s Eric Lamaze, is now offered for breeding for the first time in North America. Hickstead is a 1996 brown Dutch Warmblood stallion standing 16 hands-high. Sired by Hamlet, his dam is Jomara by the well-known and recently deceased stallion, Ekstein. Hickstead’s bloodlines also feature such prominent show jumping names as Nimmerdor, Notaris, Ulft, Le Mexico and Joost. Based on his...

The United States Dressage Federation’s (USDF) Youth Executive Board is pleased to announce the winners of the USDF Youth Convention Scholarship Program for the 2008 Adequan/USDF National Convention and Symposium. This year’s winners are Arielle Perry, Jannike Gray, and Jessica Rose Deimler. The Youth Executive Board annually awards scholarships of up to $1,000 each to help defray the expenses associated with attending the annual convention. Applicants are judged on such qualities as...

Results of a United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) online survey conducted in May and June 2008 concerning the USEF Dressage Performance Standards Proposal showed that 65% of the over 1,250 respondents feel that there should be a proficiency requirement in order to advance through the levels in dressage competition. In addition, 56% of respondents indicate that the levels of proficiency identified in the draft proposal were appropriate. Important concerns about the USEF Dressage...

Lexington, KY - The final United States Equestrian Federation National Eventing Championship of the year wrapped up the season at the Galway Downs International Three-Day Event. Held in Temecula, CA (concurrently with the CCI**) on November 1-2. Juniors and Young Riders shone in the 2008 USEF National Junior/Young Rider CCI* Team Championship-West. The team made up of three riders from Area I and VI, triumphed in the long format CCI* over the team from Area VII to claim the Championship. Suzy...

The Royal Winter Fair is thrilled to announce its line-up of international riders set to compete at the Ricoh Coliseum, November 11-15. Nearly half the field of show jumpers participated in this summer’s Olympic games in Hong Kong (where the equestrian events were held), as did two of the five dressage riders. Three of the four members of the Silver medal-winning Canadian team will be competing, including Individual Olympic champion, Canada’s Eric Lamaze, with his Olympic partner Hickstead. It...

A packed schedule of world-class show jumping competition, educational opportunities, vendors, exhibitors and children's activities comes to Syracuse's Oncenter Complex, October 29-November 1. The Sporthorse Tournament will feature the top-ranked U.S. riders, included appearances by all members of the 2008 Gold-medal Olympic show jumping team. An international field of competitors will all vie for the Budweiser World Cup Qualifier of Syracuse and the Animal Planet Sporthorse Cup (featured...

There was a short press briefing at CSIO Barcelona on September 20 during which the FEI's First Vice-President Sven Holmberg and FEI Jumping Director John Roche answered questions relating to the new-formula FEI Nations Cup series 2009. By way of background, Holmberg explained that the current contract stipulated that negotiations with a new sponsor should not begin until January 1, 2008, and that this was a short time considering what needed to be done including creating a new product, finding...

The “southwest edition” of the Rocky Mountain Horse Expo spreads out this September 19-21, stretching into every corner of the 20-acre Sky Ute Event Center in Ignacio, CO. So many clinicians are in the line-up, the event has added extra venues, and family fun has its very own “Junior Rodeo” arena. Shopping spills out from the indoor arena to a pleasant grassy area, complete with picnic tables. Horses for private treaty sales, breed presentations and stallion and mare demonstrations are stabled...

Richard Johnson of Great Britain has been appointed to the new position of FEI Director of Communications following an extensive and open international search. Johnson, who is currently Head of Media of The Children’s Society, will join the FEI on September 1. The Children’s Society is a leading charity dedicated to the care of young people and is a benchmark for media relations in that sector. With 14 years’ experience, working in the charitable/not-for-profit sector for organizations with...

The American Morgan Horse Educational Charitable Trust (AMHECT) is excited to announce a partnership with the Internet-based charity site, “eBay Giving Works” and “MissionFish.” These programs will work in conjunction with eBay, the hugely popular Internet commerce center, to collect funds for the American AMHECT. Giving Works allows AMHECT to act as an auctioneer, posting sellable items on eBay where anyone can make a purchase. All proceeds from these sales are directly deposited to the AMHECT....