Late on August 2, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the funding bill for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for Fiscal Year 2008 after removing the overly broad language that was opposed by the horse industry. When the USDA funding bill was reported out of the House Appropriations Committee two weeks ago, it included language that was intended to apply to slaughter horses. But the provision was so broadly drafted that it would have applied to all horses and been...

Diana DeRosa (2007 Pan American Games Bronze medalists Todd Minikus, Laura Chapot, Cara Raether and Lauren Hough) Rio de Janeiro, Brazil—It was a battle between the host country—Brazil—and the teams from Canada and the United States for the team show jumping medal today at Deodoro Stadium outside Rio de Janeiro. Fittingly, it was the host country’s most popular equestrian athlete—Rodrigo Pessoa—that was the last to go in the two-round series of Nations Cup...

From Louise Parkes/FEI THE LAST SHALL BE FIRST.......ESPECIALLY IF MELANIE HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH IT....... The USA has been drawn first to go in tomorrow's sixth leg of the Samsung Super League with FEI series at Hickstead, England but Melanie Smith-Taylor, who is deputising in the absence of team manager George Morris, is not concerned. Lying last on the leaderboard the US really needs a good result in order to climb out of the relegation zone, but Melanie has every faith in her squad. "I...

The United States Equestrian Team (USET) Foundation awarded the 2007 Intermediaire I Dressage Championship Trophy to Christopher Hickey and Regent at the Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Dressage Festival of Champions presented by Paul Miller Auto Group, held June 14-17 at Gladstone, NJ. The USET Foundation awards the Intermediaire I Dressage Championship Trophy annually to the winner of the Intermediaire I National Championship. Ivan Bezugloff, Jr., the founder and editor of the former Dressage and...

The American Horse Council’s 2007 National Issues Forum in Washington, DC, was a huge success and featured dozens of respected speakers on important issues and opportunities to meet and mingle with federal legislators and regulators. More than 150 people gathered at the L’Enfant Plaza Hotel from June 17-19, participating in American Horse Council (AHC) committee meetings, attending panels on different topics and socializing with other attendees and Congressional staffers. “With so many federal...

Nick Haness, 2006 USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Finals-West Champion (A.C. Custom Photo ) (Burbank, CA)—After three challenging phases of competition, and a ride off among the top four, California’s Nick Haness emerged as the 2006 USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Finals–West champion during the Los Angeles International Jumping Festival (September 20-24) at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center. Judges Anne Kursinski, an Olympic medalist, and Carol Hoffman, both of Frenchtown,...

Flat tires are the leading cause of disablements involving horse trailers. USRider is involved in a research project with Dr. Tomas Gimenez to test the benefits (if any) of using air vs. nitrogen to inflate tow vehicle and horse trailer tires. An electronic air pressure monitoring system is being used to assist with the research. During the research, Dr. Gimenez and USRider have noted significant safety benefits resulting from using this system. “At USRider, we are all about safety when it...

The Paso Fino Horse Association Scholarship Committee has successfully launched its 2005-2006 Fundraising Campaign with its First Trainer Services Auction. The committee teamed up with the Professional Trainers’ Association to raise more than $22,000 at the national show. The auction allowed members to bid on two months of training and board with some of the top trainers in the breed. Dwight Graber, Scholarship Committee member, praised Trainers’ Association President Alice Page and “super...

Lexington, KY —The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) names Howard B. Simpson of Lake Forrest, IL, the winner of the 2004 Perpetual Sportsmanship Award. Given in memory of Walter Bourchier Devereux, III, the Perpetual Sportsmanship Award honors the horseman or horsewoman who “exemplifies the ideal of good sportsmanship through commitment, dedication and service to USEF throughout his or her career.” Mr. Simpson has done just that, spending years promoting good...

Lexington, KY – Royal Kaliber, the stallion that took Chris Kappler to a silver Olympic team medal and an individual bronze medal in Athens last month, underwent colic surgery in Someren, the Netherlands late yesterday. He suffered a leg injury in the final round of the individual show jumping competition and he was being monitored in Europe before a decision was made to ship him back to the United States. Dr. Jack Snyder and Dr. Barry David, who flew to the Netherlands from the United States,...