Joel Kiesner. (Photo by Stuart Vesty.) Welcome to the second of many features profiling various people in equestrian sport - athletes, trainers and more. The profiles are published regularly in the United States Equestrian Federation's Week in Review e-newsletter. This week meet Joel Kiesner, whose lifelong experience has evolved into training methods focused on maximizing the best assets and talent of the Arabian horse. His exceptional talent and abilities have resulted in numerous awards -...

Oklahoma City, OK – The 2011 National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) Regional Clinic Series is coming to Santa Fe, NM, May 14-15. NRHA Professionals Stefano Massigan and Marco Ricotta will hold a clinic for reiners of all ages and experience levels at the Santa Fe Equestrian Center. Massignan, an NRHA European Futurity finalist and multiple Italian Reining Horse Association (IRHA) Futurity, Derby and Maturity finalist, recently relocated to the Southwest with his wife Ky. Their new operation...

Wellington, FL - At the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center, the eighth week of the 2011 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival came to a close. The FTI WEF hosts the best that the sports of show jumping, hunters, and equitation have to offer in 12 rings of competition. The 2011 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival hosted its 10th annual $75,000 FEI Nations Cup on Friday evening, presented by G&C Farm, with an exciting victory for Team USA. Made up of Mario Deslauriers riding Urico, owned by Jane F....

The eventers invaded the International Ring at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center on Saturday night, as PRO DerbyCross took center stage before the $30,000 Hermes Puissance. It was good fun, each team had three eventers, one show jumper and one polo player. They jumped three similar, modified courses. Everyone was really game, show jumpers Laura Kraut and Katie Prudent were recruited to jump the solid fences and both not only had a blast – they looked like they knew what they were...

Sandy Ferrell and Moshi. (Photo by Sportfot©.) Wellington, FL - The eighth week of the 2011 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival, which runs through April 3, is well into its second day of competition at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. The sun was shinning along with strong gusts of wind as the Green Conformation Hunters made their way into the E.R. Mische Grand Hunter Ring on Thursday morning. Sandy Ferrell was aboard the new entry from Stephanie Riggio, Moshi, for the championship...

Alida D'Angona, Miss Massachusetts 2011. (Photo courtesy AMHA.) Shelburne, VT — Alida D'Angona, 24, from Bolton, MA, recently was crowned Miss Massachusetts 2011, and will be a presenter at the American Morgan Horse Association's annual awards banquet on Saturday, February 26 in Boston. Born in California, D'Angona traveled with her family as a child across the world to live in Hong Kong before settling in Bolton. With an interest in music as well as the sciences, D'Angona quickly became...

Last March I made my inaugural visit to Wellington, FL and the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center for CSIO week, which included the USEF Selection Trials for the US Show Jumping Team for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games and the $75,000 FEI Nations Cup presented by CN. My partner in crime, Melissa Davis, and I set-up our Merchandise “Fort” and sold-out of nearly all the USA and patriotic coats, polos and hats we’d shipped down. Unseasonably chilly temperatures for Palm Beach...

Daisy Farish and Elation are the Gotham North Small Pony Hunter Champions. (Photo by Sportfot©.) Wellington, FL - February 6, 2011 - Numerous championships were awarded in the pony hunter divisions. The FTI Winter Equestrian Festival, which runs through April 3, hosts some of the fanciest ponies in the country. Today, the Gotham North Small Pony Hunters were among those awarded. Loads of spectators, including many pony riders and their accompanying family members, filled the areas surrounding...

Lexington, KY — The USA Equestrian Trust is pleased to announce it is now accepting applications for financial grants to non-profit equine organizations to be funded in 2011. Go to https://www.trusthorses.org/grant/request.html and fill out a grant application for the USA Equestrian Trust Grant Program. The deadline is May 2 at 5 p.m. (EST). Despite the continued economic struggles, the Trust's board was pleased to grant nearly $135,000 to seven applicants in 2010. Past recipients of grants...

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....