Manerbio, Italy – It was a close finish but with a total of 667.5 points Team Italy took the gold medal in the very first FEI World Reining Championship on Friday, September 12. Team USA took the silver medal with 663.5 points closely followed by Team Germany which finished only a point behind the United States. Sixteen countries were represented in the World Reining Championship and in order to determine who would step on the podium for the bronze medal, reining enthusiasts had to wait...

Elkton, MD – The weather blew through the Mid-Atlantic region on Friday night and cross country/ marathon day at the USEF National Championships at the Dansko Fair Hill International boasted perfect conditions and terrain. Phillip Dutton, the overnight leader in the CCI*** Championships had to wait until the very end of the day to maintain his lead with Ann Jones’ The Foreman and put on a cross country clinic with the 11-year-old Thoroughbred gelding. The Foreman, who won the event...

Victoria Colvin and Cortina, Champion of the Wild Horsefeathers/USEF National Green Hunter Pony Championship. (Phelpsphoto.com) Lexington, KY — As Day Two of the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) Pony Finals National Championships unfolded, the first overall champion was named. One of the busiest hunter riders at the show, nine-year-old Victoria Colvin, won the Medium Green Pony Hunter Championship and the Overall Green Hunter Pony Grand Champion title with a total score of 1,059...

The Executive Board of the National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) has voted to withdraw the proposed Strategic Plan. This plan called for the creation of a U.S. affiliate with a new governance structure and a realignment of the governance for the NRHA as a worldwide association. The Executive Board has determined that to serve the membership needs better, a new plan will be constructed in the near future. Bylaws changes have been submitted to the membership for a vote in June. If the legal...

Just how smart is a horse, anyway? While much research has been done on horses, hardly any has been on "horse smarts," or equine intelligence. Fascinating discoveries will be made with the airing of a program on RFD-TV, on Jan. 16, 17 and 21, 2007. The program, "The Horse Show" with Rick Lamb, is broadcast on Dish Network, Direct TV, Mediacom and National Cable. Tune in to see horses identify colors, pick out letters, numbers—even play cards! Inspired by the book Beautiful Jim Key (2005,...

With a record number of exhibitors from across the country, the 2006 Atlanta Fall Classics concluded it’s two-week AA-rated series in classic style, presenting over $88,000 in cash alone the final week, as well as 2006 year-end awards, the coveted National Hunter Jumper League Finals titles, the Lemon Springs Trophy, and the John Deere/USEF Memberperks prize. Classic Company President Bob Bell said of the fall series, “This has been the most amazing two weeks ever for the fall venue! The talent...

On October 31, 2006, the Unwanted Horse Coalition (UHC) met officially for the first time under the auspices of the American Horse Council at the United States Equestrian Federation headquarters in Lexington, KY. The meeting was attended by representatives from the American Association of Equine Practitioners, American Paint Horse Association, American Quarter Horse Association, American Veterinary Medical Association, The Jockey Club, National Horse Benevolent and Protective Association,...

Team USA does it again by bringing home the Team Gold medal in reining. Pictured are: Dell Hendricks, Tim McQuay, Aaron Rahlston and Matt Mills. (By Ceci Flanagan-Snow) More than 38,000 fans of reining and driving descended on the 2006 World Equestrian Games on Friday to watch the exciting marathon phase of four-in-hand driving and the Team medal competition in the Western discipline of reining. It was a Gold-medal day for Team USA’s reiners, while three American drivers took to the...

Bob Langrish (Vaulter Megan Benjamin won an Individual Gold medal.) (Aachen, Germany) – It all came down to one minute. It was years in the making, but it came down to one minute in Aachen, Germany, and when that one minute was over, 18-year-old Megan Benjamin of Saratoga, CA, was the first female American vaulter ever to take a world championship. For the past 20 years, a German woman has always held the title of World Champion, and Germany has also won 23 of the last 30 world championships....

Mara Dean on Nicki Henley during the dressage phase of the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by Farnam. (Marc Manning) If there was one thing that stood out the first day of the 2006 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by Farnam – other than the international-level competitors and their beautiful mounts – it was the abundance of blue skies and sunshine that surprised even veteran Rolex attendees. Legions of fans of eventing came from around the world to watch the highest...