Dressage judge Betsy Berrey was the featured speaker at this month's Shop Talk. Michelle Hundt and Betsy Rebar-Sell, co-owners of Sho Clothes, hosted the third in a series of monthly discussions at the Sho Room in Wellington, FL. The Gold Coast Dressage Association (GCDA) co-sponsors the event with Sho Clothes to provide local equestrians the opportunity to learn from top professionals in the area. Betsy Berrey is a well-respected "S" judge who often officiates at dressage shows on the winter...

The facilities for providing first-rate care of horses brought to Hong Kong for the Olympic Games in August have been given the thumbs-up by members of the Animal Welfare Advisory Group (AWAG) who visited the two equestrian venues. “I think the welfare of the horses is being very well taken care of,” said Chan Pui-tin, after he and five colleagues inspected the venues on June 24.. “We have asked a lot of questions on a range of topics, big and small, such as whether the horses will suffer from...

Lexington, KY - The U.S. trio of drivers arrived in Greven, Germany for the 2008 FEI World Championship for Drivers with Disabilities CPEAI 4* and put the world on notice after the dressage phase. Meghan Benge of Aiken, SC drove her borrowed pony Jack to a score of 41.2 with a brilliant performance. The pony was leased from England and his owner was on hand to help groom. “I think Mary is still is shock,” said Boots Wright who is serving as U.S. Assistant Chef d’Equipe and Assistant Coach. “I...

International dressage trainer, Oded Shimoni, takes short breaks from his training schedule at Stillpoint Farm in Wellington, FL, to teach clinics throughout the U.S. Last month he was at Amanda Person’s farm in Atlanta teaching Amanda, Jason Canton, and others. This month Shimoni is heading to Pennsylvania to coach three-day eventer Bruce “Buck” Davidson, Jr., in preparation for the 2008 Olympics Hong Kong. Last year U.S. Three-Day Eventing Coach and Chef d’Equipe, Captain Mark Phillips,...

After his spectacular success at the 2007 Stallion Performance Test, where he earned the highest score in the history of U.S. testing, 164.86, Little Bit Farm’s homebred Rashka took some well-deserved time off. At his first show of 2008, Rashka remained true to his early promise by winning all seven of his classes at the May Dressage at Lamplight show, where he was high score of the show with an 80.4%, champion at T4, and reserve champion at First Level. With an additional T4 score of 75%, he...

The All American Cup, in concert with the American Saddlebred Museum, is offering a Farm and Stallion bus tour on Friday, July 11, 2008. For the complete list of famous stallions that will be seen, please visit www.allamericancup.org/index . Reserve a spot on the tour in advance and DVDs featuring memorable interviews with Marty Mueller, Bob Ruxer, Don Harris, and Donna Moore will be available the day of the tour at a discounted price. Order all four and receive a bonus DVD, “Off of the Editing...

Have you ever wondered what those dressage classes are at your breed shows and wanted to try a couple but didn't have a clue how to prepare for them? Well, now's your chance to give it a go on your Arabian Sport Horse. Come and join fellow Arabian Sport Horse owners/riders for a fun-filled day on Sunday, June 1, 2008, from noon to 4 p.m. at Brilliant Reflection Farm in Ortonville, MI. The event is called "Demystifying Dressage for the Arabian Sport Horse Crowd." Topics include: —What is...

Young Horse Finals were featured on the closing day of the 12-week CN Winter Equestrian Festival, presented by Zimmerman Advertising, at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. As she had done throughout the circuit, Laura Chapot of Neshanic Station, NJ, continued to dominate the young jumper division. The $20,000 Seven- and Eight-Year-Old Young Jumper Final was the featured class in the International Arena on Sunday, April 6, attracting a total of 48 entries. From the original starting...

The discipline of endurance is undergoing a full review of its rules. One of the key innovations introduced in new rules, which will come in force on January 1, 2009, is the emphasis put on the education of all officials involved in the discipline, be they judges, technical delegates and veterinarians. A significant contribution towards this new development will be brought by the agreement that was recently concluded between the FEI and Hydra Properties of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE)....

Ocala, FL ­– Two USEF National Driving Championships are up for grabs at the CAI-A Ocala running March 27-30, 2008. Known as the Live Oak Plantation Combined Driving Event presented by Budweiser, the showcase of the country's best drivers and horses is taking place at Chester Weber's Live Oak Plantation in Ocala, FL. The competition also serves as the second USEF Selection Trial for two of the World Driving Championships. The USEF Single Horse Championship got the day started and dressage was...