Breeder Ken Borden, Jr., has characterized his Little Bit Farm, Inc., as “small but mighty.” They have had growing success and many year-end awards for both farm and horses, but this past year was a banner one. For 2009, Little Bit Farm is the leading dressage breeder for both the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) and the United States Dressage Federation (USDF), with five USDF Horse of the Year winners and two of their four approved stallions entering the record books. Masterpiece...

The FTI Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) is pleased to announce that tickets are available for this year's Exquis World Dressage Masters, which will be held on February 4-6, 2010, at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. The Exquis World Dressage Masters is a CDI***** dressage competition that will offer $150,000 in prize money. Classes will include Grand Prix on Thursday, February 4, at 1 p.m.; Grand Prix Special on Saturday afternoon, February 6; and Musical Freestyle on Saturday,...

2009 USEF Farnam/Platform Horse of the Year (Shannon Brinkman/USEF Archives) Louisville, KY – Annually, five of the USEF’s 130,000 registered horses achieve so much in a year that they are named USEF Horses of Honor and enter the running for the title of Farnam®/Platform™ Horse of the Year. In 2009 all five of these horses were nothing short of remarkable. But one forever changed the face of his sport, and with that, Ravel was voted the 2009 USEF Farnam®/Platform™ Horse of the Year. It began in...

Renowned course designer and horse show manager Bobby Murphy has taken equine education to the next level by implementing the Supporting and Promoting of Equine Awareness in Kentucky Schools (SPEAKS) program. The SPEAKS program is designed to work with elementary schools and community groups to develop knowledge of the equine industry. From demonstrations at the horse park, to visits at the equine educational museums, SPEAKS goal is to educate the future of society about the importance and...

The phrase "learning from the best" took on a whole new meaning for the 14 riders who participated in a clinic with two-time Olympic Gold Medalist McLain Ward at Old Salem Farm in North Salem, NY, December 5-6. Ward helped the United States show jumping team win Gold medals at both the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games, and has won major titles at some of the most prestigious horse shows in the world, including the $250,000 FTI Grand Prix at the Hampton Classic Horse Show and the $1 million CN...

Karin Offield and her internationally celebrated dressage competition and breeding stallion, Lingh, announce their intention to stay at Flyinge, the National Stud of Sweden, for a second season of breeding. Offield talks about Lingh and the New News. "I was thrilled when I was asked if Lingh could stay for another season of breeding at Flyinge. Lingh will clearly benefit from their newly expanded, export qualified breeding station. It's a modern accommodation that will enable Flyinge to ship...

Iron Spring Farm's important KWPN stallion Rampal passed away last week, November 11, 2009, due to the infirmities of old age. The 26-year-old stallion was known not only for his incredible competition record, which included being short listed for the United States Equestrian Team, but also for his contributions to the sport horse world as a sire. His offspring have been competitive through the international levels of both show jumping and dressage. His son Ovation ISF won at such shows as CSIO...

Photo by Terri Miller (Dressage at Devon) Dressage riders...2010 is the year to make dreams come true at Dressage at Devon. To celebrate the show's 35th anniversary, the qualifying criteria for the 2010 show have been changed. Minimum qualifying scores have been eliminated giving more riders the opportunity to experience this historic event. Instead, submit your highest scores for the class level entered. These scores will be ranked on closing day to fill the class. This is your chance to ride...

As the United States Equestrian Team (USET) Foundation Holiday Fundraiser draws closer, many exciting performances have been announced for the feature event. SUCCEED® and Wellington Classic Dressage will be hosting the Holiday Gala Fundraiser, December 11-12, 2009, to benefit the USET Foundation. The venue for the fundraiser will be the Jim Brandon Equestrian Center in Wellington, FL. The two nights of exciting performances will include Pony Club Mounted Games featuring Gina Miles, Cathy...

Parasite control is an important part of every equine health care program. Today, it’s no longer enough just to know what worms are bugging your horse. Now, you need to understand the basics of parasite resistance to ensure your program is effective. If you already have enough to keep track of, don’t worry—veterinarians are your ally in keeping all the information straight. They also will help with developing and monitoring your parasite control program to ensure effectiveness and to keep...