Rio de Janiero, Brazil—The U.S dressage riders and horses have settled nicely into the newly constructed National Equestrian Center at the Deodoro Sports Complex located on a military base 26 kilometers outside Rio de Janeiro. Deodoro also includes the competition facilities for archery, field hockey, shooting and modern pentathlon. The U.S dressage team members and the USEF sports staff give their venue high marks. “It is an excellent facility by anyone’s quality standards;...

Allentown, PA—Dressage for the CCI*** at the Jersey Fresh Three-Day Event got underway Thursday at the Horse Park of New Jersey in Allentown. The first two horses in the ring put in quality performances, and by the lunch break, they continued to hold the top two places. Veteran U.S. team riders Karen O’Connor (aboard Allstar) and Stephen Bradley (aboard From) got the division underway. Bradley held the lead well through the halfway point of the day on a score of 46.5. O’Connor...

Two U.S. riders have been invited to participate in the February 17 FEI*** 160-km HH The President of the UAE Endurance Cup ride in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The United States Equestrian Federation’s (USEF) top-ranked endurance riders, Susan Summers, riding Mags Motivator, and Dr. Meg Sleeper, DVM, riding Shyrocco Troilus, will make the trip to Abu Dhabi to compete at the Emirates International Endurance Village in Al Wathba. A strong field of UAE and international riders is expected to...

Offield Farms is pleased to welcome Lingh to its fine collection of stallions. Lingh was the reserve champion at the World Cup Finals in 2005 and 2004, and also on Holland’s Silver medal-winning team at this year’s FEI World Equestrian Games. He joins Tiamo Trocadero, the Olympic reserve horse for the 2000 British team in Sydney, and Hexagon’s Louisville, the 2006 United States Dressage Federation (USDF) Amateur Grand Prix Horse of the Year and member of the 2004 National Dutch “B” Team. Lingh...

Randi Muster (McLain Ward and Sapphire) It came down to a four-rider jump-off speed round at the 2006 Rolex/USEF National Show Jumping Championship at the 123rd National Horse Show in Wellington, FL, on Sunday afternoon. And in a finish befitting the championships sponsor—Rolex—the crowds counted split seconds in the final speed test. When the last rider left the course and the points were tallied, McLain Ward and his Sapphire bested all challengers to win the title in a suspenseful, yet...

While the often-raised question, “How many horses are there in Kentucky?” is a simple one, the answer isn’t as straightforward. The answer depends on who you ask and how the count is done. What is known is that many horses never get counted by the Census of Agriculture, because they are not on property classified as a “farm.” Figuring out how many horses live in Kentucky isn’t just an exercise in counting. It’s important. If we don’t know how many horses are in Kentucky and where they live and...

The 2006 American Saddlebred Registry Sweepstakes (ASR) began on Thursday, September 7, at the All American Horse Classic at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis. Sweepstakes payouts for 2006 are expected to increase over 20%. In 2005, the total payout was $139,433. Prize money was distributed as follows: Two-Year-Old Sweepstakes, $38,629; Three-Year-Old Sweepstakes, $70,428; Four-Year-Old Sweepstakes, $30,376. The total estimated payouts in 2006 are up almost $32,000. Since its...

The 2006 American Hunter Pony Classic Auction, held during the USEF Pony Finals National Championships, posted major increases in nearly every category. Statistically, the 2006 sale ranks as the best American Hunter Pony Classic ever and possibly the best pony auction ever held in North America. “This was a great auction. The buyers were active from beginning to end,” said Tim Jennings, Marketing Director of Professional Auction Services, Inc. “The catalog included the best group of ponies the...

Endurance riders from around the country will face the test of time and terrain when they compete for national titles at the 2006 American Endurance Ride Conference (AERC) National Championship in October. The championship, sponsored by Gulf Coast 4 Star Trailers, will be held October 20-22 in Fort Valley, VA, on the trails of the historic Old Dominion Endurance Ride. The Old Dominion, first held in 1973, is considered by many to be the most prestigious endurance competition in the eastern...

For the eighth time in her career, and for the third year in a row on Hidden Creek’s Wapino, Margie Engle raced to victory in the $65,000 Merrill Lynch Cleveland Grand Prix, the nation’s oldest show jumping classic. The class is still held at the beautiful Metropark Polo Field in Moreland Hills, OH, the site of the original Cleveland Grand Prix, first held in 1965. An enthusiastic crowd of over 5,000 braved a blistering hot 90-plus degree Sunday afternoon in the steamy Chagrin Valley. Twenty...