Waiting to Jump (Shannon Brinkman/USEF) Lexington, KY – Thirty-three of the country’s best riders are going to line-up for a nod to represent the United States at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. The Road to Lexington will run through the Winter Equestrian Festival when the USEF Selection Trials for Show Jumping grace the International Arena at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Club. Five trials over 11 days means an action-packed time in Wellington, FL – further highlighted...

Photo Courtesy Highlife Farm (Highlife's Burberry) Highlife’s Burberry, a Weser-Ems pony stallion bred by Highlife Farms, has made history as the first U.S.-bred Weser-Ems pony to be licensed as a breeding pony. Burberry’s sire is Highlife’s Bodyguard, a Weser-Ems German Riding Pony that stands at Highlife Farms, home to world-class sport horses and one of the country’s most prominent breeding farms. “It is really exciting to have bred a pony that turns out to achieve a ‘first ever’ title,”...

Photo Courtesy Rolling Stone Farm (Shakespeare RSF ) The 2004 dark brown Hanoverian stallion Shakespeare RSF by Sandro Hit, out of EM Acapella, by Arrian, was named Champion of his 70-Day Stallion Performance Test held October 4-December 12, 2009, at Silver Creek Farms in Broken Arrow, OK. Shakespeare is owned and bred by Maurine (Mo) and Jim Swanson of Rolling Stone Farm in Slatington, PA. Shakespeare achieved Class I status with a score of 130.53 points overall (this score reflects a 5%...

Photo by Randi Muster (Pablo Barrios and Simply The Best) Pablo Barrios of Venezuala was able to score two wins on Wednesday, February 17, at the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) in the Young Jumper Championship (YJC) classes in two age divisions. When up on Simply The Best, owned by Joaquina Barrios, he was victorious in the $1,000 YJC Five-Year-Old Time First Round. Asta Torokvei of Toronto, ON, Canada, and Chabadue, owned by Westhaven Farm, led the way in the $1,500 YJC Six-Year-Old Time...

Photo Courtesy Iron Spring Farm (UB40) Two of Iron Spring Farm's flagship stallions, Meinse 439 and UB40, began the 2010 show season with big wins. Meinse 439 claimed the Second Level Reserve Championship and High Score Non-Warmblood at Ocala Winter Dressage. The six-year-old KFPS stallion followed that up with wins in both of his Second Level classes at American Dressage Concours with scores to 70.714%. UB40 also impressed. The nine-year-old KWPN stallion won all of his classes, receiving...

Daniel Kaiser, Top Ranked German Vaulter Working with US Vaulter Eric Garcia (Primo Ponies Photography) Dressage: Horses and riders with the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games and the 2011 Pan American Games on the brain got busy in Florida over the weekend training with 2009 FEI World Cup Champion Steffen Peters and US Technical Advisor Anne Gribbons. Peters helped the riders before they rode a test in front of Gribbons. Gribbons is also an ‘O’ judge with one of the keenest eyes in the...

McLain Ward and Sapphire at the Rolex/FEI World Cup Final (Shannon Brinkman/USEF) Lexington, KY - The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) Ad Hoc Committee on Selection has approved naming the horse/rider combination of Sapphire/McLain Ward to the Show Jumping Long List for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG) in Lexington, KY, September 25 – October 10, 2010. Per the USEF Selection Procedure for the Show Jumping Team, the Selectors have the discretion to recommend up to six...

Peter Wetherill's Cedric Winning Gold in 2008 (Shannon Brinkman/USEF) Peter Widener Wetherill passed away of natural causes on February 19th 2010 at Good Samaritan Hospital in West Palm Beach, Florida. Peter was raised at Happy Hill Farm in Newtown Square Pennsylvania by his mother the late Ella Widener Wetherill and his late father Cortright Wetherill. He is survived by his brother Cortright Wetherill Jr, his sister in law Janice N. Wetherill and their children Amanda Widener Wetherill Holmes...

In these tough economic times, nearly every horse owner is trying to pinch pennies. When watching your wallet, it’s also important to remember that trimming many veterinary expenses may cost you more in the end. “Horses can be very expensive animals to own and maintain,” said April Knudson, DVM, Manager, Merial Veterinary Services. “So it’s no surprise that, even in a relatively strong economy, horse owners look for the most inexpensive ways to care for their animals. However, the urge to trim...

Randi Muster (Leah Schwendeman and Gisele.) The 2010 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) had a great fifth week of competition on February 10-14. The week featured the $150,000 FEI World Cup, CSI*** presented by Spy Coast Farm, along with a full schedule of hunter, jumper, and equitation classes. The week five title sponsor was Spy Coast Farm. Along with their week five title sponsorship, Spy Coast Farm was the presenting sponsor of the $150,000 FEI World Cup, CSI*** on Saturday, February 13,...