The American Trakehner Association (ATA) announces that the following horses have been awarded Excellence of Performance designations: —The approved stallion SCHIFFON *Ps* by E.H. Anduc, out of Surprise by Mago xx, bred by Anna & Flemming Loeber, Herning, DK, owned and ridden in most classes by Lea Ann Hansen of Doswell, VA, for his accomplishments in dressage. —The gelding MICIAH *Pb* by Leonidas *Pg*, out of Meriah *Pb* by Erzsand *E*, bred, owned and ridden by A. Whit Watkins,...

Week I of the Atlanta Summer Classic was highlighted by two spectacular weekend events: the $25,000 ASG Software/USHJA International Hunter Derby and the $25,000 Central Equine Grand Prix, held Friday and Saturday evening, respectively, at the Georgia International Horse Park’s Olympic Stadium. On Friday night an astounding 39 hunter teams gathered under the lights for the International Hunter Derby. After the tight turns were negotiated, the jumps cleared, and the gates opened and closed, it...

For the forth year running, Americans everywhere will be celebrating the National Day of the American Cowboy (NDAC), this year slated for Saturday, July 26, 2008. Parades, chuck wagon cook-offs, roping contests, street fairs, and rodeos are just a few of the many different regional events taking place all across the country to commemorate the American cowboy and cowgirl and their important contributions to our nation’s history and culture. American Cowboy , a leading Western lifestyle magazine,...

Germany's victory in the fourth leg of the 2008 FEI Samsung Super League in Rotterdam moved them up from sixth to second on the leaderboard at the halfway stage of the series. The Netherlands finished in runner-up spot; time faults proved costly for them on a day when the clock was particularly influential. Belgium slotted into third ahead of Great Britain in fourth, Switzerland in fifth, and Ireland in sixth. For Sweden, it was yet another difficult day, but they battled hard to avoid being...

The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), which has been campaigning to ban the slaughter of American horses for food exports, hailed a decision by the United States Supreme Court denying the foreign-owned horse slaughter industry’s final appeal to resume slaughtering horses. The decision upholds a federal appeals’ court ruling that Illinois can ban slaughtering horses and the sale of horsemeat for human consumption. The slaughter plants had claimed that the Illinois law at issue was...

Ravel and Steffen Peters (Amy McCool) San Juan Capistrano, CA – Overnight leader Steffen Peters returned to the Oaks Blenheim ring with Ravel in the USEF National Grand Prix Dressage Championship and the USEF Selection Trial for Dressage, and made it quite clear that he was not going to relinquish his lead. Owned by Akiko Yamazaki, Ravel, a 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding took some of the much more experienced horses to task and never looked in danger of making a mistake. The elegant...

Steffen Peters and Ravel (Amy McCool) San Juan Capistrano, CA – Day one of the Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Dressage Festival of Champions was highlighted by the afternoon performances of the 12 best horses in the country competing in the USEF Selection Trials for the 2008 Olympic Team in Dressage. Serving also as the National Grand Prix Dressage Championship, the class featured four Olympic veterans. San Diego rider and Olympic veteran Steffen Peters had plenty of fans on hand to watch him...

Lexington, KY- The first day’s competition at CSIO Rotterdam, The Netherlands got off to a great start for the US riders participating there. For the US, McLain Ward won an unprecedented two classes in one day - the Deloitte/AKD Prixsen van Wijmen Prize on Blue Chip Bloodstock’s Goldika and the Dura Vermeer Groep Prize on Larioso, also owned by Blue Chip Bloodstock. Beezie Madden also had a good day, finishing with good ribbons in all three classes (a 2nd with Abigail Wexner’s Authentic, 4th...

At the Wachovia Showplace Spring Spectacular II Horse Show, the $10,000 ASG Software Solutions/USJA International Hunter Derby presented by Dietrich Insurance featuring Walsh Harness & Saddlery was won by New Yorker Patricia Griffith on North Country, owned by Laura King-Kaplan. The class of more than forty entries produced flawless performance after flawless performance, but Griffin was the star of the day aboard North Country, an eight-year-old bay Warmblood. The course, designed by Skip...

Lexington, KY - Five USEF National Champions will be crowned after two weekends of dressage competition in San Juan Capistrano, CA June 21-22 and June 27-29. Always an exciting competition Kassandra Barteau and Gabriella (PhelpsPhotos.com) amongst the nation’s best dressage riders, this year the National Grand Prix Dressage Championship is also the USEF Selection Trials for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team in Dressage. The best horses and riders in each division are coming from across the...