Alida D'Angona, Miss Massachusetts 2011. (Photo courtesy AMHA.) Shelburne, VT — Alida D'Angona, 24, from Bolton, MA, recently was crowned Miss Massachusetts 2011, and will be a presenter at the American Morgan Horse Association's annual awards banquet on Saturday, February 26 in Boston. Born in California, D'Angona traveled with her family as a child across the world to live in Hong Kong before settling in Bolton. With an interest in music as well as the sciences, D'Angona quickly became...

Last March I made my inaugural visit to Wellington, FL and the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center for CSIO week, which included the USEF Selection Trials for the US Show Jumping Team for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games and the $75,000 FEI Nations Cup presented by CN. My partner in crime, Melissa Davis, and I set-up our Merchandise “Fort” and sold-out of nearly all the USA and patriotic coats, polos and hats we’d shipped down. Unseasonably chilly temperatures for Palm Beach...

Daisy Farish and Elation are the Gotham North Small Pony Hunter Champions. (Photo by Sportfot©.) Wellington, FL - February 6, 2011 - Numerous championships were awarded in the pony hunter divisions. The FTI Winter Equestrian Festival, which runs through April 3, hosts some of the fanciest ponies in the country. Today, the Gotham North Small Pony Hunters were among those awarded. Loads of spectators, including many pony riders and their accompanying family members, filled the areas surrounding...

Lexington, KY — The USA Equestrian Trust is pleased to announce it is now accepting applications for financial grants to non-profit equine organizations to be funded in 2011. Go to https://www.trusthorses.org/grant/request.html and fill out a grant application for the USA Equestrian Trust Grant Program. The deadline is May 2 at 5 p.m. (EST). Despite the continued economic struggles, the Trust's board was pleased to grant nearly $135,000 to seven applicants in 2010. Past recipients of grants...

John Long and Craig Ferrell, M.D. (Riders4Helmet) Lexington, KY - The Riders4Helmets Helmet Safety Symposium held this month in Wellington, FL, was deemed a huge success by participants at the event. Representatives from USEF, USDF, USEA, USHJA, Racing, Polo, Helmet Manufacturers, Helmet Testing Authorities, Leading Equestrians and Medical Experts came together at the symposium with the goal of improving rider safety and went away pledging to work together across the disciplines to do just that....

Meagan Davis and Bentley (Bill Davis) Lexington, KY - At the FEI World Cup Dressage Final for Young Riders, Meagan Davis and Bentley proved their mettle against 14 of the best Young Riders in the world and became the first U.S. pair to qualify for the Freestyle A-final. Competition got underway on Thursday with the Young Rider Team test (Prix St. Georges), which served as a warm-up class. After a challenging warm-up, Davis rode into the arena with confidence and Bentley settled into the test to...

Ceci Butler-Stasiuk (GenieSS, Inc) Lexington, KY - Endurance athlete Ceci Butler-Stasiuk has been named this year's recipient of the Maggy Price Endurance Excellence Trophy, sponsored by Gold Medal Farm and Larry and Valerie Kanavy.This award is given to the endurance athlete who earns the most points in selected Ranking Trials during the ride year. Butler-Stasiuk (Humble, TX) and DJB Cytron Kon JMF, owned by her mother Darolyn Butler, won the Florida Horse Park CEI3* 160km ride in January and...

Kristen Rozycki and Full Circle ((Stockimageservices.com)) Lexington, KY- On a blustery fall day the USEF National CCI1* Championships concluded with some of the United States' best up-and-coming combinations contesting the show jumping phase. Champions were crowned across four separate divisions at the competition that was held in combination with the Hagyard Midsouth Three-Day Event and Team Challenge at the Kentucky Horse Park. Kristen Rozycki (Barrington, IL) claimed the National CC1*...

Sidesaddle Champions Jill Wilson and All Aboard (Al Cook Photo) Harrisburg, Penn. - All Aboard turned in a sidesaddle performance with Jill Wilson today that will be a ride to remember. The 16-year-old grey gelding earned the tricolor during what may be his final Harrisburg championship with Wilson, his Louisa County, Virginia-partner who is moving on to a new horse. Scoring the top points in the Sidesaddle division, All Aboard, owned by Sally Lamb of Gordonsville, Va. turned in flawless trips,...

Lexington, Kentucky - Saddlebred trainer Michael Ray Benn, of Liberty, Missouri, passed away on Friday, October 1, 2010. Benn had been a resident of Liberty for the past seven years and earned his living doing what he loved – training American Saddlebred Horses. He spent his younger years working with Don Hulse and Dale Pugh, and was the head trainer at Callaway Hills Stables in Columbia, Missouri for twelve years, before operating his own training barn in Springfield, Missouri. Most recently...