Photo by Randi Muster (Victoria Birdsall and Baheera captured the Third Annual George Morris Excellence in Equitation Exhibition.) The 2010 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) is winding down as it finished its 11th week of competition on March 24-28. The week featured the highlight event of the season, the $500,000 FTI Consulting Finale Grand Prix, CSI*****, along with a full schedule of hunter, jumper, and equitation classes, including the prestigious Third Annual George Morris Excellence in...

Photo by Robbi Meisel (Taylor Adams and Kassandra) Ocala, FL-based Taylor Adams began the curtain calls for the 2010 Jacksonville Winter Series on Friday evening with a big win in the $10,000 Bruning Equitation Classic, presented by the Jerry Parks Insurance Group. Adams partnered with the Devon Walther owned Kassandra bested a field of 15 over an intricate layout of 11 obstacles co-designed by international great Pierre Jolicoeur and Joe Carnicom. The course zig-zagged the length of the...

Last year the United States Hunter Jumper Association proposed a rule change to the point structure for the professional hunter divisions to effectively go from deciding champions based on points earned to money won. USEF, the governing body of equestrian sports, passed this rule in January of 2009 with a December 1 start date. Bob Bell, President of Classic Company and the show organizer for the Jacksonville Winter Series, has decided to use the new rule to make some giant changes to the...

The American Horse Publications (AHP) is conducting an Equine Industry Survey to gauge participation trends in the U.S. equine industry. In addition, the survey seeks to gather information regarding the most important issues facing the industry. Dr. C. Jill Stowe is providing consulting services for data collection and analysis to the AHP. Dr. Stowe is an assistant professor of Agricultural Economics at the University of Kentucky. The survey is sponsored by Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal...

Brazilian superstar Rodrigo Pessoa headed the winning line-up of international riders in Sunday's $75,000 Grand Prix de Penn National on the final day of the 64th Pennsylvania National Horse Show. Pessoa, Olympic Gold medalist and three-time World Cup winner, aboard Let's Fly, was the eighth rider on course and the first to navigate the course designed by Steve Stephens without a rail down. "I have been riding him for a little over a year and a half," said Pessoa. "I started him in the bigger...

Gladstone, NJ – After a four day battle, the rain finally won at the 2009 Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Dressage Festival of Champions, and collectively the Ground Jury and the management decided that, in the best interest of the horses, the competition was suspended after the Young Riders rode first thing Sunday morning. This meant that Leslie Morse was crowned USEF National Grand Prix Champion for the fifth time. Morse GP Raymeister (SusanJStickle.com) and her beloved 15-year-old Swedish...

Thanks to the vision of the American Shetland Pony Club (ASPC), children in Hong Kong are enjoying the love and companionship of two very special Shetland Ponies. The ponies, FMF Imagination and PC Karmel Kid, were donated in the summer of 2008 as a way to salute Hong Kong’s efforts in hosting the 2008 Equestrian Olympics. “Karmel Kid is doing really well. He has been given the stable name of Bear and is loved by all. He has been fabulous with the lead rein kids and has also enjoyed a little...

Lexington, KY— Last night the top reiners in the world came together for an evening of intense competition at the 2008 FEI World Reining Masters in Oklahoma City, OK as part of the National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) Futurity and Adequan® North American Affiliate Championship Show. Austria’s Rudi Kronsteiner and Smart Spook scored 221 to take the 2008 FEI World Reining Masters in the Open division. The U.S. won the Silver and Bronze medals in the Open division— Jordan Larson and Lena...

Lexington, KY— For the second year in a row, Lillie Keenan swept a championship at the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) 2008 Pony Finals. Last year it was the 2007 Wild Horsefeathers/USEF Pony Hunter Finals— this year, Keenan makes history once again with the top score in the small, medium and large Green Hunter Pony divisions and claimed the Grand Champion title of the 2008 Wild Horsefeathers/USEF Green Hunter Pony Finals. With perfect weather and temperatures in the low 80s, today’s...

When show jumping returns to HITS Culpeper for two consecutive weeks in late August, all eyes will be on the third annual United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) Tad Coffin Zone III Junior Equitation Finals that will take place on August 23 during the Winston National. Following a ringside dinner reception hosted by Bridgewater College, around 35 talented exhibitors will take aim at the course set in the majestic grand prix ring at HITS Commonwealth Park in Culpeper, VA. “HITS has taken...