With great sadness, Mo and Jim Swanson of Rolling Stone Farm announce the passing of a World Champion dressage legend on August 11, 2009. The Hanoverian stallion Welcome S (World Cup I-Grebina/Grande) was euthanized in August 2009, due to infirmities of age. He was 22 years old. Welcome was owned by Jan van der Kamp and was managed by his daughter, Patricia Stemerdink of Dekstation de Havikerwaard in De Steeg, The Netherlands. The Swanson’s leased Welcome for breeding after a chance meeting in...

The United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) International Hunter Derby Series was created to bring show hunters to the international level, to increase spectator, media and sponsorship interest and to bring tradition and basic riding principles back to the sport of showing hunters. Over the past 18 months, during the inaugural year of the USHJA International Hunter Derby, this effort has been wildly successful with the help of our sponsors and show managers as well as the owners,...

For the second year in a row Friesian horses from all over the United States converged at the very center of the country in beautiful Lake St. Louis, MO. One horse and rider, Bernhard and Christiane Henrichs even traveled all the way from Germany to compete in a variety of classes, winning among others, the Prix St George test in dressage. This year the event was held in honor of International Friesian Show Horse Association (IFSHA) founder and longtime breeder Dr. Genevieve de Montremare who...

Calling it one of the most significant welfare issues affecting any equine breed or discipline, the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) issued recommendations for eliminating the abusive practice within the Tennessee Walking Horse industry known as soring. Soring is the infliction of pain to create an extravagant or exaggerated gait in horses for training or show purposes. Even though soring is prohibited by the federal Horse Protection Act of 1970, some within the industry...

The International Andalusian and Lusitano Horse Association’s (IALHA) Surf & Sun Show, the third of the season hosted by IALHA’s California Show Committee, was held June 21-22 at the Del Mar Horse Park in Del Mar, CA. New to the Surf & Sun this year, Friesian classes were included in the show. The International Friesian Show Horse Association (IFSHA) approved and sanctioned this show for their high point program. The combination of so many stunning Andalusians and the majestic jet black...

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - On Thursday, June 19, 2008, Chicago's Harris Theatre will be the site of the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame Class of 2008 Induction Ceremony. This black-tie event will bring to the Windy City some of the greatest names in sports. Inductees, presenters, and VIPs will arrive on the red carpet at the Harris Theatre from 5:15 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Thursday, June 19, and will be available for interviews and photo opportunities as they enter the theatre. Olympic Movement fans wishing...

Diana DeRosa (Karen O'Connor and Theodore O'Connor at the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.) It is with great sadness that the United States Equestrian Federation reports that super pony Theodore O’Connor was humanely euthanized Wednesday, May 28, as a result of an injury sustained in an accident at Karen and David O’Connor’s barn in The Plains, VA. The 13-year-old eventing pony defied odds and gravity throughout his career. Standing only 14.1 hands, the...

Young Horse Finals were featured on the closing day of the 12-week CN Winter Equestrian Festival, presented by Zimmerman Advertising, at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. As she had done throughout the circuit, Laura Chapot of Neshanic Station, NJ, continued to dominate the young jumper division. The $20,000 Seven- and Eight-Year-Old Young Jumper Final was the featured class in the International Arena on Sunday, April 6, attracting a total of 48 entries. From the original starting...

Equestrian Sport Productions, LLC, announced Wednesday a preliminary plan for a new round of major improvements at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) to be completed by the "Celebration of the Horse" event in early December and well before the start of the 2009 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF). The improvements are the initial next stage in the top-to-bottom rebuilding of the PBIEC that began last December when Equestrian Sport Productions (ESP) took over management of the...

Iron Spring Farm’s UB40 continues to make a name for himself in both North America and Europe. Two UB40 sons were selected for performance testing at the 2008 KWPN Stallion Keuring held in s’ Hertogenbosch last week. One three-year-old son bred by A.A. van de Koppel, Amigo out of Tolanda (Elite) by Krack C, finished in the reserve championship position in the dressage stallion category. Amigo is a beautiful, modern-type with a gorgeous head and neck and uphill build. The result is incredible...