Photo by Randi Muster (Katherine Schmidt was victorious in the USEF Show Jumping Talent Search.) The 2010 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) had a busy week of competition on February 24-28. The week featured the start of the USEF Selection Trials for the U.S. Show Jumping Team for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games along with a full schedule of hunter, jumper, and equitation classes. The week seven title sponsor was Fidelity Investments. It was a full night of show jumping and...

The American Horse Council (AHC) is pleased to announce the availability of a new brochure, done in partnership with AHC sponsors Nutrena, Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health, and the American Farrier’s Association. As many of us are aware, the plight of the neglected horse continues to worsen. As more horse owners step in to help, many are looking for guidance, as they have cared for horses but may not have experience with horses in this particular state before. The Caregiver’s Guide to...

Photo by Amy McCool (Kassandra Barteau and GP Raymeister ) Lexington, KY – Before a packed house at the FEI World Cup™ Dressage Final for Young Riders in Frankfurt, Germany, American rider Kassandra Barteau saved her best performance for last with GP Raymeister and finished second in the ‘B Group’ of the Freestyle. In her last year of Young Rider competition, the 21-year-old from Maple Park, IL and the 10-year-old Holsteiner stallion owned by Grand Prix Equestrian and Ginna Frantz, scored 68....

The United States Dressage Federation (USDF) is pleased to announce that Kariel Swanfeldt of Ayer, MA, has been selected as the recipient of the 2009 USDF Youth Volunteer of the Year Award, presented by The Paddock Saddlery and sponsored by the USDF Youth Executive Board. This prestigious award honors one outstanding youth volunteer who has contributed on a national and local basis to USDF and dressage. As the recipient of this award, Swanfeldt’s name will be engraved on a perpetual trophy,...

The SmartPak Equine/United States Eventing Association (USEA) Area II Adult Riders Training Three-Day Event, October 22-25, at Waredaca Farm in Laytonsville, MD, hosted 37 riders in three divisions. The event was a huge success with all but two riders completing the exciting long-format course. When it came time for the award ceremonies, it was three grey horses that earned the blue ribbons. D.C. McBroom aboard Twain won the A division on a 35.30 having added no additional penalties to their...

As the show season draws to a close, five professionals who regularly attend Langer Equestrian Group (LEG) shows are making plans to head off to Maui for some much needed rest and recreation, courtesy of LEG. The company sponsors the Maui Trainer Incentive as a way to not only encourage participation at the shows, but reward professionals for their efforts, support and success. Larry Langer, President and CEO of LEG, started the Trainer Incentive because professionals are the hardest working...

Melissa Jackson and Wellington Capture Grand Prix Win Sponsored By the Sanctuary Equine Sports Therapy & Rehabilitation Center Melissa Jackson and her 12-year-old Hanoverian, Wellington, captured the win in the Grand Prix at the Wellington Classic Dressage’s Autumn Challenge of Champions show, held in conjunction with the United States Dressage Federation (USDF) Region 3 Dressage Championships. The Grand Prix was sponsored by The Sanctuary Equine Sports Therapy & Rehabilitation Center, and...

While their senior counterparts strutted their stuff down the centerlines in the CCI** and CCI*** divisions at the Fair Hill International Horse Trials, four- and five-year-old stars-to-be were flashing their talents in the Spalding Labs/United States Eventing Association (USEA) Young Event Horse (YEH) East Coast Championships. Youngsters from around the eastern United States gathered to show their potential in conformation, dressage, and jumping in their own championship division, which ran in...

The Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA) honored top individuals, horses and organizations at the annual awards banquet held at the International Conference in Fort Collins, CO, at Colorado State University on October 10. Clinic Instructor of the Year Clinic instructors are the CHA Master Level Instructors that are clinic staff and certify instructors for CHA throughout North America. At the end of each clinic, participants write evaluations of the clinic staff. It is from these evaluations...

The American Saddlebred Horse Association (ASHA) held its annual World's Championship Horse Show (WCHS) Junior Judging Contest on Tuesday, August 25, at Freedom Hall in Louisville, KY. Horse show judging is an important part of ASHA Youth Programs, as these contests are an educational way for young people to learn about judging in a fun environment, while being educated about class specifications and show procedures for judging American Saddlebreds. Any individual, age 17 and under, was...