The FEI is pleased to announce that Trond Asmyr has joined the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) as FEI Dressage and Para-Equestrian Dressage Director. Originally from Norway, Asmyr has an in-depth knowledge of dressage as a rider, official and administrator. He rode competitively on national level for many years, is an FEI international dressage judge and was for 12 years on the board of the Norwegian Equestrian Federation. He was the Federation’s vice president for six years, from...

The Arabian horse industry’s largest event for youth, the Youth National Arabian and Half-Arabian Championship Horse Show, moves into Expo New Mexico in Albuquerque, July 25-August 1, 2009. The eight-day event combines top-level equine competition in a variety of disciplines with daily youth activities and a shopping expo, bringing approximately $10.2 million to the city. Nearly 1,000 horses from across the U.S. and Canada will compete each day from 7:30 a.m. to about 10 p.m. in everything from...

The Essex Classics/United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) Hunterdon Equitation Cup Classic will be held July 28 in Saugerties, NY, in conjunction with the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) East Coast Junior Hunter Finals. In its fifth year, the prestigious class combines the precision of equitation and the handiness of hunters to test the horsemanship skills of some of the most talented young riders in the country. The class consists of three rounds with the highest scores...

The FEI Dressage Task Force met in Lausanne, Switzerland, April 21-22. The Task Force discussed the following items: Olympic Games: competition formula and qualification process. A proposal will be included in the Task Force’s final report to be presented to the FEI Bureau in November. Dressage Committee: future composition. A proposal in line with the FEI Statutes is currently being prepared in cooperation with the FEI Nominations Committee. The Secretary General briefed the task force on the...

Male against female. Husbands battling wives. Established stars challenged by sparkling newcomers. Olympic Gold versus Olympic Gold. The winners were thousands of spectators who turned out Saturday night for the Battle of the Sexes at the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival, the first time for such an event in the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center that has been completely remodeled at a cost of $10 million. For the record, the team of 10 women scored 31 points to win $50,000 shared between...

One of the top hunter breeders in the country will now have a place to store the coolers and saddle pads her horses have been awarded throughout the year thanks to winning a brand new Oakcroft Tack Trunk at the recent USEF Annual Convention. Dr. Paula Pell of St. Petersburg, FL, was the lucky winner of the “Win An Oakcroft Trunk,” which took place during an Oakcroft sponsored breakout session at the annual convention in Cincinnati, OH, and was open to all attendees. Pell and her husband were at...

International-level dressage with a Saturday night musical freestyle celebration under lights will be held at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC), December 4-6. The CDI*** dressage competition will be combined with the CSI*** Holiday & Horses event that includes the Rolex/USEF National Show Jumping Championship presented by Equine Motorcoach. The dressage competition is a major upgrade from the national level show of previous years. The musical freestyles will be in the...

Lexington, KY – For the second time in three years, 21-year-old Laura Noyes has topped the United States rankings for the FEI World Cup™ Dressage Final for Young Riders. Noyes and her mount Synchro averaged 72.584% in their two best efforts in the FEI Young Rider Freestyle Test in a CDI-Y during the qualifying period (January 1, 2008 –October 27, 2008), and have earned themselves an invitation to Frankfurt, Germany for the Final, to be held December 18-21. Thanks to the generosity of the event...

A crowd favorite at the 2008 Road to the Horse, Tommy Garland will return in 2009 applying his CPR method in his quest to win this prestigious competition. Garland's method is all about confidence, patience and respect when working with and training horses. Garland is considered one of the best trainers and showmen in the world of Arabians and Half-Arabians and was named the Western Pleasure Trainer of the Year in 2002 by the Arabian Professionals and Amateur Horseman's Association. When he...

The American Horse Council is pleased to announce the arrival of Julia Andersen, who will serve as the director of the Unwanted Horse Coalition (UHC). Andersen came to the UHC with a versatile background in communications and a lifelong passion for horses. While receiving undergraduate degrees in rhetoric/communications and fine arts from Mount St. Mary’s University, Andersen also founded the school’s equestrian team and club. She went on to earn her master’s degree in journalism from Emerson...