All posts by Associate Editor

The NARG Top 25 of 2011 – See Who’s Best in Show

Year Two: The NARG Top 25 Shows in North America Are Revealed

Wellington, FL – February 1, 2012 – Following the overwhelmingly positive response to our 2010 Top 25 report, NARG’s host of volunteers once again invested hundreds of hours to numerically evaluate 50 of the top horse shows in North America. The 2011 results are an interesting mix of events – including a couple of Canadian champions, a promising new beginning for The National Horse Show, several new discoveries and two most improved shows.

Canada claimed the top two spots this year. The highest marks once again go to Spruce Meadows, a venue that continues to exemplify our aspirations for great sport in North America. The number two title this year goes to a Canadian discovery, Thunderbird Show Park. Both venues are tremendous places to compete and show jumpers should seriously consider adding these solid examples of top tournaments to their summer schedule.

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Twenty-three Nations Qualify for London 2012 Paralympic Games

Lausanne (SUI), 1 February 2011 – Para-Dressage riders from 23 nations have qualified to take part in the London 2012 Paralympic Games. The qualification process, which began in October 2010, finished yesterday, 31 January 2012.

As the top three ranked teams at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2010, Great Britain, Germany and Denmark will each be represented by a team of four plus one individual rider. Canada, the top ranked nation on the Para-Equestrian Team ranking list for countries not otherwise qualified, will also receive five qualification slots.

Eleven nations, which qualified through the Para-Equestrian Team ranking list and regional distribution of teams, will be entering teams of four riders. The 11 nations are USA, Netherlands, Brazil, Ireland, Italy, Belgium, South Africa, Mexico, Singapore, Australia and France.

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Top Class Lineup for FEI World Cup Driving Final in Bordeaux

Lausanne (SUI), 31 January 2012 – Driving fans will be treated to a thrilling finale of the FEI World Cup Driving 11th season in Bordeaux (FRA) on 3 and 4 February.

Six drivers – Boyd Exell (AUS); IJsbrand Chardon (NED); Koos De Ronde (NED); Tomas Eriksson (SWE); Jozsef Dobrovitz (HUN) and Zoltan Lázár (HUN) – qualified for the Final at the end of an exciting season that ran over seven events held in five European countries. They will be joined by home driver Thibault Coudry, who has received the wild card.

In Bordeaux the seven drivers all start from scratch and it will not be until the very last second of the Final on the evening of Saturday 4 February that the new FEI World Cup Driving champion will be crowned.

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Team Orian Conquered the Bull in the Second Preliminary “Buck Off” and Teams Gear Up for This Week’s Competition at New Equestrian Village

Megan Martin was a member of Team Orian, the winners of the Second Preliminary "Buck Off" held at the White Horse Tavern January 26, 2012. Photo Courtesy of Kerri Salter

Loxahatchee, FL – January 31, 2012 – The Vinceremos Therapeutic Riding Center (VTRC) held its second preliminary “Buck Off” last Thursday at the White Horse Tavern’s Patio. The fundraiser benefits the VTRC, an organization that witnesses countless miracles on a daily basis and truly lives up to its meaning, “to overcome.”

The “Buck Off” consists of three preliminary rounds in which teams of four compete on a mechanical bull to earn the highest score. The winning team will move on to the final event held on February 10, 2012. The buzz about the event has been nothing but positive. “The conversations about the ‘Buck Off’ have been simply amazing,” said Bobbi Rottman, with Equine Solutions. “The energy here is about double what it was last year, and that’s impressive considering that the winners from last year said it was the talk of the town all year.”

As Rottman’s “brain-child,” its success means the world to her. She had wanted to help the VTRC reach out to the younger generations and hold an event where everyone could come together and have a great time. The first time the event was held was at the annual dinner and auction three years ago. The response was so immense that the committee had to turn people away. Soon after, it was decided to make the “Buck Off” its own fundraising event for the VTRC leading up to the annual benefit. They have received overwhelming support from sponsors throughout the years, and this year Floridian Community Bank, Palm Beach Equine Clinic and White Horse Tavern Catering are to thank.

Continue reading Team Orian Conquered the Bull in the Second Preliminary “Buck Off” and Teams Gear Up for This Week’s Competition at New Equestrian Village

A New Horse Breed Reference at FindTheBest.com

In the technological age many turn to the Internet to find information on horses as well as their products and services, but it can be difficult with the amount of sources and the uncertainty of bias in ratings and reviews.  A great resource for information on horse breeds has just been released from FindTheBest.  This is a great reference on 258 different horse breeds, comparing a number of qualities including breed groups and origins, as well as physical features like size, coat and color.  FindTheBest presents the facts in easy to use tables and allows for side-by-side comparisons of different breeds and consumer products so that you can find the best.

This is also a great resource for horse lovers to come, share and exchange information on what they are most passionate about.  My youngest sister is 13 years old and has been able to use this site to research some of the horses she has.  She is largely interested in the Rodeo style of horseback riding so things like barrel and pole racing as well as various roping events.  Each horse is trained and used almost exclusively for that one event.  Information on horse breeds can give insight into their success or failures in various rodeo events.  This is a call to action for horse lovers to come and connect.

Grayson Nance
Business Development Associate
FindTheBest

Motivation from Moshi 89, by Jane Savoie

I was thinking about how slippery it is out on the wet grass, and sure enough, I slipped. I was thinking about how angry that gelding at the end of my stall row makes me, and sure enough I became angry. I was thinking about how I sometimes get a headache when a storm comes, and sure enough, I got a headache.

I keep saying that what you think about expands. Over and over and in many different ways I share my belief that we attract whatever we concentrate on. And yet, I still find myself putting my own attention on things I don’t want. Why do I do that when I KNOW that’s going to create the very things I do not want? Oops, I just gave my attention to getting what I don’t want by seeing that I get what I don’t want by thinking about what I don’t want! ARG! It’s crazy making!

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“Hats Off to the Horses: The Road to The Derby” – An Online Auction of Kentucky Derby Hats Continues with a Chapeau Inspired by Florida Favorite Fortunate Prospect

Proceeds to Benefit Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement

GEORGETOWN, KY – JANUARY 31, 2012 – The 3rd Annual “Hats Off to the Horses: The Road to the Derby,” an online auction of exclusive handcrafted Kentucky Derby Hats, continues February 1st with a hat inspired by the great sire Fortunate Prospect.

This is the fourth hat in a series of six magnificent chapeaus to be auctioned by Old Friends, the Thoroughbred Retirement Center in Georgetown, KY.  Each hat has been custom crafted by milliner Sally Faith Steinmann of Maggie Mae Designs and 100 percent of the proceeds will benefit Old Friends, the 501(c) (3) non-profit organization that is dedicated to the dignified retirement of former racehorses.

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Jacksonville Winter Series Week 3

Jersey Boy & Jennifer Alfano

The Jacksonville Winter Series has come and gone.  We enjoyed a fantastic three weeks of shows that were marked with great exhibitor parties, superb competition, camaraderie, perfect weather and a touching & successful benefit dinner.  Thank you to all of our exhibitors who supported not only the series, but the Wounded Warrior Project & the Clay County 4-H as well.  In excess of $14,000 was raised for these very worthy causes.

Congratulations to the following Circuit Champions:
Adult Amateur Hunter – Cezanne & Carrie Ettinger
Adult Amateur Jumper – Leroy Brown 17 & Kelly Maloney
Amateur Owner Jumper – Thoughtful & Keri Guanciale
Children’s Hunter – Unlimited & Madison Maners
Children’s Jumper – 2 The Nines & Sophia Bertot
Green Pony Hunter – Blue Ridge Sweet Dreams & Devin Seek
High Performance Hunter – MJ & Mary Eufemia
Junior Hunter – Felicci & Caroline Kellog
Junior/Amateur Owner Jumper – Tanimara & Anne Bingler
Short/Long Stirrup Hunter – Barrington’s Brew of Magic & Samantha Palermo
Pony Hunter – Tuscany & Ashton Alexander
Pre-Children’s/Adult Hunter – Summer Daze & Patricia Simpson Zeh
Pre-Green Hunter – Summer Daze & Patricia Simpson Zeh

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The Horse’s Mouth TV: Amazing Stories of Horses and Their People, by Monica Culic, B.CS.

From left: Shaw Cable 10 camerawoman Robyn Gallant shoots footage of The Horse's Mouth TV for episode #5, while Host/Producer Monica Culic and Bear Valley Rescue Clydesdale look on. Photo: Mike Wellwood

The Horse’s Mouth TV, Canada’s horse-focussed TV show, completes its first season of 13 episodes, airing on Shaw Cable 10 in Calgary, Alberta and at www.thehorsesmouthtv.com.  Telling “amazing stories of horses and their people” is the show’s mandate and my inspiration as its volunteer host and producer.

Eight minutes long (save for episode #8 which is a full 28 minute segment), the Horse’s Mouth TV captures the dedication and love of horses our guest stars have. Our guest stars run the gamut of horse industry professionals: some acclaimed and some unsung heroes, but each one dedicated to sharing their lives with horses in a significant way. It is their stories I want to tell and use my gift as an equine journalist to do so.

The idea for a horse-focussed TV show came about during a dinner conversation with friends. With the success of melodramatic reality TV that brought the worst of mankind to the screen, I was concerned at how quickly urban dwelling people had lost touch with horses, on whose back most North American cities were built. What if I could act as a conduit for the horse community and create a horse based TV show, I wondered?

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FEI World Cup Vaulting Comes to Thrilling Climax in Bordeaux

Switzerland’s Simone Jaïser (SUI) heads to this weekend’s FEI World Cup Vaulting Final in Bordeaux after scoring the highest points tally in the first full FEI World Cup Vaulting series. Photo: Karl-Heinz Freiler/FEI.

Lausanne (SUI), 1 February 2012 – The first full FEI World Cup Vaulting season will culminate in a hotly contested Final in Bordeaux (FRA) this weekend (4-5 February), when the sport’s top male and female vaulters will compete to secure the World Cup title.

The series has been hard fought with 10 male and 10 female vaulters competing in five qualifiers in Kiel (GER), Munich (GER), Salzburg (AUT), Paris (FRA) and Leipzig (GER).

Six male and six female vaulters will now battle it out for the honours at the FEI World Cup Vaulting 2011/2012 Final in the Bordeaux Exhibition Centre.

World number one Patric Looser (SUI), who has announced his retirement after Bordeaux, heads to the Final after securing a six-point lead over Viktor Brüsewitz (GER). They will be joined by Lukas Klouda (CZE), Yvan Nousse (FRA), Lukas Heppler (SUI) and Remy Hombecq (FRA).

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