All posts by Associate Editor

Aiken Fall Festival Just Around the Corner

August, 25th 2011 – The closing date for the 2011 Aiken Fall Festival Horse Show is just under a week away, but crew and staff at Equus Events have been busily preparing for the event all summer long. The show, a USEF “A” rated event will take place September 8-11 and 15-18 at Highfields Event Center in horse-centric Aiken, SC.  The show has become a “staple” on the fall social and event calendar according to the Aiken Standard and it’s easy to see why.  Aiken’s famous horse community, its eclectic shops and restaurants, and events such as the 2011 Aiken’s Makin’ Festival (September 9th-10th) makes this town a prime stop on the horse show calendar. Horses and riders will be competing for awards and prizes in upwards to $100,000 throughout the two week show series and vying to have their name engraved on many perpetual trophies. Some of last year’s Grand Champion and Perpetual Trophy winner’s included:

*At A Glance Memorial Perpetual Trophy for Grand Champion Hunter – Cezanne owned by Lilly Haun and ridden by Vick Russell
*Joyce Lineburger Memorial Perpetual Trophy for Grand Junior Hunter – Babette and Noel Fauntleroy
*Good Golly Miss Molly Perpetual Trophy for Grand Pony Hunter – Caroline Hargreaves and That’s It
*Grand Amateur Owner Hunter – Onassis and Sarah Ward
*Grand Adult Hunter – Westside and Cindy Prestage
*Grand Children’s Hunter – Ransom and Lily Foy
*Grand Children’s/Adult Jumper – Oh My Lord and Terrell McKey
*Grand Junior/AO Jumper – Fargo and Mary Huitt

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Mandatory Outing for the 2011 Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team Set to Begin

Lexington, KY – The journey to the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico makes its next eventing stop in Richland, Michigan. Fourteen of the 15 horses currently short-listed by the USEF head to the Midwest to contest their Mandatory Outing at the Richland Park CIC and Horse Trials August 25-28.

The Pan American Games will be contested at the CCI2* level in 2011, which gives many riders who have never before represented the United States the chance to ride on the Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team for the first time. They will contest a modified division made up of the CCI2* dressage test, the Advanced cross country course and an Advanced height show jumping track.

Allie Slusher withdrew her horse Pierre on August 23, which moved Jennifer Taxay Kelly onto the Short list as the first ranked substitute. The second ranked substitute, Matt Flynn, also withdrew Breakthrough from consideration. This leaves 15 horses on the short list, all of which will contest the Mandatory Outing except for Cold Harbor. Boyd Martin and Cold Harbor were excused from the event as Martin prepares Neville Bardos for the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials in England next week. Michael Pollard will ride his wife Nathalie’s Schoensgreen Hanni at Richland Park before he joins Martin in England to ride Icarus at Burghley.

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Year’s First Equine Case of EEE Confirmed in Halifax County

RALEIGH – A 4-year-old horse in Halifax County was recently euthanized after contracting Eastern Equine Encephalomyelitis, a mosquito-borne disease that is preventable in equine by yearly vaccination. It is the first reported case of EEE in horses this year.

“The number of reported EEE cases fluctuates each year,” said State Veterinarian David Marshall. “Late summer to early fall is peak mosquito season in North Carolina, and this is right on schedule for us to start seeing cases.”

North Carolina had 6 reported EEE cases in 2010, 23 in 2009 and 13 in 2008. It is estimated that for every reported case, four or more cases go unreported. There was one case last year of West Nile virus, another mosquito-borne disease that affects equine.

The EEE and WNV vaccinations initially require two shots, 30 days apart, for horses, mules and donkeys that have no prior vaccination history. Neither vaccination fully protects the animal until several weeks after the second shot, so it is best to vaccinate as early in the mosquito season as possible. Marshall recommends that horse owners talk to their veterinarians to determine the best time to start the vaccination process. He also recommends a booster shot of each vaccine be given every six months in North Carolina because of the extended mosquito season.

Symptoms of EEE include impaired vision, aimless wandering, head pressing, circling, inability to swallow, irregular staggering gait, paralysis, convulsions and death.

Symptoms of WNV in horses can include loss of appetite and depression, fever, weakness or paralysis of hind limbs, convulsions, impaired vision or hyperexcitability.

People, horses and birds can become infected from a bite by a mosquito carrying the diseases, but there is no evidence that horses can transmit the virus to other horses, birds or people through direct contact.

Dr. Tom Ray, director
NCDA&CS Animal Health Program – Livestock
(919) 733-7601

Dressage at Devon Close Dates Extended and Extended Schooling Schedules

August 24, 2011 (Devon, PA) – The closing dates for both performance and breed classes at the 2011 Dressage at Devon have been extended until September 15 and late fees have been waived.

So enter now and enjoy the new, state of the art footing (Poels Sand Footing), in both the Dixon Oval and the Gold Ring.  Come check out this significant improvement to Dressage at Devon and show off your wonderful horse under the lights.  Schooling has also been extended in both rings in the early morning.  Warm-up for all Grand Prix classes will be held in the Gold ring commencing one hour prior to the start of the class.  For performance entry details, go to www.dressageatdevon.org or contact the Show Secretary, Monica Fitzgerald, at mon1206@aol.com.

Or, for breeders, has your two year old suddenly grow into their body?  Is your colt amazing?  Come showcase your incredible horses at Dressage at Devon and let your foal enjoy the attention and the new footing!  You can enter on-line at www.horseshowoffice.com.  Full details, including the prize list, are at www.dressageatdevon.org or contact the Show Secretary, Kathy Moffitt, at kmoffitt@optonline.net.

Danielle Myers
Project Marketing, Inc.
PO Box 155
Devon, PA 19333
610.889.2036
dmyers@projectmarketinginc.com

Safari Ride to Raise Money for Starved and Abused Horses

August 24, 2011 – Monroe, North Carolina – The United States Equine Rescue League, Inc. (USERL) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, incorporated in North Carolina in the year 1997. This horse rescue organization is funded by private donations/fundraising, and staffed solely by volunteers.  “All of the money raised goes to the starved and neglected horses that we bring into our Foster Home Network,” says Tracy Kloc, Regional Director of the USERL’s Central Piedmont Region of North Carolina. “We rescue abused, neglected, and/or abandoned equines; provide them with care and rehabilitation; and finally find them a compatible, loving home.”  For information on events, volunteering, donating, fostering, or horses available for adoption, go to www.userl.org or www.userl-nccp.org.

With the approaching winter months and an ongoing national economic recession, monetary donations have been extremely difficult to obtain.  The organization is hosting a Safari trail ride at Why Not an American Ark (WNAAA) in Monroe, NC on Sunday, August 28, 2011. Ride between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.  The “safari” will be a hunt for stuffed animals along the trail. Bring back a stuffed animal and win a prize. The harder the animals are to find, the better the prize that will be attached to it!

After the ride, enjoy lunch (concessions available) and continue to school your horse on the Ark’s cross country course, the new Extreme Cowboy race course, or go for a swim in the pond. You can also find out how your horse reacts to a real live camel or a zebra! There is also a covered arena, jump arena and dressage arena.  If you don’t have a horse, you can still come out and enjoy the day on the walking trail!

$15 to ride (your own horse).  Current Coggins Required.  Riders will have to sign a waiver for USERL and for WNAAA.  WNAAA (http://www.wnaaa.com/) is located at the intersection of Medlin Road and Charlie Williams Road in Monroe, NC.  For more information on the Safari ride or to make a donation, contact Deb Carl at dbcarl@bellsouth.net or 704-651-1831.  For more information about the US Equine Rescue League, Central Piedmont Region go to http://www.userl-nccp.org/.

Contact:
Deb Carl
704-651-1831
dbcarl@bellsouth.net

Dressage at Devon and Thorncroft, Therapeutic Horseback Riding, Inc. Celebrate 20 Years

Devon, PA (August 24, 2011) – 2011 marks the 20th anniversary of the selection of Thorncroft Therapeutic Riding Inc. as the beneficiary of Dressage at Devon.  Since 1991, Thorncroft has received more than $1,000,000 from Dressage at Devon.  These funds have been used to support students with disabilities who have shown a dedication to the sport and the horses.

Steven Reed (left) is one such student.  In 2004, when Steven Reed was 8 years old, his mom Linda, wanted to find an activity for her son that would help him grow and reach his goals.  Knowing that Steven was an animal lover, Linda thought riding might appeal to him.  Steven was hooked after just one visit.

For the next several years, Steven took weekly, then twice weekly lessons – first on a pony (Blossom), working his way up to the horses he rides (and jumps!) today.  Steven’s dedication to the sport and the animals continues to grow.  He volunteers in the barn in exchange for one of his lessons, a job he took on at age 13.  Sundays, Steve can often be found cleaning stalls and doing other necessary barn work.

“Thorncroft is an amazing place. From the moment he started riding, Steven has not only learned horsemanship but has made many friends,” said Linda Reed.

Steven received his first scholarship just one year after he began riding.  And, among other honors, this year Steven was the recipient of the Grace Levin Scholarship Award.  His weekly lessons include individual training as well as practice sessions with the Thorncroft Mainstreamers.

Continue reading Dressage at Devon and Thorncroft, Therapeutic Horseback Riding, Inc. Celebrate 20 Years

National Museum of the American Indian and Washington International Horse Show Team Up to Celebrate Horses

Photo: Fine Art Photography by Brady Willette

Exhibition Grand Opening Oct. 29-30 and Free Kids’ Day

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian and the Washington International Horse Show announce a new partnership to celebrate horses in Native American culture and equestrian sport throughout history.

The museum opens “A Song for the Horse Nation” Saturday, Oct. 29, at its flagship museum on the National Mall, a major exhibition that explores the role horses have played in Native culture from the 1500s to the present. The exhibition runs through Jan. 7, 2013. The Washington International Horse Show celebrates its 53rd year Oct. 25-30 at Verizon Center. Together, the two organizations will celebrate these occasions with free family programs on Saturday, Oct. 29, at the museum, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and at Verizon Center, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and all day Sunday, Oct. 30, at the museum. A free shuttle service between the museum and Verizon Center will be provided by Reston Limousine on Saturday.

Activities include free pony rides at Verizon Center Oct. 29 for WIHS Kids’ Day, war-pony painting demonstrations by Crow equestrian and tribal general council member Kennard Real Bird, storytelling by award-winning children’s book author and illustrator S. D. Nelson (Standing Rock Sioux), hands-on ledger-art lessons, and much more at both locations.

“What better way for us to come together to illuminate our shared history and distinct cultures than through our mutual admiration for horses,” said museum director, Kevin Gover (Pawnee). “This unique collaboration celebrates the indomitable spirit not just of the Horse Nation, but of the whole nation. We are thrilled to be partnering with the Washington International Horse Show and know that the spectators at Verizon Center and the visitors to the museum will be, too.”

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FEI Open European Vaulting Championships for Seniors and Juniors 2011 – Le Mans (FRA)

ECCLES AND LOOSER MAINTAIN SUPREMACY AND GERMANY CLAIMS DOUBLE TEAM GOLD by Louise Parkes

Great Britain's Joanne Eccles showing the spectacular style that helped her win her second consecutive Senior Female Individual title at the FEI Open European Vaulting Championships for Seniors and Juniors. Photo: FEI/ www.pixbank.org

Lausanne (SUI), 24 August 2011 – Great Britain’s Joanne Eccles and Switzerland’s Patrick Looser maintained the form that clinched their 2010 world titles when winning the Female and Male Individual gold medals at the FEI Open European Vaulting Championships 2011 at Le Mans, France last weekend.  German vaulters were strong however, taking both Senior and Junior Team gold, and the Pas de Deux and Junior Male titles, while Italy’s Silvia Stoppazzine claimed the Junior Female Individual honours.

Over 200 competitors from 19 countries – Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Slovakia, Denmark, Netherlands, France, Italy, Hungary, Great Britain, Russia, Republic of South Africa, Mauritius, Belgium, Czech Republic, Norway, Poland, Finland and Sweden – gathered at Le Mans for the 15th edition of these Championships. The success of the Vaulting competitions at last year’s Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky, USA has led to a tremendous upsurge of interest in this sport which originally emerged from ancient Greece, where warriors were trained to ride independently of their horses as they brandished weapons.  Today it is a competitive discipline, open to both men and women, in which both dynamic and static gymnastic elements are combined and performed on a catering horse.  It demands outstanding physical fitness from the vaulter and a harmonious relationship with the horse and longeur.

SENIORS
Germany got off to a great start when pipping Switzerland in Thursday’s Senior Team Compulsory Test, but the result was reversed on Saturday when it was the Swiss who came out on top in the Freestyle while, once again, Austria slotted into third.  And it was a close-fought affair in Sunday’s decider with the judging panel of Veronique Girard, Elzbieta Dolinska, Gaby Benz, Heddy Boelsma Den Hartog, Ute Schoenian and Anna Kull unafraid to award high marks where appropriate.  The biggest score of the day came from Ute Schoenian, at E, who awarded 9.773 to the German side whose longeur Jessica Schmitz and horse Arkansas 51 rounded up a great performance.  The final German total of 8.300 left them just .053 clear of the Swiss silver medallists, while Austria completed in bronze medal position with 7.980 on the board.

Continue reading FEI Open European Vaulting Championships for Seniors and Juniors 2011 – Le Mans (FRA)

Six USEF Dressage National Championships Up for Grabs at Lamplight Equestrian Center

2010 Champ Bon Chance Returns for More in 2011 (Photo: Fire&Earth Photography)

Lexington, KY – The future of dressage in the United States will be on full display this weekend in Wayne, IL, as many of the nation’s top up-and-coming horses vie for coveted USEF National Championship titles. Champions will be crowned at the Lamplight Equestrian Center in six separate divisions. In the 2011 Markel/USEF National Young Horse Dressage Championships the top 4-, 5- and 6-year-olds in the country will be recognized. Seven- to 9-year-olds will stake their claim on the USEF National Developing Horse Dressage Championship sponsored by the Dutta Corporation and Performance Sales International. Finally, the USEF Dressage Seat Medal Finals presented by Dressage Today is split by age categories, and two championships will be awarded: 13 & under and 14-18 divisions.

The Markel/USEF National Young Horse Dressage Championships will showcase the most promising 4-, 5- and 6-year-olds that U.S. dressage has to offer. In the 4-year-old division, 15 of the most exciting horses from the 2007 foal crop will vie for top honors. In this championship is Melissa Mulchahey’s Furst Fiorano, who topped the final rankings of the 2011 Markel/USEF National Young Horse Ranking List four-year-old division with an overall average of 8.460.

Last year’s 4-year-old champion, DG Brendo, and Reserve Champion, DG Banta, return to the Lamplight Equestrian Center to try to repeat their 2010 efforts. They and 13 challengers will contest the five-year-old championship to make for a strong competition between 15 horses. In the 6-year-old division, seven separate breeds are represented in the field of 15; American Warmblood, Andalusian, Dutch Warmblood, Friesian, Hanoverian, Oldenburg and Royal Dutch Warmblood. Champion, Bon Chance, and Reserve Championship, Adje, from last year’s 5-year-old division are among the contenders in the 2011 6-year-old championship.

Continue reading Six USEF Dressage National Championships Up for Grabs at Lamplight Equestrian Center

Motivation from Moshi 76, by Jane Savoie

Photo by: Liz Ritz Photography

A terrible thing happened today, and I’m really struggling to get over it. There was a loud hissing sound that hit my nervous system with a scream that said, “RATTLE SNAKE!” I was so startled, I jumped sideways really hard and fast, and unseated Jane! Her off balance body clinging to my side triggered “MOUNTAIN LION!” in my brain. So, I bucked. Not just a little, I bucked from one end of the arena to the other until I shook off the “Killer Lion!”

But that lion was actually my best friend, Jane. I dumped her! In the dirt! I bucked her off! I’m so upset! Jane and I have been best friends for ten years! I’ve never bucked her or anyone else off. NEVER! Not even once.

Fortunately, Jane was not seriously hurt. She’s a bit banged up, but no broken bones. Of course she was wearing her helmet. She ALWAYS wears her helmet. Thank goodness! I would never have intentionally hurt her, but I could have anyway just reacting like a normal horse!

No one has ever come off me before, and it freaked me out. I was wide-eyed for twenty minutes. But I’m not going to let this ruin my time with Jane. I’m going to look at this with clear thought, do some EFT meridian tapping to release the energy pathway that my neurons created during this fear episode, and move on.

Jane understands that I was acting out of instinct, not maliciousness. Still we both feel really bad about it. We have to just have to make sure that we FEEL our feelings, do the techniques we know to release the energy of the past, and move on.

Continue reading Motivation from Moshi 76, by Jane Savoie