All posts by Associate Editor

*Featured/Spotlights, Dressage, Equestrian Assistance, FEI, Olympic Games, Para-Equestrian

Para-Equestrians Get Grant Boost for London 2012

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Gold standard: Britain’s Lee Pearson (GBR), MBE OBE has become a Paralympic icon with nine Paralympic gold medals to his name (pictured at Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games)

Lausanne (SUI), 25 July 2011 – Para-Equestrians bidding to compete at the London 2012 Paralympic Games can now apply for funding as part of a brand new grant scheme to help with training expenses.

Eurovestech plc, the pan-European development capital fund, has put up a €25,500 grant to support 15 equestrian athletes around the world as they prepare for London 2012.

The grants, which will be distributed by the FEI, will be available to riders who have not won medals at the Paralympics, World Championships or World Equestrian Games since 2004.

National Federations representing Para-Equestrians from smaller nations where funding is limited are urged to apply for the grants. The grants are available both to riders who compete on their own horses and those that compete on borrowed horses.

Interested riders should contact their National Federation with their competition and training plans before 15 August 2011.

“It’s great news to hear of this initiative as the IPC is keen that a great number of athletes get the opportunity to compete at the London 2012 Paralympic Games across all sports, including Para-Equestrian,” explained Chief Executive Officer of the International Paralympic Committee Xavier Gonzalez.

Continue reading Para-Equestrians Get Grant Boost for London 2012 →

Contributors/Press, Diana de Rosa

Tip of the Week – A Nice Bed to Sleep In…

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Horse owners have several choices when it comes to bedding. The choice of bedding material is an important aspect of horse-barn management.

Bedding can increase dust levels that can pose respiratory problems in both horses and their handlers. In addition, bedding choice will have an impact on the cost of housing horses, the labor involved with stall cleaning, manure storage capacity and, ultimately, nutrient management.

Aesthetically, bedding type is important because material that clings to a horse’s coat can make a horse appear dirty. A good bedding material must absorb urine and excess water from the feces to keep the horses dry and comfortable.

Labor considerations and a happy barn staff are essential when considering choice of bedding, but let us not forget the horse. It is, after all, the horses that will be using the bedding.  Horses seem to like straw and shavings equally, not preferring one over the other. Clean straw is preferred for mares and very young foals. Some horses will eat straw bedding – a problem if you are trying to keep your horse on a diet.

Continue reading Tip of the Week – A Nice Bed to Sleep In… →

*Featured/Spotlights, Classic Company, Classic Company, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Events, Hunter/Equitation, Show Jumping

Charleston Summer Classics – Hunters Rule Finale Week

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Julie Curtin and Vince Win $2500 USHJA National Hunter Classic; Paige Parker Dubbed Most Supreme Pony Kahuna Champion

Julie Curtin & Vince ©Flashpoint Photography

Johns Island, SC — July 24, 2011 — The final week of the Charleston Summer Classics held at Mullet Hall Equestrian Center was much like an adventure packed vacation itinerary. One moment you’re enjoying the sport with friendly competitive rivals, then shopping together for the social gatherings.

This was also the week where the Wee Warriors of the Pony divisions battled for the coveted titles of Grand Pony Kahuna and the glory of being named Most Supreme Pony Kahuna. “I started the Kahuna competition as a fun method for our pony riders to prepare for the USEF Pony Finals, the scoring uses the same numerical judging system with daily accumulated points moving forward to their respective division Classic rounds. We award a Supreme Grand Kahuna in each of the six divisions and an overall Most Supreme Grand Kahuna Champion. The prizes are nice – Essex Classic Shirts, custom Cooler, featured in an Ad – but the best reward is the knowledge and experience they can take into Pony Finals,” Classic Company president Bob Bell said.

The 2011 Most Supreme Grand Pony Kahuna is Paige Parker partnered with Champlain Sovereign, owned by The Hill Farm. This marked Paige’s second occasion as top Pony Kahuna having won the title in 2009 with Cherrybrook Skye Blue.

Continue reading Charleston Summer Classics – Hunters Rule Finale Week →

Championships, Competitions, Dressage, Events, JRPR

Caroline Roffman to Compete Three Horses at the 2011 National Young Horse and Developing Horse Championships

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At last year’s Markel/USEF National Young Horse Championship, Caroline Roffman and Bon Chance won the Five-Year-Old division. (Photo courtesy of fireandearthphoto .com)

Wellington, FL (July 21, 2011) – At last year’s Markel/USEF National Young Horse Championship in Lamplight, Illinois, Caroline Roffman and her Hanoverian gelding Bon Chance won the Five-Year-Old division. This year, Roffman will compete three horses at the National Young Horse Championships and the Developing Horse Championships. San City will compete in the Five-Year-Old division, Bon Chance will compete in the Six-Year-Old division, and her Hanoverian gelding, Pie will compete in the Developing Horse Championships.  Roffman is hoping that three is truly a charm.

“Bon Chance has developed wonderfully and has truly matured and come into his own. He has so much talent and presence and I can’t wait to show him off,” Roffman said, adding that in addition to winning the Five-Year-Old Championship, Bon Chance was Reserve Champion in the Four-Year-Old Championship in 2009.

Roffman also has the chance to defend her Five-Year-Old Championship title, this time aboard San City, a five-year-old stallion owned by Linda Crabtree. “He was shown by Linda’s daughter and successful event rider Katie Wooten last year in the Four-Year-Olds,” Roffman said. “I was given the ride on San City last fall and have trained and developed him with these championships as our goal. San City has the presence of a stallion but the rideability and character of a gelding. He is both beautiful and talented and has developed beyond what I thought he could have in a relatively short amount of time.” Roffman said she has even bred one of her mares to San City. “I like him that much!” she said. “He is San Remo x Bolero and bred by Marefield Meadows.”

Roffman, who was named the 2010 FEI Rising Star by the International Equestrian Federation and received her award at the FEI Awards ceremony in Taipei, is also looking forward to riding her horse Pie, a Hanoverian by Worldly, in the Developing Horse Championships. “Pie is very special to me, not only because I have had him for many years but because of his loving character and overachieving nature,” she said. “Pie showed as a six-year-old and qualified for the championships, but was unable to attend. He had nearly two years off and underwent a last effort surgery. To my delight he came back and has developed rapidly. This has been his first full year of showing and he has exceeded my expectations.”

Continue reading Caroline Roffman to Compete Three Horses at the 2011 National Young Horse and Developing Horse Championships →

Community/Charity, Contributors/Press, Seminars

KY Horse Council Leads Strategic Planning Session for Equine Industry

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Lexington, KY, July 21, 2011 – Kentucky’s horses are often referred to as a “signature industry”, providing the Commonwealth with an identity that goes beyond state and national borders.  Horses provide Kentuckians thousands of jobs, millions in tax revenue to the Commonwealth, and hours of pleasure for Kentucky horsemen and women.

Despite the size and impact of the industry, Kentucky does not engage routinely in long-term strategic planning of initiatives to benefit all breeds and equestrian disciplines.

The Kentucky Horse Council (KHC) hosts a Kentucky Equine Strategic Planning Session on September 24, 2011.  KHC seeks the involvement of all equine associations throughout the Commonwealth for this important process.

“This planning effort to develop initiatives for the benefit of all owners, riders, and breeders is something that is a natural fit for the Kentucky Horse Council”, says Anna Zinkhon, President of the KHC Board.

“The event will not only support the industry and the Commonwealth, but will also help to unify the community, which has been known to be fragmented into different interest groups.  When we all work together and speak as one voice, we are much more effective,” Zinkhon continued.

Continue reading KY Horse Council Leads Strategic Planning Session for Equine Industry →

Breeds, Competitions, Events, Racing, Racing Sources

Gold and Silver Cup at Fair Meadows

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Q-Racing Journal, July 21, 2011 – Carl Pevehouse’s homebred Haulin Candy Salt tries for her first stakes win in the $385,500 Speedhorse Gold and Silver Cup Futurity (RG2) and Heritage Place Derby (G2) winner Capo De Capi shoots for a second derby victory in the $100,000 Speedhorse Gold and Silver Cup Derby (RG3) at Fair Meadows on Saturday night.

Haulin Candy Salt (PYC Paint Your Wagon-Salt Lake Spitty by Salt Lake (TB)) moves up to the stakes ranks for trainer Clinton Crawford after winning two of her three starts and one second-place finish. She won her career debut at Remington Park and then finished in a dead heat for second in a second-level
allowance race.

Those races put her in top form for the Gold and Silver Cup trials and she responded with a length win in :17.641 for the 350 yards, the fastest-qualifying mark from seven trials.

Mary Passmore’s Second Painted Sign (PYC Paint Your Wagon-Stylish Sign by Vital Sign) also comes into the futurity in winning form. After finishing off the board in his first two starts, he stepped up with a pair of wins. The Jackie Kirby-trained colt rolled to a daylight maiden score with the second-fastest qualifying time of :17.644.

Trainer Eddie Willis has the two-fastest qualifiers to the Gold and Silver Cup Derby with Capo De Capi and Blackwater Command.

James Sills’ Capo De Capi (Corona Cartel-A Shot At Glory by Strawfly Special) has already made six starts this year and is riding a four-race winning streak. Highlighting the winning streak is his neck win at 30-1 odds in the Heritage Place Derby. He substantiated that upset score in his Gold and Silver Cup Derby trial with a length win, and his time of :17.514 was the quickest from the three trials.

Mike Vaughn’s homebred Blackwater Command (PYC Paint Your Wagon-Soxolene by Whirling Fastball) also scored a stakes win at Remington Park last spring with a nose score in the Mr Master Bug Handicap (R) over Oklahoma-breds. The winner of three of four 2011 outs dominated his trial by 1 1/2 lengths with the second-fastest time of :17.573.

American Quarter Horse Association
1600 Quarter Horse Drive
Amarillo, TX 79104

Community/Charity, Driving, JRPR, Products/Services

Ariat International Joins Combined Driver Chester Weber’s Team of Sponsors

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Chester Weber is pleased to welcome Ariat International, the leading performance footwear and apparel brand for equestrian athletes around the world, to Team Weber’s list of sponsors. (Photo courtesy of My Elisabeth Weber)

Ocala, FL (July 22, 2011) – Team Weber is currently in Europe representing the United States in the world of combined driving. As the United States’ most decorated team brings their award-winning prowess to the international stage, they will be proudly decked out in Ariat clothing. Ariat International, the leading performance footwear and apparel brand for equestrian athletes around the world, is pleased to announce they are joining combined driver Chester Weber’s team of sponsors.

“The quality and fit of the Ariat products are perfect for us,” said Weber. “We wore shirts, vests, jackets and hats from Ariat for the last championships and really liked them. We train in all-weather situations and their clothing is perfect for that.”

Weber, the eight-time USEF National Four-In-Hand Combined Driving Champion who is based out of Live Oak Plantation in Ocala, is a driving force in the world of combined driving.  He recently proved to be unstoppable overseas, where he went two-for-two by capturing wins at CAI Altenfelden in Austria and the CAIO Vecses in Hungary.  His European tour then continued with the 2011 World Equestrian Festival CHIO in Aachen, Germany, where Team Weber put in a brilliant performance, placing third overall.  After such success in Europe, Weber is currently tied for first place in the FEI World Cup standings.  The European tour wraps up with the CAI Riesenbeck in July, a venue in which he has already found great success.

Weber has competed for the U.S. in three World Equestrian Games and was part of the U.S. Silver Medal Team at the 2010 Games in Kentucky. Weber also earned an Individual Silver Medal in the Four-in-Hand World Driving Championships in Beesd, The Netherlands, making him the first American to ever win an Individual Medal at the World Driving Championships.

Continue reading Ariat International Joins Combined Driver Chester Weber’s Team of Sponsors →

Breeds, Community/Charity, Contributors/Press, Racing

Awad, Winner of the 1995 Arlington Million, Dead at 21

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GEORGETOWN, KY – JULY 23, 2011 – Millionaire and four-time GR 1 winner Awad has died.  The 21-year-old stallion was discovered early this morning in his paddock at Old Friends, the Thoroughbred Retirement Center in Georgetown, KY, where he has been pensioned since 2006.

According to veterinarian Dr. Douglas Byars and Old Friends founder and President Michael Blowen, the cause of death was a sudden heart attack, but a full necropsy is currently underway at Hagyard Equine Medical Institute in Lexington.

The hard-knocking son of Caveat, Awad raced for seven seasons as a homebred for Maryland’s Ryehill Farm, capturing 14 of his 70 starts. His career earnings totaled $3,270,131.

Awad’s first GR1 win came in the 1993 Secretariat Stakes at Arlington International, which would prove to be a lucky course for the Maryland bred throughout his career. In 1995 he captured the GR1 Arlington Million in record time, 1:58.69, shaving one-fifth of a second off the course mark set by Perrault in 1982.

With the win he not only gave trainer David Donk and jockey Eddie Maple their first Million triumphs, he also became the first horse to ever win both of those GR1 turf events at Arlington.

Continue reading Awad, Winner of the 1995 Arlington Million, Dead at 21 →

Dressage, Events, JRPR, Training/Clinics

Everglades Dressage Trainer and Grand Prix Rider Bethany Peslar Teaches Successful Clinic on “Seat, Position and Effectiveness of the Aids”

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Bethany Peslar taught a successful clinic to an enthusiastic group of students recently at Planeta Stables in New Hope PA. (Photo courtesy of Everglades Dressage)

New Hope, PA (July 22, 2011) – Grand Prix Dressage rider and trainer Bethany Peslar taught a clinic this month at Planeta Stables in New Hope, Pennsylvania.  The focus of the clinic was “Seat, Position and Effectiveness of the Aids”. Known for giving her students 110% during a clinic or lesson, Peslar’s talent, dedication and ability to keep the concepts clear helped the riders not only enjoy the day but come away with a better seat and deeper understanding of the effectiveness of the aids.

“Everyone was very enthusiastic about learning how to improve their seat. I really enjoyed working with each rider and it was a fun day,” Peslar said, adding that she enjoyed the camaraderie with the riders including Pam Olshavsky, Alex Poggi, Eileen Ward and Roberta Weiss. “Alex rode Zoey, my lesson horse who is a nine-year-old Friesian mare. I always enjoy teaching on Zoey, and I know there are a lot of my students who can’t wait to ride her each week.”

Peslar said much of the clinic was focused on getting everyone to sit correctly. “Almost everyone spent their entire ride on the lunge so they could really concentrate on their seat without worrying about steering. Some of the issues I worked on were sitting straight and upright in the saddle, never leaning forward or backward and not collapsing to one side or the other. We also worked on keeping an invisible straight line from hip to heel as well as how to achieve a deep seat. An issue many of the riders had was gripping or pinching in with their knees and holding too much tension in their upper leg. This literally pushes them out of the saddle and prevents the rider from having a deep seat.”

Continue reading Everglades Dressage Trainer and Grand Prix Rider Bethany Peslar Teaches Successful Clinic on “Seat, Position and Effectiveness of the Aids” →

Competitions, Events, HITS, HITS, Hunter/Equitation, Show Jumping, Vaulting

HITS Culpeper July Wrap-Up

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Rave reviews for new Grand Prix footing, riders use Culpeper as their stepping-stone to qualify for the Pfizer Million and Diamond Mills Hunter Prix Final, while sponsors Pfizer Animal Health and Purina Mills enjoy some southern hospitality

© ESI Photography. Kevin Babington and Mark Q on course in the $40,000 Strongid C 2X Grand Prix.

CULPEPER, VA (July 22, 2011) – HITS Culpeper enjoyed two strong weeks of competition during its July shows – the Showday National and the Cavalier Classic – with higher than expected entries as exhibitors flocked to Culpeper, Virginia from all corners of the country. An action-packed schedule, which included two more qualifiers each for the Pfizer $1 Million Grand Prix and Diamond Mills $500,000 Hunter Prix Final, along with new Grand Prix footing, made Culpeper a “must show” for many exhibitors looking to punch their ticket to this year’s Grand Finale in September.

The Showday National opened up the two-week series and was the first opportunity riders had to test out the newly resurfaced Grand Prix ring. “I thought the footing was excellent and the horses all jumped well,” said Ramiro Quintana of West Palm Beach, Florida who, aboard November Hill Farm’s Versace, captured the $1,000 Level 6 Morningside Training Farm Jumpers during the Showday National. “With all the improvements that are being made in Culpeper I am sure it will once again be considered one of the top destinations in American show jumping.”

Culpeper catches Pfizer Million fever
During the Showday National, Kevin Babington of Gwynedd Valley, Pennsylvania wasted no time at all getting comfortable with the new Grand Prix footing when he rode his own Mark Q to the blue in the $40,000 Strongid C 2X Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, and picked up his second of eight Grand Prix needed to become eligible for the Pfizer Million. Silvio Mazzoni of Leesburg, Virginia was all business on Sunday when he won the $40,000 Purina Mills Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, during the Cavalier Classic aboard his own Remonta Habano, which propelled him into the top 10 of the Pfizer Million Rider Rankings with more than $26,000 in prize money.

Continue reading HITS Culpeper July Wrap-Up →