There isn’t anything quite like being able to stand on your own two feet, but sometimes things happen that requires us to rely on our friends for support.
That’s what drives the Equestrian Aid Foundation. Helping those who need a helping hand to stand again on their own.
We have a special story of survival and hope from recipient H. Rick Albertson. Several may remember his story and I’m sure you will appreciate an update on this charismatic man. Also more exciting news with a recap of our day in the mountains.
THIS JUST IN …
During July, Author Rebecca Cagle will donate $1 for every copy of her Kindle books sold on Amazon to the EAF.
Rebecca, a cancer survivor, has two handbooks for horse owners that will apply for the July promotion:
“How to Save Time and Money with Your Horse Veterinarian: An Interview with Equine Veterinarian Marcia Thibeault, DVM” and “Grieving the Loss of Your Horse: How to Survive Your Journey.” Purchase either or both books here.
Vaulting Several U.S. vaulters participated in the CVI competition in Saratoga, CA. Patrick Stevens took home the win in the Male Senior CVI2*with a score of 7.195, while Joseph Gadd came in second with a 6.247. In the competitive Female Senior CVI2*, Mary McCormick took home the win with an impressive score of 8.219. Katharine Wick came in a close second with an 8.147, while Marisa Hamar finished third with a 7.671. The Mt. Eden Sun Team finished in first in the Senior Team CVI2* with a score of 7.799. The Woodside A Team came in second with a 7.420 and the Pacific Coast Vaulters finished third with a 6.931. In the Senior Pas de Deux, Rosalind Ross and Devon Maitozo had strong performances to win with an 8.121. Kimberly and Cassidy Palmer finished second with a score of 7.086, while Alexandra Thrasher and Joseph Gadd came in third with 6.849. In the Male Senior CVI1*, Nicholas Cox took the top prize with a score of 5.363. Tessa Divita took the top prize in the Female Senior CVI1* with a 7.067. Grace Robinson came in second with a 6.753, while Karly Frankel-Newman finished third with a 6.732. In the Senior Team CVI1*, the Mt. Eden 7 Sisters won the division with a score of 5.995, while Tambourine came in second with a 5.260.
Dressage At the CDI-W Milton in Canada, David Marcus competed two horses throughout the weekend. In the Prix St Georges class, Marcus and Don Kontes finished in fourth with a score of 66.711%, while he tied for fifth with Chevri’s Capital with a 65.570%. Marcus once again had strong finishes in the Intermediaire I class, finishing third with Chevri’s Capital with a score of 69.737% and fifth with Don Kontes with a score of 67.895%. Susan Dutta had consistent performances in the Grand Prix class, finishing third with Currency DC scoring a 65.182% and fourth with Manette DC scoring a 65.061%. In the Grand Prix Special, Dutta and Golden Choice DC finished third with a score of 62.515%.
The American Quarter Horse Journal, June 30, 2011 – Executive Miss Dash and One Famous Brioni, the top two qualifiers and one-two finishers in their trial, are set for a rematch in the $297,077 Firecracker Futurity (G2) during a stakes-filled Fourth of July weekend at Delta Downs.
The 350-yard Firecracker Futurity is joined by the $133,045 Firecracker Derby on Saturday as Louisiana-breds highlight Sunday’s card in the $458,180 Lee Berwick Memorial Futurity (RG1) on Sunday.
Albert Vera Jr.’s Executive Miss Dash (Executive Menace-Miss Ryon Dash by Dash For Destiny) raced to her third win from four starts with the game win over the promising One Famous Brioni in their trial. The Erika Huitron-trained Executive Miss Dash fought for the lead in her trial and prevailed by a neck with a :17.577 time for the 350 yards.
The only blemish on Executive Miss Dash’s record is a second-place finish in the John Deere Sam Houston Juvenile Challenge (G3) two starts ago on May 14. She finished three quarters of a length behind Pandorum as the 5-2 second choice.
Mary Thompson’s One Famous Brioni (Mr Jess Perry-One Famous Lady by Chicks Beduino) is still a maiden after two starts; however the half brother to champion One Famous Eagle has a large upside. The Larry Kopycinski-trained colt was a late-running third in his career debut and then came back to finish well in his trial with the second-fastest time of :17.608.
Elizabeth Lubrano and Torando were victorious in the Ariat Adult Medal at the Brandywine Valley Summer Series. Photo By: Rebecca Walton/PMG.
Devon, PA – June 29, 2011 – The first annual Brandywine Valley Summer Series presented by Taylor Harris Insurance Services kicked off its first day of competition this Wednesday in the Dixon Oval at the prestigious Devon Show Grounds. The top horse and rider combinations gathered to compete at the historic venue and support this exciting new event. The sun shone brightly as riders competed during the first day of the professional hunter divisions and the Adult Amateur divisions, as well as during the Ariat Adult Medal and the $500 NAL/WIHS Adult Hunter Classic.
The adult riders began the day by showcasing their equitation skills during the Ariat Adult Medal. Elizabeth Lubrano received the top call following the test for her ride aboard Tornado, owned by Horizon Hill Farm of Glenmoore, PA.
Today’s course was designed by Michael Rheinheimer and included a bending line, an in-and-out, and multiple inside turns. Miranda Scarpone of Kinnelon, NJ, took an early lead with a score of 82. Lubrano followed in second with a 78, while Devin Cox of Kennett Square, PA, was third with a 76, and Catherine Marcks of Lancaster, PA, was in fourth with a 75.
For the test, riders had to walk from the line-up and then canter a single vertical. They then made a left turn to a second single vertical and finally made their way to the last fence before halting and sitting the trot back to the line. Cox made a slight error at the second fence and moved to fourth, while Marcks’ smooth trip moved her into the third position. Scarpone also had a good test, but Lubrano quickly made her way to the top of the leaderboard after opting for an inside turn to the second fence. Lubrano eventually took home the winning prize, a gift certificate to Ariat International, while Scarpone placed second.
The Animal Welfare Institute’s updated report on the state of America’s wild horses is now available. If you would like a copy you can click on the link below or if you would like to order a large number of the booklets please email directly with your request.
Managing for Extinction: Shortcomings of the Bureau of Land Management’s National Wild Horse and Burro Program
An overview of the BLM’s failure to properly manage these symbols of the American West, 2011, 30 pages.
Executive Summary
A government program biased against the very animals it is designed to protect threatens today’s wild horses and burros. Our national Wild Horse and Burro Program and related federal lands management policies are so flawed that the long-term survival of these animals is in serious jeopardy, as is the health of public lands on which they reside. The federal agencies assigned management authority for the program, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in the US Department of the Interior and the US Forest Service (USFS) in the US Department of Agriculture, have lost sight of their legal mandate to “protect” wild horses and burros. Instead, agency officials have focused almost exclusively on accommodating livestock and other commercial uses – at the expense of the welfare of wild horses and burros. This report will demonstrate that:
June 29, 2011 – Nashville, TN – The Women’s Horse Industry is pleased to announce an awards program dedicated to the men and women in country music who have a passion for helping and saving horses.
The event will be held in conjunction with the Rhythm & Hooves benefit auction on Thursday, October 6 at the Radisson Opryland. Nominees from the country music industry will be presented awards for their efforts with horses. After the awards are presented, there will be an auction to benefit the Cloud Foundation, The Equestrian Aid Foundation and Stolen Horses/NetPosse.com. “These are great equine charities and we hope the Nashville music industry will help us raise money by providing items for the auction,” states Debby Lening, VP of the Women’s Horse Industry.
“I know that there are a lot of country music artists and other music industry executives who have a real passion for helping horses so we thought that it would make a lot of sense to identify, recognize and award them for their efforts,” states Catherine Masters, Executive Director of WHIA.
If you would like to nominate someone from the country music industry for these awards, please send an email to: whra44@yahoo.com with the nominee’s name and why they should be nominated.
Eric Lamaze wearing the Green & Gold at Spruce Meadows. Photo: Thierry Billet of Sportfot
29 June 2011 – Canadian show jumper Eric Lamaze has regained the Green & Gold armband from French rider Kevin Staut after he was crowned the Number One rider in the world according to the latest Rolex Rankings.
Lamaze originally held the Green & Gold between July and August 2010; however, following impressive performances in Dublin and at Hickstead, France’s Kevin Staut soon staked his claim to the Number One spot.
Staut has been the No 1 ranked rider since September 2010, but Lamaze’s great run of recent form, which includes 2nd place at the Rolex FEI World Cup Final in Leipzig, plus victories at the CSIO5* in La Baule (France) and Rome (Italy), and the CSI5* in Valencia (Spain), has seen him return to the top spot in the Rolex Rankings.
First launched in December 2009 and supported by the International Jumping Riders Club (IJRC), the Green & Gold is worn at all FEI competitions and bears the words “Number 1 Rolex Rankings”.
Since its launch, the Green & Gold has been worn by four riders: Marcus Ehning (GER), Pius Schwizer (SUI), Kevin Staut (FRA) and Eric Lamaze (CAN).
Court Allows Wild Horse Group’s Challenge to BLM’s Zero Out Policy
June 28, 2011 – A federal court rejected the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) request to dismiss or limit a suit brought by a consortium of wild horse advocacy groups and concerned citizens to save the West Douglas wild horse herd. Although the BLM withdrew their 2010 plans to decimate this northwest Colorado wild horse herd early in 2011, the advocacy groups have remained vigilant in their stance to have the Court decide whether BLM has the legal authority to zero out a herd. By her ruling, Judge Rosemary Collyer agreed that Plaintiffs could proceed with this claim and stated, “The Bureau of Land Management’s 2005 West Douglas Herd Amendment to the White River Resource Management Plan violates the Wild Horses Act because it restates the decision by the BLM to eradicate the ‘West Douglas herd’ of wild horses. The 2005 Amendment directed the BLM to eliminate the herd ‘at the earliest practicable date’ and BLM’s recent withdrawal of its decision to gather the herd in 2011 does not affect any change to the allegedly improper decision to eliminate the herd as soon as practicable.”
The battle over the West Douglas herd is nearly two decades old, and only through the efforts of concerned citizens and organizations have the horses been saved from the BLM’s desire to remove them all from their homelands. In 2009, concerned citizens and organizations won the first case in the United States against BLM’s practices of eliminating wild horse herds when Judge Collyer set aside BLM’s 2008 roundup plans. In 2010 advocates again sued the BLM and the BLM withdrew its plans to decimate the herd.
“The court agreed that we have the right to challenge the decision to zero out the herd, originally made in the 2005 Amendment, despite the fact that the BLM has decided not to perform a round up and removal in 2010,” explained Bruce Wagman of Schiff Hardin LLP, legal lead for the groups. “BLM has been trying to avoid the issue with self-serving tactics, but the court found the BLM’s decision to hold off on this year’s gather ‘does not affect any change to the allegedly improper decision to eliminate the herd as soon as practicable.’ This is of course exactly what we argued.”
Washington, D.C. (June 28, 2011) – Late Monday night, Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL) and Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) introduced The Horse Transportation Safety Act of 2011 (S. 1281) to ban double deck trailer transportation of horses in the United States. Senator Kirk has worked to end the use of double deck transports for hauling horses since serving in the House of Representatives, following a horrific double deck trailer accident that took place in his state.
“Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) is elated that Senator Kirk has chosen to reassert his strong commitment to the issue since his election to the Senate last year,” said Christine Sequenzia, federal policy advisor at AWI. “Humane horse transportation is one of our top priorities and we felt that committee passage of a standalone bill during the 111th Congress was an important step forward. We now look forward to seeing the Horse Transportation Safety Act of 2011 signed into law.”
Double deck livestock trailers on the road today were built to meet the specific design and engineering requirements of short-necked livestock species, like cattle, sheep, and swine. Unfortunately, a few irresponsible haulers have used these trailers against manufacturer intent to transport horses, leading to inhumane travel conditions for equines and unsafe roadways for drivers. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and the National Agriculture Safety Database (NASD) have recommended ceiling heights no lower than 7’-8’ to transport horses safely, while average double deck trailer ceiling heights range from 4’7”-5‘11”. The U.S. Department of Transportation only requires bridges to have a vertical clearance of 14′ in both rural and urban areas, making it impractical to build or modify a trailer large enough to transport equines on two levels.
“Besides being an inhumane way to transport horses, double-deck trailers pose a major safety threat to the drivers of the imbalanced, oversized vehicles, as well as to other motorists,” said Senator Kirk. “Unfortunately, crashes due to these factors have occurred, and the results of the accidents are devastating. Following an accident in 2007 in Wadsworth, Ill., authorities worked for five hours before they were able to free the horses from the wreckage.”
Win $750 Worth of KAM’s Healthy Horse Products and More
KAM’s Equine Learning Circle, a division of KAM Animal Services, has been providing healthy horse tips weekly for over a year now. Their “Tips of the Week” have been so well received that they now want to offer other equine experts the opportunity to be credited for their best healthy horse tip. Everyone who sends in a tip will be a winner so read on!
If you are a veterinarian, a farrier, an equine dentist, a nutritionist, or a specialist in some area related to horses then send us your best tip for a chance to win prizes. First place will win $750 worth of KAM Animal Services products, second place $500 worth of product and third place $250 worth of product.
Do you have a tip on the best way to deal with lameness, keep your horse free from flies or to give your friendly critter a shiny coat? Or maybe your tip is about cleaning your tack or quick and easy grooming tips, loading your horse into a trailer, or preparing your horse for the vet. Perhaps your tip is about teaching the adult or child rider or how to photograph your horse. If you feel you are an expert in some area and have a tip to offer, then we want to hear from you. Let your mind be your guide and in 250-350 words write down your tip and email it to diana@presslinkpr.com.
While there will be product prizes for first, second and third place, that doesn’t mean you won’t also be a winner. If we like what you have to say, you could also have your very own tip be included in KAM’s Equine Learning Circle’s Tip of the Week. Each tip will have a cartoon crafted to match the theme of your tip and you will be credited for your submission at the end of the tip. In addition KAM is creating a Healthy Horse Holiday e-Book of all its tips and yours could be included.
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