Photo by Robbi Meisel (Eirin Bruheim and NLF Trans Atlantic) Thermometers were up and down, weathermen forecasted gloom and doom with the supposed arrival of three inches or more of snow, and like all good businesses the managers of the Gulf Coast Winter Classics decided to aire on the side of caution by cancelling Friday classes. The good news was that aside from some nasty rain, it truly was a “non event” day as Bob Bell co-chairman had hoped. Saturday saw the return of warmer temperatures,...

Adrienne Lyle and Wizard at the 2008 Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Dressage Festival of Champions (Amy McCool) Weekly Updates from the USEF High Performance Programs: Dressage: In the dressage world, sweeps were the order of the weekend. American Tina Konyot rode her own Calecto V to a determined performance in the Grand Prix for the Freestyle on Saturday; they were the only pair to break the 70% barrier – scoring 70.596%. Pierre St. Jacques was second with Lucky Tiger. Konyot then won the Grand...

Photo by Amy McCool (Adrienne Lyle) Adrienne Lyle, the 2008 USEF National "Brentina Cup" Champion, was on fire during Thermal’s Dressage Getaway show, winning grand prix with both of her horses and earning top scores aboard all of her mounts. Lyle, an Ambassador for Trilogy Dressage Saddles, competed at the Dressage Getaway in Thermal in January and continued her winning streak in February at Thermal’s Dressage Getaway CDI. “I was thrilled with my horses during January’s show. Wizard and Felix...

Photo Courtesy JRPR (Lauren Sammis, left, won the FEI Test of Choice aboard High Field’s Casimirov, owned by Paula Runnells.) Courtney King-Dye and Grandioso III, owned by Hampton Green Farms, turned in an award-winning ride in the Intermediaire II class at the Wellington Classic Dressage Spring Challenge CDI. The class was sponsored by Sho Clothes, and King-Dye and Grandioso rode away with a beautiful scrim from the upscale dressage boutique in Wellington that specializes in the latest and...

Photo by Flying Horse Photography (McLain Ward and Goldika 559 on course in the $30,000 HITS Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health.) Canadian Olympian John Anderson sealed the first half of the HITS Desert Circuit with a kiss on Valentine's Day when he captured the blue ribbon aboard Terrific in the $25,000 HITS Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, on Sunday afternoon at the HITS Desert Horse Park, in Thermal, CA. The win marked the second victory of the circuit for Anderson...

Langer Equestrian Group kicked off its 2010 show season at the Hansen Dam Equestrian Center, January 30-31. The Verdugo Hills shows are approved by USEF, USHJA, LAHJA A, and San Fernando Hunter/Jumper Association A. Open hunter and jumper classes are held on one day, beginning at noon, and the junior and amateur classes run on the second day, along with a complete set of jumper classes for all levels of riders. “We wanted to draw more people from the various sanctioning organizations,” said...

Stadium Jumping, Inc., one of the premiere producers of equestrian events in the world, is pleased to announce that tickets for the 2010 $200,000 Gene Mische American Invitational are now on sale through Ticketmaster. This exciting event is open to the public, and tickets can be purchased online by visiting www.ticketmaster.com . The $200,000 Budweiser American Invitational is one of the world's richest equestrian show jumping competitions. Annually, this showcase of sheer equestrian power,...

Lexington, KY— The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) is pleased to announce the start of the second annual “My Favorite USEF Breed Competition Contest,” following an enthusiastic response to the program in 2009. Designed to function as a “competitor’s choice” award, this contest recognizes and applauds the efforts of the year’s favorite USEF-licensed breed competition, as decided by the officials, trainers, riders, drivers, handlers or owners who participated. Eleven competitions...

Lexington, KY – The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) will field a Para-Equestrian Dressage Team for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG), and for the first time this world championship will be run concurrently with the seven other FEI disciplines. This affords a very unique opportunity for US horse owners, as some Para-Equestrian athletes are in need of horses. This discipline is unique in that is allows the use of borrowed horses for riders, which allows more athletes...

Photo Courtesy Minitube Internationa (Biopsita with surrogate mom.) Minitube International has achieved a scientific breakthrough that will allow for genetic testing and preservation of equine embryos. The world's first foal from a biopsied and vitrified embryo transferred into a surrogate mare was born on Wednesday January 27, 2010, at Minitube International Center for Biotechnology in Mount Horeb, WI. Both the mother, "Lola," and foal are doing well. The birth of "Biopsita" marks a new era in...