Five weeks after Hurricane Ike devastated trails in the Clark State Forest in Indiana, the 100-mile and 50-mile American Endurance Ride Conference (AERC) National Championship riders and horses enjoyed excellent weather and trails on October 16 and 18. “The only reason the ride took place was because of the nearly 300-plus hours in manpower it took to get the trails in excellent condition,” said co-ride manager Cindy Young. “Few people realize what a mess those trails really were and without...

In October 2008, international para-equestrian driver Diane Kastama lost her equine driving partner, Jasper. The 13-year-old Welsh Cob gelding was loved by many. Kastama met Jasper with his tandem and pair mate, Rupert, at the World Championships in 2004. After leasing the gelding for the competition, Kastama found she couldn't leave him in Scotland. Purchasing the cobs, they came back stateside to take on the combined driving world. Not only was Jasper her competitive partner, but they teamed...

Lexington, KY - New Jersey show jumping rider Jessica Siuda stormed to victory in Belgium to score her first career Grand Prix win at the CSI** 's-Gravenwezel (Belgium) aboard Robin. Siuda, 25, was one of three (out of 43 starters) to go forward into the jump-off, she then was the first rider in the ring for the second round. Siuda and Robin put in a clean and very fast round and the other combinations in the jump-off had rails down trying to catch the pair. Robin, a 10-year-old KWPN gelding,...

Gladstone, NJ - The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) is hosting a ParaEquestrian Dressage Training Session for potential Para Dressage Equestrians and Elite Riders with US ParaEquestrian Team Coach and international eventing rider Missy Ransehousen and Assistant Coach Sharon Schneidman. The Training Session will be held November 24-25, 2008 at the Little Bit Therapeutic Riding Center in Woodinville, WA. ParaEquestrian provides riders with all kinds of disabilities the chance to...

The day before the 2008 Breeders’ Cup began, four heroes were honored at the Race Track Chaplaincy’s annual luncheon. The White Horse Award is presented each year to unsung heroes who perform an act to help horses or people on the race track. In a courageous feat, Todd Malley, Beau Smith, Larry Higgs and Jason Inabinett rescued 19 of 40 horses from an emblazoned barn at a Quarter Horse training facility in Vinton, Louisiana near the Delta Downs race track. The winners of the White Horse Award...

Adapting Gaits, Inc., a non-profit Thoroughbred retirement and rescue organization, is proud to announce their first annual Stallion Season Auction to be held online from October 15-November 15, 2008 for the 2009 breeding season. We will be auctioning off stallion seasons for well-known stallions standing at stud, including Mecke, Down the Aisle, Irish Hill Tonka Toy and Bright Launch, to name a few. Don’t miss out on this exceptional opportunity to obtain a stallion season and to help a worthy...

Exhibitors at the recent Sport Horse National (SHN) Championships were pleasantly surprised by the news that they won some unexpected cash at the show. Where did their windfall come from? Less than one year ago, the SHN Payback Program was born by a group of longtime Arabian breeders and riders. By offering cash rewards, the group hopes to encourage interest and enthusiasm in the Sport Horse Nationals show, as well as the breeding of Arabians specifically for the sport-type disciplines of...

Iron Spring Farm's three-year-old homebred Friesian stallion, Pilgrim ISF, was awarded the prestigious First Premie Star designation and was selected for KFPS stallion testing during the Friesian Horse Association of North America (FHANA) KFPS keuring on September 29, 2008. Iron Spring Farm's success during the keuring also includes Pilgrim's dam, Toltsje fan't Boekehof, receiving an 82.5 on her IBOP (performance) test to earn the prestigious Model designation. She also received the Champion...

International-level dressage with a Saturday night musical freestyle celebration under lights will be held at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC), December 4-6. The CDI*** dressage competition will be combined with the CSI*** Holiday & Horses event that includes the Rolex/USEF National Show Jumping Championship presented by Equine Motorcoach. The dressage competition is a major upgrade from the national level show of previous years. The musical freestyles will be in the...

On October 16-19, Gold Coast 7 finished off the 2008 season with a bang. In addition to sponsor Markel Insurance Corporation awarding the series’ championships, the show hosted the CPHA Children’s & Adult Regional Finals and CPHA Regional Horsemanship Finals. After the first two rounds, Malina Munshi was in first place going into the Children’s & Adult Finals work-off. Despite "nerves running through me," she maintained her lead. Munshi was concerned about the approach to the last jump. "That...