The American Saddlebred Horse Association (ASHA) announced its projected convention and annual meeting dates for the next five years. In 2009 and 2010, the convention will move to the Griffin Gate Marriott Resort in Lexington, KY. For 2009, dates will be on the traditional President’s Day weekend, and for 2010, the dates will be the weekend following President’s Day. After that, the convention is planned to return to the holiday weekend. “We were fortunate to obtain a very favorable room rate...

Powerful winds and rain on the final day of the Kentucky Spring Horse Show instigated a change of plans for the $55,000 Commonwealth Grand Prix CSI***. Originally scheduled for 1:00 p.m. in the Sheila C. Johnson Arena, early announcements informed exhibitors that the grand prix would be held in the indoor arena at 2:30 p.m. This alteration did not daunt Hidden Creek's Pamina L, who Margie Engle maneuvered flawlessly for an expeditious grand prix win. Out of 34 starters, 13 horses completed...

Highlights of both the 2007 Platform® American Miniature Horse National Championships and the 2007 Platform® Shetland Pony Congress will be aired in May and June on RFD-TV. The American Miniature Horse Registry (AMHR) National Championship Show and the Shetland Pony Congress are the equivalent of the Super Bowl for Miniature horses and Shetland ponies. The shows attract the top small equines from throughout the U.S. Last year’s televised highlights from the shows are back on air just in time to...

Photo by Randi Muster (Alex Matz and his pony, Wise Guy.) A famous jumping name will again be present in the Devon Horse Show catalog. The name is Matz, but this time it isn’t Michael, who showed for many years very successfully at Devon, but his son, Alex. Alex is only 11 years old and he’s only been competing in pony jumpers for a couple of months, but it’s already beginning to look like he’s inherited his famous father’s talent. The first time he ever competed...

The United States Dressage Federation (USDF) announced that the 2008 Great American Insurance Group/USDF Regional Dressage Championships will award prize money of over $146,000 divided among the nine regions. Champions will each receive $314 in prize money, a jacket and an embroidered cooler provided by Tuff Rider, Inc. Reserve champions will each receive $210 in prize money and a lead shank from the Great American Insurance Group, title sponsor of the championships. Every year Great American...

Lexington, KY – The United States Equestrian Federation’s (USEF) 2008 National Para Equestrian Championships and the USEF Selection Trials for the 2008 U.S. Paralympic Team-Equestrian begins this Friday, May 16, at the Lamplight Equestrian Center in Wayne, IL, and will conclude Sunday, May 18. The USEF National Para Equestrian Championships and the USEF Selection Trials for the 2008 U.S. Paralympic Team-Equestrian will run concurrently with the dressage competition kicking off Friday with the...

All eventing fans will be pleased to learn that the cross-country and jumping portions of CCI*** Saumur taking place this weekend—May 16-18—will be broadcast live on the Internet. Some of the world’s best riders, such as American Clark Montgomery with Up Spirit; Nicolas Touzaint, the first ever Frenchman to win Badminton two weeks ago, and eventing legend Mark Todd, who is seeking to complete his Olympic qualification, will compete in Saumur. The competition will be broadcast...

The 112th Devon Horse Show and Country Fair is Thursday, May 22, through Sunday, June 1, in Devon, PA. New this year is a United Professional Horsemen's Association (UPHA) Pink Ribbon class. Last fall, the UPHA introduced the program to help horse shows engage communities, showcase the show horses and raise much-needed funds for breast cancer research, awareness and treatment. The designated class at Devon is the UPHA Pink Ribbon Ladies Five-Gaited class on Wednesday evening, May 28. Devon also...

Distributed by Carrie Mortensen, Director of Breeds and Western, on behalf of the USEF Arabian Committee. Lexington, KY— The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) Arabian Committee met recently and issued the following clarification for non-regional and non-national championship classes, effective immediately: All horses competing for champion or reserve champion in the Arabian or Half-Arabian/Anglo-Arabian breeding/gelding in-hand classes at Class A, B, C and local competition...

Lexington, KY - After an extensive search, the USEF has named three-time World Endurance Champion and 1990 AHSA/Hertz Equestrian of the Year, Becky Hart, as chef d’equipe for the U.S. endurance riders. An Endurance veteran, Hart was inducted into the American Endurance Ride Conference Hall of Fame in 1992 and is also a Centered Riding instructor. “It is an exciting time for the US Endurance team,” said Hart about her new role. “We are developing new strategies to strengthen our performance and...