Officials with the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games recently announced Richard Nicoll as the driving course designer. Nicoll began designing and building courses in 1976 and has been working with carriages and horses since 1970. He competed with pairs and singles, and is currently the director of the Coach & Livestock Department of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation in Williamsburg, VA. Nicoll became course designer and technical delegate for the International Equestrian Federation...

Since most horses are used for recreational or performance activities, soundness is understandably of vital importance to horse owners. A 2003 study suggested that 60% of lameness problems in horses are related to osteoarthritis, thus stressing the importance of advancements in treating this disease. In humans, osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis and in the U.S. alone afflicts more than 20 million people. A horse’s joints give its skeleton flexibility and allow walking,...

Horse lovers from all walks of life gathered in the Sundowner Arena to attend a series of three clinics given by World Champion horsemen Al Dunning and Bob Avila, presented by Farnam Horse Products, during the Ninth Annual Western States Horse Expo, held June 8-10 in Sacramento, CA. Through a unique blend of demonstrations, expert techniques and humorous banter, Dunning and Avila combined their considerable talents to provide the crowds with the proven methods for training reining horses. In...

The American Saddlebred Museum was awarded a Silver Telly at the 28th Annual Telly Awards for its film Out of The Shadows . The 30-minute film, which features black horsemen from the late 1800s through the 1970s, was chosen among 15,000 entries for the highest prize offered by the Telly Awards. The Tellys honor outstanding local, regional and cable TV commercials and programs, as well as video and film productions. Out Of The Shadows competed in the Non-Broadcast Category. Produced by Museum...

Buying a horse is a big challenge. Choosing a mount that doesn't fit your needs, skill level or intended use can be painful emotionally, financially and even physically. To give would-be horse owners information that will enable them to make decisions that will lead to years of equine enjoyment, Michigan State University's (MSU's) My Horse University has launched a new online course called "Horse Selection and Evaluation." In this self-paced course, participants will discover a wealth of...

David O'Connor accepting the 2007 Equine Industry Vision Award. (Diana DeRosa ) Albuquerque, NM— When it comes to promoting innovation and showing vision in the equestrian world, there are few people who are as adept at it as the United States Equestrian Federation’s own president, David O’Connor. And for his years of excellence as an equestrian athlete and his service to not only the Federation, but the equine industry as a whole, O’Connor was presented with the 2007...

Lexington, KY – The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) will be looking to crown a new reining champion on June 30th at 6:30 p.m. at the 2007 Adequan/USEF Open Reining National Championship. This event draws top reiners from around the country and is hosted by the Clayton Woosley Hall of Fame Reining at the Kentucky Horse Park. Matt Mills and Bobbie Cook’s horse, Easy Otie Whiz, won last year’s championship with a score of 231. The pair went on to be a member of the gold medal winning...

US Representatives Named for FEI/WBFSH World Breeding Championship for Young Horses in Dressage Lexington, KY -The United States Equestrian Federation is pleased to announce the US representatives to the FEI/WBFSH World Breeding Championship for Young Horses in Dressage, to be held August 2 – 5, 2007 in Verden, Germany. The results of all three Markel/USEF Young Horse Dressage Selection Trials were tallied and horses from each age group (Five- and Six-Year-Olds) with an average score of at...

The Hagyard Challenge Series, a series of seven major show jumping competitions, will continue during the Kentucky Summer Horse Shows at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington. The first week of competition, the Kentucky Summer Horse Show, will be held from August 1-5, 2007, with the Kentucky Summer Classic following on August 8-12. The $30,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic Grand Prix classes are scheduled for Thursday, August 2, and Thursday, August 9, in the Sheila C. Johnson Arena. The Hagyard...

The United States Dressage Federation (USDF) announced that the USDF/United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) Young Rider Graduate Program will be held at the Hilton Palm Beach Airport Hotel in West Palm Beach, FL, January 18-20, 2008. The USDF/USEF Young Rider Graduate program, with funding support provided by The Dressage Foundation, is designed to bridge the gap between young rider status and the professional world of international competition, teaching, training and equine business...