“Who is Paul Rohrbach?” asked many people after he posted his first major grand prix win at the $50,000 Los Angeles National Grand Prix. Rohrbach, a professional from Colorado who runs a successful hunter/jumper training business with partner Corky Shaha, has been steadily posting strong grand prix finishes over the years. After his stellar performance in the grand prix aboard Mary Dunahay’s Shiraz, everyone knew who he was. Rohrbach came to the Los Angeles National (November 16-20, 2005) by...

On Monday, November 21, the Gold Medal Show Jumping Team from the 2004 Athens Olympic Games was honored by the United States Equestrian Team (USET) Foundation with a Gold Medal Reception hosted by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg at Gracie Mansion in Manhattan. A select group of approximately 150 guests, including Olympic horse owners and other friends and supporters of the U.S. team, attended the two-hour evening event. All four members of the Gold Medal Show Jumping Team were present:...

Craig Schmersal had four horses to show at the Southwest Reining Horse Association (SWRHA) Futurity and Horse Show in Ardmore, OK, in October. He had Commanders Nic and Im Genuinely Smart for Open and Novice Horse Open competition. He had two three-year-olds for the SWRHA Futurity, Wrangle Whiz and Conquistadors Star. All four horses earned NRHA paychecks. After the show, Schmersal, his wife Ginger and their sons Chris and Nick drove to their new home and training facility in Overbrook, OK,...

Lexington, KY – Ashley Alden, 17, of Deer Park, Illinois, riding American Saddlebred LA Blues, was crowned champion of the 2005 USEF Saddle Seat Medal Final, held November 19, as part of the UPHA/American Royal National Championship Horse Show in Kansas City, Missouri. Judges for this year’s final included Sandy Sessink of Eugene Oregon, Brent Jacobs of Georgetown, Kentucky, and Lewis Eckard of Hildebran, North Carolina. Smith topped the class of 24 entries in the two-phase...

HITS is pleased to announce the 2006 Indio Desert Circuit in Indio, CA. Now in its 15th consecutive year, the Indio Desert Circuit will once again offer an exciting six weeks of hunter/jumper competitions. In addition to the excellence in show management that equestrians have come to expect from HITS, 2006 brings some changes sure to please competitors. Most importantly, in 2006 HITS is switching over to EuroFelt footing in all the rings in Indio, and making some positive changes to the layout...

Irish competitor Kevin Babington will be offering a jumper clinic on Saturday, December 10, 2005, at the High Point Equestrian Center in Montague, NJ. Babington has represented Ireland’s international team since 1996 and has won numerous grand prix in the United States, as well. Babington has proven to be an effective communicator in his clinics. He is as skillful at improving the green horse and rider as he is with the advanced horse and rider. The clinic will hold four 90-minute group lessons....

By Sarah Holt The funds will be used in part for the purchase, hauling and storage of hay for the winter. The hurricane destroyed barns used for hay storage, and hay production is currently non-existent in the area hit by the hurricane. The Paso Fino Horse Association, as a member of the American Horse Council, requested the funding for the region. ~~~

The AAEP Foundation, Inc., has donated $50,000 to aid Gulf Coast horses affected by Hurricane Katrina. Donations of $25,000 each have been made to the Louisiana Veterinary Medical Association (LVMA) and the Mississippi Veterinary Medical Association (MVMA). The AAEP Foundation created its Equine Disaster Relief Fund in early September to aid horses affected by Hurricane Katrina and other natural disasters. "The Foundation is delighted to donate a portion of our disaster relief funds to such...

Aaron Vale of Aiken, SC, riding for Angelstone Farms claimed another victory on board the 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding Arriscraft Soleil with double clear rounds on November 20 over a field of 36 competitors in the $40,000 National Hunter Jumper League (NHJL) Grand Prix sponsored by Bayer/Legend. A first-round time of 88.158 seconds assured Vale a return spot in the jump-off. Their second clear round time of 43.024 seconds put them in the winner's circle. Vale had a total of six mounts...

A clinic with current Olympic eventing champion Leslie Law of Great Britain will take place on Thursday, December 8, at Greenbrier Farm, a 160-acre eventing training facility in Uxbridge, Ontario, Canada. Long considered one of Britain’s most talented eventing riders, Law claimed the Individual Gold medal at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games riding Shear l’Eau and led the British to Team Silver. In September, Greenbrier Farm presented a clinic with Law held at Dreamcrest Farm that met with rave...