Gladstone, NJ – After a four day battle, the rain finally won at the 2009 Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Dressage Festival of Champions, and collectively the Ground Jury and the management decided that, in the best interest of the horses, the competition was suspended after the Young Riders rode first thing Sunday morning. This meant that Leslie Morse was crowned USEF National Grand Prix Champion for the fifth time. Morse GP Raymeister (SusanJStickle.com) and her beloved 15-year-old Swedish...

Gladstone, NJ – The first leg of the 2009 Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF National Grand Prix Dressage Championship, which was rescheduled to Friday morning after Thursday’s deluge, showcased some of the top horse/rider combinations in the US. But it wasn’t until the final ride of the class that anyone could break 70%. Veteran Olympic rider Leslie Morse and her classy 15-year-old stallion, Tip Top 962, put in a very focused and expressive effort to take a commanding lead with a...

Jocelyn Wiese and Lamborghini (Susan J. Stickle Photography ) By Joanie Morris Gladstone, NJ – Under the banner of a chilly relentless rain, the 2009 Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Dressage Festival of Champions got underway on Thursday, June 18. The “Brentina Cup” Riders (aged 20-28) were the first of five groups of horses and riders vying for National Championships titles. The nine “Brentina Cup” Riders were the only division to get a performance in as the rest of...

Well-known Region II American Connemara Pony Society (ACPS) Connemara trainer and rider Carol Kozlowski won three divisions of the Genesee Valley Riding and Driving Club (GVRDC) Spring Event on Sunday, June 7, 2009, in Geneseo, Livingston County, NY, on three different horses, including two of her own Connemara crosses. The GVRDC Spring Event offered an opportunity for riders and trainers to safely condition and prepare their mounts for upcoming two-day events. Being held for the first time as...

Two classes of Connemaras competed in the Connemara breeding division in-hand classes at the June Upperville Colt and Horse Show. Catherine Mack was the judge. In the Connemara Mares, Eight and Under, first place went to Ridgetop Harriette (Aladdin’s Denver x *Cloud Shadows, by Windy Day), owned by Marynell Eyles and shown by Paula Moore. In second was Thurman Keepsake (Landgate Bluebeard x Tre Awain Sileach, by Tre Awain DeValera), owned by Barbara Byrd and shown by Mary McMillan. Third place...

The Arabian horse industry’s largest event for youth, the Youth National Arabian and Half-Arabian Championship Horse Show, moves into Expo New Mexico in Albuquerque, July 25-August 1, 2009. The eight-day event combines top-level equine competition in a variety of disciplines with daily youth activities and a shopping expo, bringing approximately $10.2 million to the city. Nearly 1,000 horses from across the U.S. and Canada will compete each day from 7:30 a.m. to about 10 p.m. in everything from...

The Kentucky Summer Horse Shows are just around the corner. Held at the beautiful Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, the Kentucky Summer Horse Show is scheduled for the week of July 22-26, with the Kentucky Summer Classic following the week of July 29-August 2, 2009. These two weeks of hunter/jumper competition are a main stop for exhibitors on the hunter/jumper circuit, attracting the very best horses and riders in the nation. The Kentucky Summer Classic is a World Championship Hunter Rider...

From the USEF Show Jumping Department Lexington, KY – Five horse/rider combinations have been named by the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) to the final leg of the 2009 Meydan FEI Nations Cup™ Tour. These horse/rider combinations were selected based on their ranking on the June 5, 2009 USEF Computer List. The following horse/rider combinations will compete at: CSIO5* Falsterbo, CSIO5* Hickstead and CSIO5* Dublin. They will benefit from the guidance of Chef d’Equipe George Morris while...

LEXINGTON, KY– The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) would like to notify competitions, managers, stewards, instructors and exhibitors of a rule change that became effective April 20, 2009. The new addition to Equitation rule EQ119 states “At all World and National Championships and Finals, competitors must be allowed ample access to the competition arena in order to walk on foot the posted workout. A minimum of ½ hour is recommended.” Competitions are asked to plan accordingly to...

The Essex Classics/United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) Hunterdon Equitation Cup Classic will be held July 28 in Saugerties, NY, in conjunction with the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) East Coast Junior Hunter Finals. In its fifth year, the prestigious class combines the precision of equitation and the handiness of hunters to test the horsemanship skills of some of the most talented young riders in the country. The class consists of three rounds with the highest scores...