At exactly 8:08 p.m. on August 8, the official one-year-to-go countdown to the 2008 Olympic Games was launched. Eight is considered a lucky number in Chinese culture. In general, eight is an auspicious number for Buddhists. In front of 10,000 people gathered on Tianan’men Square, with the Forbidden City as a backdrop, a sumptuous ceremony took place where Chinese culture and traditions were clearly on show. The International Olympic Committee President handed out the official invitations to the...

The United States Dressage Federation (USDF) announced that three Olympians will headline a stellar group of speakers for the USDF/USEF Young Rider Graduate Program, to be held January 18-20, 2008, in West Palm Beach, FL: Debbie McDonald, USEF National Developing Rider Coach, 2004 U.S. Olympic Dressage Team Bronze medalist and winner of the 2003 World Cup Dressage Final; Lisa Wilcox, 2004 U.S. Olympic Dressage Team Bronze medalist and 2002 World Equestrian Games Team Silver medalist; and Carol...

Late on August 2, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the funding bill for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for Fiscal Year 2008 after removing the overly broad language that was opposed by the horse industry. When the USDA funding bill was reported out of the House Appropriations Committee two weeks ago, it included language that was intended to apply to slaughter horses. But the provision was so broadly drafted that it would have applied to all horses and been...

Karen O'Connor and Theodore O'Connor on Their Way to Pan Am Gold! (Diana DeRosa) Lexington, KY - Karen O’Connor, two-time Olympic medalist and recent double gold medalist at the Pan American Games, will appear on the Today Show in New York City on August 8. Riding the amazing pony, Theodore O’Connor, the three-day event rider bested a field of very talented horses and riders and led the U.S. team to gold medal honors in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The popular morning show runs from 7a.m....

There will be no break in the action between Weeks V and VI at HITS-on-the-Hudson as the 2007 United States Equestrian Federation National Junior Hunter Championship-East Coast, presented by Stacey and Tom Siebel, returns August 6-8, 2007. The annual competition is designed to encourage and promote the basic training and development of junior hunters. Divided into four sections, the finals feature competition for Small Juniors 15 and Under, Large Juniors 15 and Under, Small Juniors 16-17 and...

Two-time Olympic medalist and recent double-Gold medalist at the Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Karen O’Connor will appear on the Today Show in New York City on August 8. Riding the amazing pony, Theodore O’Connor, the three-day event rider bested a field of very talented horses and riders and led the team to Gold-medal honors. The popular morning show runs from 7 a.m.-10 a.m. EST. Look for O’Connor, who will be appearing with a number of other 2008 Olympic hopefuls, including...

Breyer Animal Creations®; The Theodore O’Connor Syndicate, LLC; and Sportponies Unlimited are delighted to announce that Theodore O’Connor, the 14.1-hand pony that has caused a sensation in the eventing world, will be the latest international star to join the Breyer Animal Creations’ stable as a Breyer portrait model in 2008. The fiery chestnut gelding won double Gold medals at the Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, recently, after winning a three-star event at The Fork in North...

Lexington, VA—August 1, 2007—US Region 7 won the first Gold Medal of the 2007 CN North American Junior and Young Riders’ Championships (NAJYRC), presented by Gotham North and UlcerGard, when they won the Young Riders Dressage Team Championship. The 2007 NAJYRC is being held at the Virginia Horse Center in Lexington, VA, July 31 – August 5. Region 7 received a team score of 204.223 points to claim the win over Silver Medalist Region 2 who totaled 202.578 points and Bronze...

Lexington, VA—August 2, 2007—Canada won the Junior Dressage team Gold Medal at the 2007 CN North American Junior and Young Riders’ Championships (NAJYRC), presented by Gotham North and UlcerGard, at the Virginia Horse Center in Lexington, VA. Canada earned its Gold Medal with a combined score of 204.450 points. The team consists of Jade Deter of Kemptville, Ontario who scored 69.750% on Mastermind, Jaimie Holland of Caledon, Ontario, who scored 67.800% on Fleurina, Sara Regehr...

Diana DeRosa (Florida's Cara Raehter and Ublesco led the American effort on the final day of the Pan American Games, finishing eighth in show jumping.) Rio de Janeiro, Brazil—The last of the three equestrian disciplines contested at the XV Pan American Games – show jumping – wrapped up at Deodoro Military Complex outside of Rio de Janeiro on Sunday. The final results were cause for celebration for Canada and Brazil. Team USA’s Cara Raether and Ublesco finished in eighth place, the highest spot...