The 2009 Nominating Committee of the American Saddlebred Horse Association (ASHA) has conducted its organizational meeting under the direction of Dr. Margaret C. McNeese, Chairman. Also on the committee are Nancy Boone, Barbara Molland, Shirley Trail, and Art Zubrod. The purpose of the committee is to prepare recommendations for ASHA directors to be elected to three-year terms beginning in February 2010. The Nominating Committee directed ASHA staff to undertake all possible means to solicit...

The 64th Annual Pennsylvania National Horse Show (PNHS), set to return October 8-17, to the Pennsylvania State Farm Show Arena in Harrisburg, is expanding the size of classes in four popular hunter divisions. Always a favorite among the nation's best riders, the Pennsylvania National Horse Show is increasing the approximate number of entries that it will accept in the Pony Hunter and Junior Hunter divisions from 27 to 30. It will also increase the approximate number of entries it will accept in...

The United States Dressage Federation (USDF) announced that Henk van Bergen has signed on as the featured presenter at the 2010 Succeed/USDF FEI-Level Trainers’ Conference, presented by SmartPak, to be held January 18-19, 2010 in Loxahatchee, FL. Each year, USDF offers a trainers’ conference to those individuals who meet the attendee criteria to learn training techniques and study with a world class dressage trainer. Born as the son of a baker in Nijmegen, Holland, Van Bergen started his career...

The All American Cup (AAC) is set to host the 2009 AAC Stallion Review. The event will take place on Friday, July 10, and will include a tour to several notable Saddlebred stables to view AAC stallions, broodmares and foals. Tour participants will meet at the American Saddlebred Museum, located at the Kentucky Horse Park, in Lexington, KY. A continental breakfast will be available for tour guests at the museum from 6:00-7:30 a.m. While at the museum, those in attendance will have the...

On Friday, May 29 2009, just two days after having seen the exciting final match for the crown of European club football, Italian capital Rome will be back in the spotlight of international top level sport by hosting the second leg of the 100th anniversary edition of team jumping’s most important annual competition, the Meydan FEI Nations Cup™. Thanks to FEI TV, fans across the U.S. won’t have to miss a moment of the action following their favorite American jumpers across Europe. Four of the...

This special section, Drugs and Medications Corner, will feature a series of articles from the USEF’s Drugs and Medications Program and the veterinary community to communicate the latest news to better educate the equine community. Let me start by saying that I’m a strong supporter of legitimate, medically valid compounding pharmacy practice. If used prudently, the practice of compounding plays an important role in veterinary medicine and in your horse’s health. Many horses...

The American Saddlebred Horse Association (ASHA) Youth and Auction Committees have announced that the ASHA Youth Auction will be held on Thursday, August 27, 2009, during the World’s Championship Horse Show. The auction will be held at the new Crowne Plaza Louisville (formerly The Executive West Hotel) in Crowne Room A (formerly The Mary Room). Bid Numbers may be obtained beginning at noon on Wednesday, August 26, and bidding on silent auction items will begin at this time. Silent bidding...

The Sport Horse Nationals Payback Program 2009 is proving to be just the ticket for breeders again in 2009. With deep discounts on the stud fees of almost 300 stallions of all breeds, Payback is the “go to” resource in today’s economic climate. Included in the offered stallion services are world class Warmbloods, Thoroughbreds, Arabians, Anglo-Arabians, Saddlebreds, Welsh, Friesians, Hackneys, Quarter Horses and others. Many are national or world champions, or have sired champions. Total number...

On October 16, 2009, the American Morgan Horse Association (AMHA) Youth Council will be holding a charity event, "Justin Time For a Cure," at the Grand National & World Championship Morgan Horse Show in Oklahoma City. In tandem with the Shirley Bowman Nutrition Clinic at the University of Oklahoma (OU) Cancer Institute, the event will raise cancer awareness and educate horse world members on the importance of cancer screening. Several horse shows have banded together to support the nutrition...

The Executive Committee periodically meets to review and approve extraordinary rule changes and rule clarifications. You can find summaries of rules approved by visiting www.usef.org/_IFrames/RuleBook/Changes/2009.aspx . These rule changes have also been incorporated into the online rulebook. The online rulebook is continually updated with new rule changes and corrections; it is always the most complete version of the rules.