The American Saddlebred Horse Association (ASHA) has announced that it will once again offer a live webcast of important activities at its annual convention, Thursday, February 12, through Saturday, February 14, at the Marriott Griffin Gate Resort and Spa in Lexington, KY. The association’s website, www.saddlebred.com , will be utilized to broadcast the Saddlebred Convention worldwide. Those unable to attend will be able to watch and listen on Friday and Saturday during selected forums,...

Two of the many highlights planned for the American Saddlebred Horse Association Convention, held at the Marriott Griffin Gate Resort and Spa in Lexington, KY, are the Charter Club Workshop, to be held on Thursday, February 12, beginning at 10 a.m., and the Amateur/Owner Training Forum on Friday, February 13, at 9:30 a.m. For all convention information, click here . Charter Clubs are essential to the promotion of the American Saddlebred and form the national backbone of the breed’s outreach....

Lexington, KY— The UPHA has initiated a new program designed to reward saddle seat equitation riders for their community service involvement and fundraising efforts for approved charitable organizations. Jim Taylor describes Ribbons of Service as “a shared-commitment program that encourages riders to show an American Saddlebred, Arabian (including Half-Arabians), Morgan or National Show Horse in saddle seat equitation competitions, and encourages donors to pledge funds for charity for each...

The Syracuse Sporthorse Invitational featuring The National Horse Show held an informal meeting on January 28 at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Club. The meeting, led by a panel made up of Leo Conroy, John Madden and Mason Phelps, was held as a forum to help the organizing committee gain information and feedback from the professionals concerning all aspects of the Syracuse/National Horse Show. The group, made up of mostly hunter riders and trainers, had an overall feeling that last...

Stadium Jumping, Inc.'s Tampa Equestrian Festival will feature three weeks of world-class equestrian competition at the Bob Thomas Equestrian Center in Tampa, FL, March 18-April 4. As the conclusion of the 2009 winter show season, the festival is set to host some of the top horses and riders from all over the country for big-money classes and prizes. The competition is divided into three weeks, with the Suncoast Internationale, March 18-22, the Tampa Classic CSI***-W March 25-29, and the...

The focus groups formed by FEI Anti Doping and Medication Commission members, selected experts and FEI staff have begun their work. Four working groups were created: Lab Group, Legal Group, List Group, and Communications and Education Group. Three groups—Lab, Legal and List—met on January 29-30 and February 4, respectively. The remaining group—Communications and Education—will meet on February 9. The groups' composition and main tasks are as follows: Lab Group The main...

The fundraising Gala Celebration of the Mid South Eventing and Dressage Association on January 31, 2009, was an overwhelming success, fetching more than $40,000 from the live and silent auctions for the Kentucky Horse Park. Over 200 guests attended this new event at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Lexington with Guest of Honor David O'Connor accompanied by prominent figures from the horse world. Proceeds from the evening sponsored by Fort Dodge Animal Health are being donated to the horse park's...

The American Horse Council (AHC) has announced that the focus of this year’s National Issues Forum will be the “Welfare of the Horse.” The Forum will be held June 16, 2009, in Washington, DC, as part of the AHC’s annual meeting. Over the last year, concerns about the welfare of horses used in racing, showing, recreation, or work have been raised by our fans, the general public, the media, and Congress. Such concerns have been expressed before, but perhaps not as broadly as now. “Those involved...

The Minnesota Horse Council announced the selection of American Saddlebred Horse Association (ASHA) member Guy Warner as 2008 Horse Person of the Year at their annual meeting and awards banquet on Saturday, January 17, 2009. The award is presented each year to someone who shows long-term service and commitment to the equine industry in the Midwest. Warner, the 39th recipient of this award, has put in over 40 years of service—both equine related and community related. He served 10 years in...

For the 2009 breeding season, Flyinge, the Swedish National Stud, will include the KWPN stallion Lingh (Flemmingh x Columbus, by Uppercut xx) in its breeding program. Lingh has already arrived in Flyinge, a town in Southern Sweden just 48 miles from Copenhagen, Denmark. Throughout his performance career, Lingh has been one of the highest FEI-ranked dressage stallions in the world. He has had exceptional successes and numerous placings in international grand prix with Edward Gal and Karin...