Despite a tumultuous economy, the first Stallion Service Auctions of the new year started on a high note, as American Saddlebred enthusiasts from across the country came together in Wisconsin and Kentucky in support of the breed. Leading the auctions with $273,000 was the Fifth Annual All American Cup Stallion Service Auction on Saturday, January 24, at Claudia Sanders Dinner House in Shelby County, KY. The auction topper, at $34,000, was Callaway's Blue Norther, setting a record for American...

Morgan enthusiasts may want to consider attending the 21st annual New York Stallion Service Auction in Saratoga Springs, NY. The day is full of activities for the whole family. Services to 39 of the breed's finest stallions will be auctioned off as well as a photo shoot donated by Debbie Uecker-Keough and full page ads in the New England Show Program , The Morgan Horse magazine, and Saddle Horse Report . Jeanne Mellin Herrick also has generously donated a piece of her artwork. The day begins at...

A meeting of the Eventing Safety Officers, appointed by the National Federations in the framework of the global Eventing Safety Programme the FEI is developing, took place on January 24-25 at Hartpury, United Kingdom. The meeting was very productive as it allowed the representatives of 25 National Federations to make presentations on the integration of the 2008 Copenhagen Safety Forum recommendations, new safety ideas, practical actions and level of development of the sport and concerns typical...

One of the top hunter breeders in the country will now have a place to store the coolers and saddle pads her horses have been awarded throughout the year thanks to winning a brand new Oakcroft Tack Trunk at the recent USEF Annual Convention. Dr. Paula Pell of St. Petersburg, FL, was the lucky winner of the “Win An Oakcroft Trunk,” which took place during an Oakcroft sponsored breakout session at the annual convention in Cincinnati, OH, and was open to all attendees. Pell and her husband were at...

The American Saddlebred Horse Association (ASHA) is pleased to announce that the American Saddlebred Horse Association of Virginia (ASHAV) and the American Saddlebred Association of Maine (ASAM) have been selected as ASHA’s Charter Clubs of the Year. The two clubs’ dedication and commitment to the promotion of the breed will be honored during the Annual Awards Luncheon on Friday, February 13, 2009, from 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m. The luncheon will be held in conjunction with ASHA’s Annual Convention,...

The National Horse Show Association of America announced new information for their rules and regulations, as well as the declaration form for the 2009 ASPCA Maclay equitation classes. ASPCA Maclay classes are held nationwide and count as qualifiers for the ASPCA Maclay Regionals and the ASPCA Maclay National Championship. The new information for the rules and regulations section for the ASPCA Maclay classes reads as follows under the "Conditions Governing Regional Final Competition" heading:...

Gene Mische and Jessica Montezuma (Geoff Oliver Bugbee/USEF) Cincinnati, OH – The philosophy is pretty simple: “If you take care of this sport, it will take care of you.” Gene Mische is a lifetime of living proof. Mische was honored by legions of fans and friends for decades of involvement in the equestrian world. At the Pegasus Awards Ceremony, Mische was presented with the prestigious Lifetime Achievement award at the 2009 USEF Annual Meeting. “I’m...

Farnam®/Platform™ USEF Horse of the Year, Jamaica (My Elisabeth Weber) Cincinnati, OH – Every year the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) honors the best horses across all breeds and disciplines at the Farnam®/Platform™ USEF Horse of the Year Awards dinner at the USEF Annual Meeting. In 2008, there were some fantastic horses to honor. Five were singled out and recognized for their achievement as Horses of Honor. Jamaica took the night’s biggest accolade. Jamaica,...

Stadium Jumping, Inc., one of the nation's leading horse show production companies, is pleased to announce the official dates of the 2009 Tampa Equestrian Festival and 37th Annual $200,000 Budweiser American Invitational. This year the festival will host three weeks of equestrian competition with the world's best riders, horses and Olympians. The show will run from March 18-April 4 at the Bob Thomas Equestrian Center at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa, FL. The Tampa Equestrian Festival...

Margie Engle rode Hidden Creek's Tosca in the Dutch Warmblood mare's sixth grand prix Thursday to claim the inaugural $30,000 Braman Motorcars WEF Challenge Cup at the 2009 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival. The nine-year-old mare on whom Engle, of Wellington, FL, won the seven- and eight-year-old championship in Kentucky last year, won by 1/10th of a second over Georgina Bloomberg and Curius at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. Laura Bowery on Henry Jota Romano placed third....