During the FEI Bureau Meeting in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, November 15-16, 2007, the following items were brought to the attention of the Bureau for information and approval following the two meetings of the FEI Dressage Committee held in Turin, Italy, May 14-15 and September 3, 2007. 1) Safety at Prize-Giving Ceremonies: Due to the increased safety risk for riders and horses, the International Dressage Riders Club (IDRC) proposed that new recommendations should be made for prize-giving...

During the FEI Bureau Meeting in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, November 15-16, 2007, a number of important items were brought to the attention of the Bureau for information and approval further to the two meetings of the FEI Jumping Committee held in Windsor, Great Britain, on May 14, and Lausanne, Switzerland, on October 9, 2007. A summary of the main items follows. 1) Hypersensitization-Protocol for Thermography: The following protocol for thermographic and clinical examinations during...

The FEI wishes to announce “On to Hong Kong,” a Workshop to assist National Federations to prepare for the 2008 Olympic Games in Hong Kong. The event, to be organized together with the FEI’s Welfare Sub-Committee, will take place in the auditorium of the Olympic museum in Lausanne on February 17, 2008. The objective of the workshop will be to provide chef de missions, riders, vets with the latest updates and to promote the health and welfare of the horses by making the information collected at...

The 124th National Horse Show and Family Festival, held at the Palm Beach Polo Equestrian Club in Wellington, FL, attracts the very best hunter and jumper athletes in the country. Top caliber competition at the National includes the Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series Championship Finals. Produced by the Show Jumping Hall of Fame, Inc. (SJHOF), Jumper Classic Series classes are held at only the most prestigious shows that meet particular standards and class specifications set forth...

One of the stallions available in this year's American Hanoverian Society Service Auction is Worthy Opponent (Waikiki-SPS Hoheit/Hohenstein), the highest-placing Hanoverian stallion at the recent 100-Day Stallion Performance Test at Paxton Farm. Bidding will open in mid-January and ends Sunday, February 17, 2008. A link to the bidding site will be provided on the American Hanoverian Society's website at www.hanoverian.org when the auction opens in mid-January. The annual AHS Stallion Service...

A report on the Olympic Test Event held in Hong Kong in August was presented at the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) Bureau meeting in Dubai. The goal of this essential event was to review the venue, layout and procedures for the three Olympic disciplines. Main issues requiring further work were lighting in the main arena; press officer and media operations; veterinary issues and confirmation of a weather protocol designed with Hong Kong Observatory; and communication between the FEI...

Zada Enterprises, LLC, 6th Annual Dressage at the National will be held December 7-9, 2007, at the 124th National Horse Show & Family Festival in Wellington, FL. Presented in a two-ring showcase at the Palm Beach Polo Equestrian Club, the dressage show will feature top international riders in the FEI (International Equestrian Federation) classes, including Denmark's Lars Petersen and Mikala Gundersen; Colombia's Marco Bernal; USA's Melissa Taylor; Bent Jensen and Susan Dutta. New this year at...

Congress has recessed for the Thanksgiving holidays and will return the week of December 3. At that time, the Senate will again take up the 2007 Farm Bill (H.R. 2419). The Senate has been considering the bill for several weeks but has been unable to reach agreement on how it will proceed. Democrats and Republicans differ on how many amendments should be allowed to be offered. Nearly 200 amendments have been filed that various Senators wish to offer when the Senate returns to the bill after the...

Photo by Howard Schatzberg (Brittany McGinnis and Amandari) Lexington, KY – Brittany McGinnis of Fishers, IN, riding American Saddlebred Amandari, was crowned champion of the 2007 United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) Saddle Seat Medal Final, held November 17, as part of the United Professional Horsemen’s Association American Royal National Championship Horse Show in Kansas City, MO. McGinnis topped the class of 24 entries in the two-phase competition that required both rail...

Lexington, KY – The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) and the National Affiliate Working Group (NAWG) committee is pleased to announce that Kirsten Kimbler is the winner of the 2007 Youth Sportsman’s Award. Selected from an outstanding group of young adults, Kimbler, of Aberdeen, SD, has demonstrated an ongoing commitment and dedication to the USEF and her affiliate organizations and has served as a role model for her peers. Kimbler, 18, was nominated by two associations, the American...