Each month Classic Equine Equipment will spotlight an equine charitable organization through their newsletter, "Little Bits," in an effort to increase awareness of those people and groups that give back to our hooved companions. Any "Little Bits" reader who submits to Classic Equine Equipment proof of donation to the organization within 30 days of newsletter publication will be matched at a rate of 25%. Classic Equine Equipment will donate a minimum of $100 and a maximum of $1,000 each month to...

Holly Bergay (USA) and Rubino Bellissimo (Lindsay McCall) Del Mar, CA - Kicking off the 2012 Rancho Valencia Dressage Affaire Thursday morning were the Para-Equestrian Dressage Riders. Eleven horse and rider combinations entered the ring to showcase their Team Tests in front of FEI Ground Jury Hanneke Gerritsen 5* (NED), Marco Orsini 4* (FRA), and Ulf Wilken 5* (SWE). After traveling from Wellington, Florida in January, to Toronto, Canada, and then on to the Del Mar Horse Park, Canadian Lynne...

Lexington, KY - In 2012 the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) will offer more than $20,000 in grant money to qualified students and high school equestrian clubs or teams across the nation through its High School Equestrian Athlete program. To be eligible for a grant an applicant must be a current USEF High School Equestrian Athlete program participant and have successfully completed at least one year of the program. The applicant must also be a member of at least one USEF Recognized...

Major Equestrian competitions attended by US athletes, both domestic and overseas, are listed in this weekly preview. Please look below to find competition listings by discipline* and breed. We hope you will follow the competitions that most interest you, but check the USEF Week in Review on Monday for a report of any top finishes by US Equestrians. *lists of competitions in all international disciplines will include only FEI competitions within the USA and international FEI competitions in...

Funding Neede for the FHWA Recreational Trails Program The Senate transportation bill (MAP-21) severely weakens programs for trails, walking, and biking. Amendment #1661 proposed by Senator Klobuchar (D-MN) and co-sponsored by Senators Burr (R-NC), Shaheen (D-NH), Risch (R-ID), and Udall (D-CO), would restore dedicated funding for the Recreational Trails Program (RTP), consistent with language that is already in the House bill. Equine Land Conservation Resource is already signed on and is...

The American Hackney Horse Society will host the Limited Breeders Sweepstakes Grand Event at Undulata Farm, in Shelbyville, KY on March 3rd, 2012. With clinics, a presentation of stallions, dinner, auctions and a horsemen’s lounge with entertainment, “grand” may be an understatement. The highlight of the event may be the stallion presentation before the auction. Eight exciting Hackney studs will be presented, including the featured stallion, Heartland Equality. The 1999, 2000,...

It’s a blissfully warm day in January, and my horse Nicolai is galloping alongside crashing surf as cars roll by. The passengers stare –wistful or shocked, I’m not sure – as we hop over piles of seaweed. This, I think, is the greatest thing I’ve ever done. The week before, Nicolai and I rode out among cattle. We chased calves along the creek and followed the ridge to a quiet spot above the barn. Usually, we are show jumpers, but sometimes we ride for miles along...

Declaration and Glen Senk/Tivoli and Lyn Pederson Win Adult Hunter Classics; Pony, Children's, and Adult Champions Are Named Beezie Madden and Prima (Sportfot) Wellington, FL - The FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival closed out week 6 competition today with action at two parts of the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. At The Stadium, Beezie Madden of Cazenovia, NY, rode Neapolitan Holding Co., LLC's Prima over the challenging course to win the $50,000 G&C Farm Jumper...

2011 Winner Announced The United States Equestrian Federation is pleased to announce that Phil’s Ridge Harry Potter has won the inaugural USEF Cup Incentive program for the Morgan division. The program was created to encourage competition participation by providing a $1,000 incentive award to the top point earner in the Morgan division. 2011 saw an excellent field of competition for the program’s first year with over 400 horses participating and a very versatile horse earning the...

Likely V and Nina Zollo Top Smartpak's Low Hunter 2'6 Division Kent Farrington and Uceko (Sportfot) Wellington, FL - It was a great afternoon for grand prix riders Kent Farrington (USA) and Richie Moloney (IRL) at the 2012 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) as each took home the top share of prize money in a split class for round five of the WEF Challenge Cup Series. Held in a 'California Split', the class awarded two sets of placings, each with $32,000 distributed...