Photo by Diana DeRosa (Liza Boyd and Brunello) "He is my Olympic hunter," commented Liza Boyd after she nailed her third victory in the 14th Annual American Hunter-Jumper Foundation (AHJF) Hunter Classic Spectacular in Wellington FL, aboard her seasoned mount, Brunello. She won the very first one riding Monday Morning in 1997 and then in 2008 tasted victory again on Fiyero. Now just 3½ months after the birth of her first child (Ellen) it was important to prove she still had what it takes. Yet,...

Photo by Robbi Meisel (Eirin Bruheim and NLF Trans Atlantic) Thermometers were up and down, weathermen forecasted gloom and doom with the supposed arrival of three inches or more of snow, and like all good businesses the managers of the Gulf Coast Winter Classics decided to aire on the side of caution by cancelling Friday classes. The good news was that aside from some nasty rain, it truly was a “non event” day as Bob Bell co-chairman had hoped. Saturday saw the return of warmer temperatures,...

Photo Courtesy Minitube Internationa (Biopsita with surrogate mom.) Minitube International has achieved a scientific breakthrough that will allow for genetic testing and preservation of equine embryos. The world's first foal from a biopsied and vitrified embryo transferred into a surrogate mare was born on Wednesday January 27, 2010, at Minitube International Center for Biotechnology in Mount Horeb, WI. Both the mother, "Lola," and foal are doing well. The birth of "Biopsita" marks a new era in...

The 2010 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) continued a strong circuit of competition in its fourth week on February 3-7. The week featured the $75,000 Adequan Grand Prix, CSI** and the €100,000 Exquis World Dressage Masters Palm Beach, along with a full schedule of hunter, jumper, and equitation classes. The week four title sponsor was Adequan. Along with their week four title sponsorship, Adequan® was the title sponsor of the $75,000 Adequan® Grand Prix, CSI** on Sunday, February 7, and is...

Photo by Susan J. Stickle (Courtney Dye aboard Grandioso.) The Board of Directors of The Dressage Foundation announced that Courtney Dye of New Milford, CT, has won the 2010 “Carol Lavell Advanced Dressage Prize” in the amount of $25,000. The purpose of the prize, established at The Dressage Foundation, is to provide financial assistance for coaching and training to a talented, committed, qualified rider whose plan is to reach and excel at the elite, international standards of high-performance...

Starting February 15 through March 13, Pennfield Equine Feeds is giving away free feed in their second major promotion of 2010. Genetics predisposes a foals’ success, but nutrition is what can make or break it. Pennfield is helping to give them, and their owners, a head start. For a limited time, it’s Buy Four Get One Free on Pennfield’s Foal’s Choice, and Broodmare & Yearling’s Choice, each designed to properly fulfill the protein, amino acids and balanced minerals needs of these special life...

Photo Courtesy American Driving Society (Jeff Morse) On February 11 at 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. CST, the American Driving Society will offer a free webinar with Jeff Morse, who will share his extensive knowledge of harness and bits with the driving community. Whether you are a beginning driver or an experienced whip, this seminar will provide useful, practical knowledge on the most common equipment used for driving horses. Morse has been a professional horseman for more than 40 years. He currently...

HITS Shows, Inc., is pleased to announce that the HITS Culpeper Spring and Summer Show Series will be home to five grand prix qualifiers for the Pfizer $1 Million Grand Prix. One $40,000 qualifier will be held each Sunday of Weeks I-V, giving riders the chance to accumulate the grand prix classes and the prize money they will need in order to try to qualify for the unprecedented Pfizer Million, which will be held in Saugerties, NY on September 12. Beginning in April, the six-week show series...

Steffen Peters and Ravel, Anky van Grunsven and Salinero and Isabell Werth and Satchmo joined 15 other horse-and-rider combinations Monday to prepare for the Exquis World Dressage Masters Palm Beach this week that kicks off the 2010 lineup of the globe's richest dressage competitions. Anky van Grunsven watched her first ever polo game Sunday at the International Polo Club Palm Beach, Isabell Werth worked Satchmo at Palm Beach International Equestrian Center while her sister, Claudia, wheeled...

Photo by Robbi Meisel (Wilhelm Genn and Happy Z) The third week of competition at the 2010 Jacksonville Winter Series got in full swing with the $5,000 Open Jumper Classic being won by Lebanon, Ohio’s Wilhelm Genn, as both owner and rider, piloting the brilliant mare Happy Z. Presented by Farm House Tack, the Jumper Classic served as a prelim to the next evening’s featured event, the $25,000 Marco Family Foundation benefitting H.O.R.S.E. Therapies, a nonprofit therapeutic equine program to air...