I spent last night stuck in Orlando and then Charlotte before finally getting home well after 2 am. Tornadoes ripped through North Carolina and there were a lot of stranded people. It was very encouraging that it was all over the news in the airport. I could have been stuck in Ocala at my lovely friend Max's house. She was kind enough to let me stay while I was at Live Oak, she works for Karen O'Connor, and lives on their wonderful farm, so I had it pretty good for 5 days. I paid for it by...

Robin Groves collects her prizes (Joanie Morris/USEF) Ocala, FL - With impending storms looming, the fourth and final day of the Live Oak International presented by US Trust featured a difficult cones phase and clear rounds were hard to find. But the best drivers in the US prevailed and two USEF National Champions were crowned based on their incredible three phase performances. A massive storm held off until the final few drivers, and then the weather deteriorated quickly. Chester Weber and...

Jimmy Fairclough Threads the Needle (Joanie Morris/USEF) Ocala, FL – An exciting day of marathon driving at Live Oak International presented by US Trust showcased some of the very best in the US vying for USEF National Championship honors for both Single Horses and Four-in-Hands. Jimmy Fairclough drove like a man on mission – and his perseverance prevailed. Driving Jane Clark’s team, the New Jersey driver started out confidently in the first hazard and got better and better as he guided his...

Arriving in Florida is always an adventure. Despite running laps between Lexington and Wellington this year, this was my first trip to Ocala, which of course means flying into Orlando. Which of course meant that I was the only person on my flight and in the airport without Disney World on the brain. Ocala and Lexington are locked in a fierce battle for bragging rights over which one really is the horse capital of the world. There are farms of every possible variety when you drive around this...

Chester Weber Goes for Eight (Joanie Morris/USEF) Ocala, FL, – The Live Oak International sponsored by US Trust kicked off with the FEI dressage on Thursday, and two USEF National Driving Championships bookended the six FEI divisions at the premiere event. Held at Charlotte Weber’s Live Oak Plantation, it is one of the featured events on the US calendar and showcased 40 of the best drivers in the United States. The USEF National Single Horse Championship got the morning started and Leslie...

Showplace Productions, one of the top horse show production and management companies in the United States, is pleased to announce that the 2010 Showplace Spring Spectacular Horse Shows are returning to the beautiful Lamplight Equestrian Center in Wayne, IL, for three weeks of competition beginning June 8. Featuring $500,000 in total prize money, the Showplace Spring Spectacular is a USEF 'AA' Rated Hunter and Five Star Jumper competition series comprised of the Showplace Spring Spectacular I,...

The nation's largest equine expo, Western States Horse Expo, has teamed up with Alltech to present the Alltech International Equestrian Extravaganza on June 12, 2010, as part of the Sacramento, CA, expo. The June 12 ticketed event will preview the excitement of September’s Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Lexington, KY. Saturday evening, Western States Horse Expo will come alive starting at 7:30 p.m. as some of the world’s best equine athletes gallop onto the scene. All eight International...

Every vehicle is outfitted with a variety of devices to help drivers navigate safely during their travels. These devices include the basics such as steering wheel, headlights, gas and brake pedals, seat belts, air bags and so on. Also included, although often overlooked, is the turn signal, or “blinker.” The first application of a flashing electric turn signal was used on the 1938 Buick as a new safety feature. It was advertised by Buick as the “Flash-Way Directional Signal.” The purpose of a...

Photo Courtesy Jan Sharp (TS Black Tie Affair is one of four AHA Ambassadors.) The Arabian Horse Association (AHA) recently honored four outstanding horses with Ambassador Awards. Athena+++// (LS Zane Grey+// x Little Badger Baby), Gilet+/ (Gil x El Eta), TH Barbarian+ (Barbary+++ x TH Annimai), and TS Black Tie Affair (Tardar x EVG Lady Di) are all recognized for an outstanding achievement in representing the Arabian horse to the general public. To be named an AHA Ambassador, an Arabian,...

Photo Courtesy Pics of You The Live Oak International Combined Driving Event, the premiere driving event in North America that attracts competitors from around the world, will host the Single and Four-In-Hand National Championships during the 2010 competition, March 25-28. Held at the picturesque 4,500-acre Live Oak Plantation in Ocala, FL, the U.S. Trust returns again as the title sponsor, and thousands of spectators are expected to attend. “Since this is the year of the World Equestrian Games...