Each October since 1973, Morgan horses, owners, trainers and exhibitors descend upon Oklahoma City for the Grand National & World Championship Morgan Horse Show. This year's competition brought nearly 1,200 horses from 46 U.S. States, Austria, Canada and Great Britain to vie for titles in a variety of disciplines, including English pleasure, hunter pleasure, carriage driving, dressage and reining. The week-long show, held October 4-11 at the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds, included virtually...

Last year, the United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) Open Hunter Task Force began re-organizing the separate hunter sections of the USEF Rule Book . This task is now complete; and the hunter, hunter pony, junior hunter, pony breeding, and hunter breeding sections will be combined into a single section in the 2009 USEF Rule Book . So that licensed officials, show managers and competitors involved in the hunter disciplines can familiarize themselves with the new layout, the USHJA is...

Ocala, FL- The Washington International Horse Show (WIHS) is celebrating its 50th Anniversary at the impressive Verizon Center in downtown Washington, DC October 21-26. Since 1958 this international horse show has attracted top equestrians from abroad and the United States to compete in show jumping, Puissance (high jumping), the Grand Prix Dressage Invitational, the WHIS Equitation Finals and the $100,000 President’s Cup Grand Prix. This year, U.S. Four-in-Hand Driving Champion, Chester Weber...

The Arabian Horse Association (AHA) Sport Horse National Arabian and Half-Arabian Championship Horse Show (Sport Horse Nationals) made its sixth annual appearance from September 23-27, 2008, at the Idaho Horse Park in Nampa, ID. The event featured 339 horses and 78 classes in four divisions: sport horse in-hand and under-saddle, dressage, pleasure carriage driving and hunter/jumper. “This was the best Sport Horse Nationals to date,” said Bill Pennington, Chair of the show’s commission. Sport...

If you missed your chance to win champion-bred yearling Gay Bars Christi at last summer’s World Championship Paint Horse Show, you will have one last opportunity to call her yours at the inaugural American Paint Horse Association (APHA) Fall Championship Show in Fort Worth, TX, this November. The filly was donated by Floyd and Maryann Moore of the legendary 6-J Paint Horses in Huntsville, TX, as a fundraiser for the American Paint Horse Foundation’s college scholarship program. The Moores have...

Lexington, KY -- The USEF will be hosting a Driving Clinic for Four-in-Hand drivers in order to develop a strong team heading toward the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG). Appropriately, this clinic will be held at the Kentucky Horse Park (site of the Games) and will give six drivers the opportunity to work closely with Peter Tischer during the Lexington CDE. The clinic will run from Sept 30 - Oct 6, 2008, and the competition runs from Oct 2-5. The clinic will feature some of the...

A crowd favorite at the 2008 Road to the Horse, Tommy Garland will return in 2009 applying his CPR method in his quest to win this prestigious competition. Garland's method is all about confidence, patience and respect when working with and training horses. Garland is considered one of the best trainers and showmen in the world of Arabians and Half-Arabians and was named the Western Pleasure Trainer of the Year in 2002 by the Arabian Professionals and Amateur Horseman's Association. When he...

The Equine Facilitated Mental Health Association, a section of the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association (NARHA), will hold their annual preconference workshop at Green Chimneys Farm in Brewster, NY, on October 28. Equine facilitated mental health is defined as a number of mutually respectful activities involving equines, such as handling, grooming, riding, carriage driving, vaulting and educational experiences that help participants explore feelings and behavior. Green Chimneys...

The American Miniature Horse Registry (AMHR) National Championship Show announced the two winning young authors of the Youth Essay Contest in Tulsa, OK, this month. The 2008 winners were Katherine Richey and Allison Payne, each of who was awarded a Miniature horse for their efforts. The Youth Essay Contest was open to all current junior members of the AMHR. In the 13 to 17 age group, Katherine Richey from Meridian, MS, wrote a charming piece on why she would be the best person to win the...

Silvia’s Dream Street Stallion, Starlight, won the grand championship at Dressage at Devon. The stunning black Oldenburg strutted around the world famous Dixon Oval with an air of supreme confidence; this combined with his expressive movement and correct conformation made him an easy choice for Grand Champion Stallion at Devon. As handler, Jens Richter lead Starlight out under the bright lights for the nighttime championship, the stallion’s black coat glistened like onyx. “He seemed to know it...