Theodore O'Connor wins the Farnam®/Platform™ USEF Horse of the Year Award. (Geoff Oliver Bugbee/USEF Archives ) Louisville, KY—Among the regalia of the United States Equestrian Federation’s (USEF) historic Horse of the Year Awards program and black tie gala, eventing champion and newly-crowned star Theodore O’Connor was named the 2007 Farnam®/Platform™ USEF Horse of the Year at the Downtown Marriott in Louisville, KY. Bred by P. Wynn Norman and owned by Theodore...

The Equestrian Aid Foundation (EAF) is delighted to announce the First Annual Celebrity Roast honoring the birthdays of two icons in the horse industry. George Morris, legendary hunter/jumper guru, and Jessica Ransehausen, a driving force in American dressage, are both turning 70. This birthday celebration will bring together equestrians, fans and well wishers to roast these two legends at a bash to benefit the Equestrian Aid Foundation/Ride for Hope. Announcer extraordinaire Peter Doubleday...

Diane Carney of Telluride Farm led several of her students to top placings this weekend at the Ledge Winter Classic, held January 3-6 at the Ledges Sporting Horses indoor facility in Roscoe, IL. Catie Hope, 16, took home the championship in the Large Junior Hunter division aboard her new mount, Caped Crusader. The pair took a first and a sixth place over fences and won the under saddle for the tricolor. They also placed third in the $1,000 Junior Hunter Classic. Hope's consistency followed her...

Little Bit Farm is very proud to report that at the 2007 Sporthorse Stallion Performance Test at Paxton Farm, our three-year-old ISR/Oldenburg stallion Rashka (Raymeister x Tashka/Opus) not only won the 30-Day Short Test, but earned the highest score in the history of U.S. stallion testing, and possibly even in all European testing, as well, with a score of 164.86. Although Rashka is still maturing physically at 16.3 hands, his innate talent for both dressage and jumping was more than apparent....

On January 5, 2008, the Raleigh Hunt Horse Complex will be the site of the first annual Sporthorse Stallion Exhibition. This location is convenient to the airport and major interstates, nearby hotels and dining. Even if you don’t breed horses, this event is going to be fun and educational—unique opportunity to see many different stallions all in the same place at the same time. Take this chance to meet those breeding stallions that you are considering for your mare for the 2008 season in...

The Kentucky Equine Education Project (KEEP) announced the results of its December 7 stallion season auction. The grand total for the fundraising effort when all seasons are totaled is estimated to be approximately $4,000,000. The live and silent auctions combined totaled approximately $3.9 million. When KEEP finalizes all of the private seasons, the total will top $4 million. “What a tremendous success for KEEP and the horse industry. I want to thank all of the stallion managers, farm managers...

Each of the American Saddlebred Registry’s (ASR) prize programs increased its payouts in 2007 over what was distributed in 2006. Additionally, state futurities were up overall with nearly $800,000 in prize money awarded this year. The most encouraging increase came in the ASR Grand National program, in which $85,025 was awarded in 2007 versus $66,300 in 2006—an increase of 28.24%. The next highest spike was 15.39% more awarded this year in the ASR sweepstakes: $199,424 paid out in 2007...

Jeff Wonnell, a lifelong consummate horseman who assisted with the introduction of the Friesian breed to the Federation, passed away on November 21, 2007, from injuries related to an accidental fall at his Branson West, MO, home. He was 86. For the past seven decades, Wonnell’s accomplishments were as a horseman, trainer, mentor, breeder and friend, each documented by countless championships and the horses he was responsible for breeding and showing. Wonnell never ceased to serve the equine...

As the year comes to a close, the United States Equestrian Federation® (USEF) is pleased to announce the 2007 Equestrians of Honor. Of these seven honorees, one will be selected as the 2007 USEF Equestrian of the Year, one of USEF’s most prestigious awards. All of the Equestrians of Honor will be recognized during the Annual Pegasus Awards Dinner at the USEF Annual Meeting on Friday, January 11. The Annual Meeting will be held January 9-13 at the Louisville Marriott Downtown in...

The tally has just begun, and your votes will be an integral part of deciding which of the nation’s leading equines will be named the Farnam®/Platform™ USEF Horse of the Year. Merely weeks away from the 2008 USEF Annual Meeting, all heads are turning to five finalists in anticipation of which horse will be adorned with the title of Horse of the Year—one of the most prestigious awards the USEF bestows. This year’s winner will join dressage superstar Brentina (2005...