News

Strong team named for San Juan Capistrano Nations Cup

Details: March 21, 2023; By Staff Writers

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, Calif.--The first of three Nations Cups that will qualify the top two scoring nations for the Nations Cup Final in Barcelona this fall will take place May 14 in San Juan Capistrano.

Capistranoo team The U.S. is not yet qualified for the Paris Olympics next year, and the Nations Cup Final is one of only two chances for the U.S. to qualify, with the other being the Pan Am Games.

Chef d'equipe Robert Ridland has said he would name very strong teams for these venues to give the U.S. the best chance to qualify for Paris, and the team named for San Juan Capistrano is certainly that, led by two Olympic team gold medalists Laura Kraut and McLain Ward.

US Equestrian announced the riders selected to represent the U.S. Jumping Team at the 2023 FEI Jumping Nations Cup of USA at San Juan Capistrano CSIO5*.

Wordley Martin to build new arenas at HITS Saugerties

Details: March 10, 2023; By Staff Writers

SAUGERTIES, N.Y.--Wordley Martin, a leading developer of equestrian properties and premier riding surfaces, will be building new arenas at the HITS Saugerties show grounds ahead of its 2023 show season.

McLain Ward is a frequent competitor at HITS Saugerties (Photo by ESI Photography)Co-founders Sharn Wordley and Craig Martin are highly respected in the private arena construction industry and work with riders in the Olympic disciplines of show jumping, dressage and eventing.

"After the resounding success of renovating the Grand Prix and Main Hunter Arenas at HITS Ocala, Wordley Martin is very excited to team up with HITS once again in Saugerties," said Wordley. "We look forward to providing the very best riding surfaces for horses and riders at this venue."

At HITS Saugerties, Wordley Martin will resurface the Grand Prix Ring along with the former Diamond Mills Ring, which will become the grand prix schooling ring.

Next to the remodeled Ringside Cafe will be THE Ring, a new competition area showcasing top equitation, hunter, and jumper classes.

The main hunter ring, a beautiful stone-lined arena, will receive refreshed footing.

Anthony D'Ambroso, Linda Allen and Ian Millar honored by the Show Jumping Hall of Fame

Details: March 9, 2023; By Staff Writers

WELLINGTON, Fla.--Award-winning rider, trainer, and course designer, Anthony D’Ambrosio, and official and clinician, Linda Allen, were inducted into the Show Jumping Hall of Fame during the Hall of Fame’s Induction Gala in Wellington on March 5.

Ian Millar presentation KindMedia Ian Millar accepting his award (Photo by KindMedia)The Hall of Fame also honored Canadian show jumping legend, Ian Millar, as recipient of the Hall’s inaugural International Award.

“This was our second year hosting our annual induction ceremony as part of a sit-down dinner in Wellington and once again it was an incredible night that most of us will never forget,” said Show Jumping Hall of Fame chairman Peter Doubleday. “Our sport’s history was on display with so many of our sport’s legends in attendance. It was truly a thrill and something we plan to build on each year.

“While induction into the Hall of Fame is for Americans who have had a significant impact on the sport, we wanted to recognize some of the great international riders who also impact show jumping in this country,” Doubleday said. “With that in mind, we initiated our new International Award and we felt that there was no more worthy candidate to be the initial recipient than ‘Captain Canada,’ Ian Millar.”

Millar is the most decorated equestrian in Canadian history.

A two-time World Cup champion, he competed in 10 Olympic Games, more than any athlete in any sport.

He was awarded the Order of Canada in 1986, Ontario’s Athlete of the Year in 1989, and an honorary doctorate by the University of Guelph in 2005.

Together with longtime partner, Big Ben, he was inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame and the Jump Canada Hall of Fame.

Millar was also inducted into the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame.

The Budweiser Clydesdales are coming to Devon!

Details: March 7, 2023; By Staff Writers

DEVON, Pa.--Great news for Devon spectators.

Devon BudweiserClydesdales The BudweiserClydesdalesThe world famous Budweiser Clydesdales will be parading around the Dixon Oval on three nights, Thursday, June1, Friday, June 2 and Saturday, June 3.

This year, Anheuser-Busch is celebrating the 90th Anniversary of the Budweiser Clydesdales, an enduring symbol of the brewer’s heritage and a testament to the iconic horses’ role in American culture - past, present and future.

The beautiful “gentle giants” from the world’s leading brewer will be pulling the famous red Studebaker beer delivery wagon and will be at the controls of the expert driver dressed in the traditional green and red delivery uniform of yesteryear.

The Budweiser Clydesdales cover about 100,000 miles a year and receive over 5,000 requests annually to appear in parades, promotions, fairs, and horse shows.

Most importantly, these horses are featured in numerous television and print commercials, making them the most recognized corporate symbol in the world.

There are special ticket packages available.

Telephone sales, for packages, begin Friday,March 24, 10am - 3 pm, call 610-688-2554.

Walk-in and telephone sales for all tickets begin Monday, April 3 at Devon from 10am to 3pm on the first floor of the Devon Horse Show ticket office on Dorset Road.

U.S. to field its strongest teams in effort to qualify for the Paris Olympics

Details: March 6, 2023; By SARA CAVANAGH

WELLINGTON, Fla.--The young U.S. Jumping Team that finished fifth in the $150,000 FEI Jumping Nations Cup won by Canada on Saturday, March 4 was the final appearance this year of a team used as a proving ground for the next generation of top riders.

ROBERT RIDLAN SHANNON BRINKMAN Robert RidlandAs chef d'equipe Robert Ridland has been saying since last year and McLain Ward reiterated during the live stream of the Nations Cup, now is the time to bring out teams loaded with heavy hitters.

"Our plan has been set for months that we were going to use this home Nations Cup, this four-star Nations Cup, for basically our next generation of riders,” Ridland said. “We’ve got a major priority this year in qualifying for the Paris 2024 Olympics, so the five-stars will have more of the veteran riders."

The U.S. in not yet qualified for next year's Paris Olympics, so every effort from now on will be focused on qualifying.

The first opportunity to qualify will come in the Nations Cup Finals in Barcelona next fall, and that entails getting the U.S. qualified for the Nations Cup Finals.

Then the last opportunity to qualify is at the Pan American Games held Oct. 20 to Nov. 5 in Santiago, Chile.

To qualify for the Nations Cup Finals, the U.S. has to be one of the top two teams from the five star Nations Cup classes in Mexico, April 26-30, California, May 10-14 and Langley, Canada, May 31 to June 4.

Michael Dickenson to be presented with the John W. Galbreath Award

Details: March 2, 2023; By Staff Writers

NORTH EAST, Md.--Michael Dickinson, jockey, trainer and innovator, has been named as the recipient of the John W. Galbreath Award for Outstanding Entrepreneurship in the Equine Industry by the University of Louisville.

Michael Dickinson"I'm chuffed," said Dickinson, who retired as a trainer in December, 2022.

Dickinson has spent his life deeply involved in the horse industry, first as a steeplechase jockey and trainer, as a thoroughbred trainer, and most recently as an innovator of racetrack surfaces.

Over the past two decades, Dickinson has developed and refined Tapeta Footings, an all-weather synthetic material designed to improve safety for both equine and human athletes.

In recognition of his innovations to improve the safety of horse racing, the University of Louisville Equine Industry Program has named Dickinson the 33rd recipient of the John W. Galbreath Award.

Four years later, Fair Hill turf track is not ready for racing and Fair Hill's spring race meet has been cancelled again

Details: February 24, 2023; By SARA CAVANAGH

FAIR HILL, Md.--It's an appalling state of affairs and an insult to the pocketbooks of Maryland residents, but four years after ground was first broken for what was to be a new and improved turf track for racing and steeplechasing at Fair Hill, that track is still deemed unsafe even for horses to train on it.

Fair Hill turf course It was announced in late February that the Fair Hill Races spring meet over Memorial Day has been cancelled.

The horse had an article about the controversy that was already swirling about the turf track two years ago, in August of 2021, because it wasn't ready for use then.

Now, two years later, it is still not ready for use.

Sam Ray, the Director of Strategic Partnerships, Maryland State Department of Natural Resources, was quoted in that article as blaming the delay on Covid and the fact that Covid caused businesses to close down.

That excuse is no longer valid.

"Everybody thinks they know something, but I'm the only person doing this," said Ray."If they didn't talk to me, they don't have the correct information."

There are those who say that it is just that attitude that is part of the problem, and that this is just another case of government failing where private business succeeds.