The Origins of the Hackney Breed

In the spirit of promoting the Morgan breed and the discipline of Western Dressage, AMHA is pleased to announce it recently joined with the Western Dressage Association™ of America (WDAA) in a breed/discipline agreement.

“The Morgan is known for its intelligence, athleticism, and versatility,” said AMHA Executive Director, Julie Broadway. “Western Dressage combines the suppleness and harmony of classical dressage with the spirit of the western horse, making the Morgan ideally suited for this new discipline. In addition, AMHA has long been known for new and progressive programs and initiatives, so WDAA is a great way to continue that tradition. We look forward to working with  WDAA to educate the public about the Morgan and Western Dressage, just as we work with ADS, USDF, and other discipline associations.”

WDAA’s mission is to inspire and enlighten western riders and their riders and their horses to a higher level horsemanship and partnership through the use of dressage, and to create an educational environment and competitive format within the horse industry for the Western Dressage horse and rider. Their website, www.westerndressageassociation.org, offers an online location to keep up to date as this new discipline grows and develops.

RESERVE YOUR STALL NOWThe 2011 RSNC National Finals are just around the corner.

Charlene- 580-761-5249

Stalls:      $90 per week or

$25 per day

Stalls must be paid for in advance

Shavings:$8 per bag.

The Hardy Murphy Arena will have shavings on hand and they will be ready for you in your stall

The deadline for reservations will be June 1^st.  If you have any other questions you may contact Charlene or the RSNC office at 970-897-2901.  Stalls are filling up already.

On April 19, 2011 the American Horse Council released its 2010 Report on Equestrian Access on Federal Land. The 2010 report is intended to provide a brief overview of the responses the AHC received from equestrians to its ongoing access survey in 2010.

In July, 2009 the American Horse Council launched its effort to collect information regarding equestrian access issues on federal lands. The center piece of this initiative is a online form riders can use to report their personal experiences regarding trails on federal lands that have been closed to them or other access issues. Anyone wishing to participate in the study may find the online form on the AHC website at https://www.horsecouncil.org/survey.php.

This effort was prompted by a growing concern among recreational riders around the country that they were seeing a reduction in the number of trails and trail heads open to equestrians on federal land.

In March, 2010 the AHC released its first report on equestrian access, the 2009 Report Equestrian Access on Federal Land, which can be viewed on the AHC website.

The 2009 report has been used successfully by the AHC to inform members of Congress, federal land mangers and other recreational users of the issues some equestrians have experienced.

“The 2009 report was a great success and has been used by the AHC to inform members of Congress, federal land mangers and other recreational users of the issues some equestrians have experienced,” said AHC Legislative Director Ben Pendergrass.

Hundreds of thousands of Americans use horses and pack stock to enjoy America’s great outdoors each year. However, it is an experience that cannot be enjoyed without access to public land, trail systems, and trailheads.

“The AHC uses these reports to illustrate some of the challenges facing recreational riders,” said AHC President Jay Hickey.” “Our federal land mangers work hard and there are many great recreational opportunities on federal land. However, the equestrian community needs to be vigilant concerning any loss of access to federal land.”

The AHC plans to continue its effort to collect information regarding equestrian access. The AHC encourages all recreational riders to report their experiences to the AHC using this electronic form.

The National Reining Horse Association Ancillary Limited Open at the National Reining Breeders Classic in Katy, Texas, was decided in a run-off. In the end, it was Blake Plemmons who won the Championship on Wimpys Little Olena. He has only shown the gelding twice. “We’ve actually only had him about four weeks, so I was very happy with how he worked,” noted Plemmons, who rides with Gabe Hutchins in Aubrey, Texas. “He’s a pretty good horse.”

Plemmons and Wimpys Little Olena, owned by Theresa Drawdy of St. Cloud, Florida, received a check for $327. “He was a little tired in the run-off but he was still good. He was really good in our original run,” he noted. When asked of the plans for Wimpys Little Olena, Plemmons said, “He’s actually for sale at this point.”

Nicole Schneider and Sweet Pepto Nic won the Reserve Championship, collecting $225. Sweet Pepto Nic is owned by Chuck and Sonja Swain of New Ellenton, South Carolina.

The NRBC also features a full-slate of National Reining Horse Association-approved classes, which run in the East Arena while the Classic is held in the Coliseum. The National Reining Breeders Classic is the most successful stallion incentive program in reining history. In just fourteen years, the NRBC has grown to include nearly 200 subscribed stallions. Annually, the payout at the National Reining Breeders Classic exceeds $1.4 million. For information on the NRBC, visit the web site at www.nrbc.com or call 580-759-3939.

Find your next horse at myhorseforsale.com

The results have been tallied and the numbers verified. The top thirty entries from the Non Pro, as well as the top twenty from the Intermediate Non Pro, Limited Non Pro, Non Pro Level 1, and Non Pro Prime Time will advance to the clean-slate finals of the National Reining Breeders Classic on Friday, April 22.

Leading the way is East Sussex, England Non Pro Jessica Sternberg, who had the high score of the preliminary round with a 221.5 on Shiners Chic. Even sweeter is that Sternberg is eligible for more than just the Non Pro – she’s entered in the Intermediate Non Pro, Limited Non Pro, and Non Pro Level 1!

Shiners Chic, owned by Rosanne Sternberg, is by Smart Chic Olena out of Ebony Shines.

The bubble score for the Non Pro was a 215, while the magic number in the Intermediate Non Pro was a 214.5. Entries in the Limited Non Pro were shooting for a 213, and it took a 212.5 to advance to the Finals in the Non Pro Level 1.

In the Non Pro Prime Time, Christie Batson and First Class Custom led the way with a 222.5. First Class Custom is by Custom Crome out of Smoking Sophie. The bubble for the Non Pro Prime Time was 215.5.

All Non Pro’s will draw their own finals order during the Rancho Oso Rio Non Pro Finals Draw Party on Wednesday. Each finalist will be called up one-by-one, and they pick their draw by choosing a special commemorative wine glass against the backdrop of the NRBC’s crystal award display. It’s always a fun time, as everyone waits eagerly to see who gets the coveted draw positions. Everyone is invited to attend the Rancho Oso Rio Non Pro Finals Draw Party, which begins at 7:30 pm and is held in the Texas Children’s Hospital Arena Club.

The NRBC also features a full-slate of National Reining Horse Association-approved classes, which run in the East Arena while the Classic is held in the Coliseum. The National Reining Breeders Classic is the most successful stallion incentive program in reining history. In just fourteen years, the NRBC has grown to include nearly 200 subscribed stallions. Annually, the payout at the National Reining Breeders Classic exceeds $1.4 million. For information on the NRBC, visit the web site at www.nrbc.com or call 580-759-3939.

Find your next Reined Cowhorse on myhorseforsale.com.

Ocala, FL – March 30, 2011 – Chester Weber, the eight-time USEF National Four-In-Hand Combined Driving Champion, proved to be an unstoppable force at the CAI Live Oak International Combined Driving event when he drove away as the winner of the FEI Horse Team division. Live Oak International is considered to be one of the premiere Combined Driving events in North America and each year the show attracts an array of world-class competition.

Weber, who has added two new equine members to his team with Jane Forbes Clark’s horses, Uniek and Splash, was pleased with the Live Oak win. “My team went well and were technically easy to drive,” Weber said, adding that it felt great to win nine years in a row at Live Oak. “The two new additions from Jane have proven to be very helpful and have not only added to our depth but have moved our program forward.”

Weber, who is from Ocala and is based out of Live Oak Plantation, first drove into the winner’s circle in March with the new team when he won the FEI Four-In-Hand Division at Little Everglades, a USEF Selection Trial. During Live Oak, Weber competed Rolex W, Uniek, Splash and Para in the dressage phase for a score of 37.63 and followed up with Uniek, Reno, Para and Splash in the marathon and cones, with no penalties and a time of 2:55.63 in the cones.

“I am thrilled with all of the horses and both Michael Freund, the U.S. team coach, and I feel that they can be very competitive on the international stage,” Weber said, adding that Live Oak was once again a successful event overall. “In addition to world class competition, Live Oak offered a classic car show, a demonstration by Pat Parelli, founder of Parelli Natural Horsemanship, and a coaching demonstration which was very well received.”

While at CAI Live Oak, Weber acted as chef d’equipe for the U.S. team, and the U.S. team proved to be successful. “It was a great weekend and I was very proud to be associated with the U.S. team,” Weber said. “Shelly Temple of Windsor, South Carolina won the USEF National Championship for single ponies and Jennifer Matheson, from Aiken, South Carolina, won the USEF National Championship for pair ponies, so overall it was a very successful weekend.”

Weber, who is known for setting goals and achieving them, is now preparing for the 2012 World Championships in Riesenbeck and the 2014 World Equestrian Games in France. First, however, Weber has his sights set on winning another USEF National title at the Laurels in Unionville, Pennsylvania in September.

For more information on Weber and his combined driving team, visit their website at www.chesterweber.com.

Lexington, KY—April 13, 2011—It comes as no surprise that the entry list for this year’s Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, presented by Bridgestone, boasts the names of many of the best horses and riders from around the world. A field of entries containing Olympic veterans, past Rolex Kentucky Champions and World Equestrian Games (WEG) veterans will converge on the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY, when the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, presented by Bridgestone, returns April 28-May 1.
This year, the Ariat Kentucky Reining Cup will debut alongside the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event and it will feature the world’s best reiners including the four members of the Gold Medal team from last year’s Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, all of whom are entered to compete.

The Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event is part of the HSBC FEI ClassicsTM and features the world’s best horses and riders vying for their share of $250,000 in prize money as well as a shot at the $350,000 Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing which is awarded to any rider who wins the Rolex Kentucky, Mitsubishi Motors Badminton and Land Rover Burghley Four Star Events in succession.

The only CCI4* in the Western Hemisphere, the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event features the 14th championship for the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation Pinnacle Cup, signifying the zenith in Eventing competition in the United States. The event draws 50-100,000 spectators and is seen by millions more on worldwide telecasts including a 60-minute live broadcast on NBC in the United States that will air from 2-3:00 pm on May 1.

As always, spectators at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event can look forward to rooting on their favorite horse-and-rider combinations as they compete in the three phases of competition: dressage, cross-country and show jumping.

Those expected to compete during this year’s Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event include:

* William Fox-Pitt of Great Britain, an Olympic Silver and Bronze Team Medalist, winner of the inaugural HSBC FEI ClassicTM Series, 2010 Alltech FEI WEG Team Gold and Individual Silver Medalist, and defending Rolex Kentucky Champion
* Mary King of Great Britain, a 2010 Alltech FEI WEG Team Gold Medalist
* Mark Todd of New Zealand, a two-time Olympic Gold Medalist and 2010 Alltech FEI WEG Team Bronze Medalist
* Clayton Fredericks of Australia, a 2008 Olympic Team Silver Medalist and 2006 WEG Individual Silver Medalist
* Karen O’Connor of the U.S, a three-time Olympic veteran, 1999 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event CCI4* winner and two-time Rolex Kentucky CCI3* winner
* Phillip Dutton of the United States, a two-time Olympic team Gold Medalist for his native Australia and 2008 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event CCI4* Champion
* Kim Severson of the United States, a three-time Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event CCI4* Champion and 2004 Olympic Team Bronze and Individual Silver Medalist
* Boyd Martin of the United States, a 2010 Alltech FEI WEG team member
* Bruce “Buck” Davidson, Jr. of the United States, a 2010 Alltech FEI WEG team member
* Jil Walton of the United States, a 1992 Olympic veteran.

Smart Luck may have started his career as a hard-luck horse. But as he continues to add major titles to his name, he reinforces that luck really has nothing to do with his success. On Sunday, March 27, the 5-year-old cow horse, by Very Smart Remedy out of Gunna Be Lucky, earned another line on his resume – that of the 2011 National Reined Cow Horse Association Stakes Champion.
At the reins was his trainer and NRCHA Million Dollar Rider Todd Bergen. When asked about Smart Luck’s shaky start, the Eagle Point, Oregon, trainer is adamant that he never had any doubts about his mount’s ability. “I knew he was good all along. He could have been the Snaffle Bit Futurity Champion, but he fell in the cow work. He’s a really good horse and it doesn’t surprise me at all that he’s coming on and winning,” he said, referring to the stallion’s wins at the NRCHA Derby and in the Open Hackamore at the Snaffle Bit Futurity. “He’s the kind of horse you want, and I’m lucky to have him.”

Bergen knew his horse was strong in the herd work, and as the first leg of Finals day competition, he knew he had to capitalize on that ability. “My herd help – Corey Cushing, Phillip Ralls, Ted Robinson, and Todd Crawford – helped to find some decent cows, and we were able to get him exposed. I just tried to get a good start,” he said of his 220.5 herd work.

Then it was time for what is arguably Bergen’s, who’s also a National Reining Horse Association Million Dollar Rider, forte – the rein work. “I knew there had already been some decent runs posted, and this horse is solid in the rein work, so I just hung it all out there. He stopped big and circled well, and we got a good score,” he said.

That score – a 226.5 – was needed to compensate for a less than ideal cow in the fence work, where they ended with a 217. “I know that the guys here in Idaho can put together some tough runs. I just tried to get as many points as I could early on. That cow just got a little numb at the end and got pushy. Luckily we had enough of a cushion that we could lose a few points,” he said.

The composite score of 664 was enough to win the title, along with a check for $27,683 for owner Cindy Warn of Cable Creek Ranch. “Cindy can never watch us compete – she was sitting in the parking lot the whole time,” laughed Bergen. “She’s a great customer and she really supports me. I can’t thank her enough for the good horses she lets me ride.”

Todd Crawford photo by Primo Morales

Another NRCHA Million Dollar Rider, Todd Crawford, won the Reserve Championship aboard Moms Silverado Cat with a 659.5 (220.5/219.5/219.5). Crawford and Moms Silverado Cat, owned by Rhodes River Ranch, won $20,398. Moms Silverado Cat is by High Brow Cat out of Moms Stylish Pepto.

The National Reined Cow Horse Association, now in its 62nd year, is the governing body of cow horse competition, is responsible for promoting the sport, insuring high standards of competition and educating members and the public about the history and tradition of the cow horse. Through the support of a Corporate Partner family that includes Adequan, Bob’s Custom Saddles, Cinch, Classic Equine, Gist Silversmiths, John Deere, Markel Insurance Company, Nutrena, Pfizer Animal Health, Platinum Performance, Quarter Horse News, Rios of Mercedes, Running W Designs, the Silver Legacy Hotel and Casino, and Merial products UlcerGard and EQUIOXX, the association works to keep the vaquero tradition alive in today’s equine industry. For information on the National Reined Cow Horse Association, call 580-759-4949 or visit the NRCHA Official Web Site at www.nrcha.com.