“Our stalls are looking great this year!” Wirthlin says. “At last count we had 390 stalls reserved.”
Continue reading …You know them in the horse show arena, but you can find these kids competing with other four-legged friends.
Continue reading …Clay and Elizabeth MacLeod once again rolled out the red carpet for exhibitors and produced a show that continues to impress competitors and judges alike year after year.
Continue reading …Awards will be given for the Top Overall Male, Top Overall Female, Top Youth, Top Amateur, Top Trainer, and Top Dog (literally, the leashed dog/runner pair that finishes first). Additionally, prizes will be given for the best costume and the barn/team with the most participants.
Continue reading …Although there was a bit of rain and mud to contend with at the start of the 2015 Sun & Surf Circuit, that didn’t stop competitors from having a blast in Del Mar, California. When the sun did make an appearance over the weekend, competition was stiff with large class sizes in many different disciplines.
Continue reading …The discipline of Western Pleasure has arguably been the most debated subject in the horse show world in the last decade– on social media, in the stands at any given horse show, and in the meetings where rule changes are discussed, proposed, and put into effect.
Continue reading …“Since the Convention, we are capitalizing on the progress we have made. When people see the numbers that have joined us online, they know they won’t be the only one speaking out. That gives people the confidence to share their concerns. This is the right thing for the horses, the sport we love, and a solid future for the AQHA.”
Continue reading …Most people in the horse industry, regardless of breed, are familiar with the numerous AQHA and APHA World and Congress Champions that have come from the program at Highpoint Performance Horses. Year after year, Charlie Cole and Jason Martin have produced some of the most recognizable winners in the industry, from dominating in the Western Riding and Trail pen to producing champions in Western Pleasure and Hunter Under Saddle. They even have a champion barrel horse. At their beautiful ranch, located in Pilot Point, Texas, you’d expect to see horses ranging in age from weanling on up to their impressive lineup of stallions. However, unless you’ve personally driven through those impressive wooden gates and past the stately home at the entrance, you might not be aware of the other animals that call it home as well.
Continue reading …As you know, I went to the Convention and came home with my mind full of thoughts that have been fairly difficult for me to sort out. Most everyone seemed extremely friendly and complimentary regarding several years of my “On The Fence” articles. This has been hard for me to understand because in spite of my severe criticism of the current state of horse welfare, conflicts of interest, lack of penalties, and loose enforcement of rules, it seems to me absolutely no effective changes have come to fruition.
Continue reading …While riding in the groomed arenas of the 65-acre Del Mar Horse Park, you can almost smell the salty twang of the Pacific Ocean wafting in from a mere two miles away.
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