By Sonia Meyer, Executive Director

In January 2007, the Alberta Horse Trials Association (AHTA) launched its High Performance Eventing Program with a goal to support high performance athletes and their coaches through to international levels of competition.

To this end, we worked with the AEF and were successful in receiving a grant from the Alberta Sport and Recreation Foundation with matching funds from AHTA towards hiring a HP coach for the program.

We are extremely excited to announce that we have hired Lorraine LaFramboise as our high performance eventing coach for the next year. Lorraine brings a tremendous depth of experience both with eventing and show jumping and we feel very privileged that she has agreed to help us develop the AHTA High Performance Eventing Program.
continue reading "High Performance Eventing Program - Alberta Equestrian Federation"

Medal wins in eventing, show jumping, and dressage secure Team Canada’s spot at 2008 Olympic Games

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - The Canadian eventing team of Kyle Carter, Sandra Donnelly, Waylon Roberts and Michael Winter has won the silver medal at the XV Pan American Games that took place from July 14 to 29 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The third and final phase of competition, show jumping, took place on Sunday, July 22, at the National Equestrian Centre located north of downtown Rio. Team and individual medal ceremonies immediately followed.

continue reading "Canada earns Silver at Pan Am Games"

Canada’s eventing, show jumping, and dressage teams are on their way to Pan American Games

Eventing 

Following a successful spring training and competition program, the Canadian Eventing Team who will represent Canada in the 2007 Pan American Games (PAG), in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, July 14 to 29 has been chosen.

Five rider/horse combinations are named to the team and nominated to the Canadian Olympic Committee. Named to the team (in alphabetical order) are:
continue reading "Bound for Brazil..Eventing, Show Jumping, Dressage"

For 2006 and 2007, the FEI has agreed to the proposal put forward jointly by Canada and the United States regarding qualifications for the Junior and Young Rider Championships.

A horse and rider must achieve a qualifying score(s) as a combination as follows:

For Level CH* Junior, the qualifications are CCI* or 2 CIC*.

For Level CH** Young Rider, the qualifications are CCI** or 2 CIC** or CH* and CIC**.

These qualifications will be implemented along with the individual Area Selection Procedures for riders wishing to qualify for an Area Junior or Young Rider team.

Please note: In 2008 qualifications will be according to the revised FEI article 506 in which horse and rider must obtain a qualifying score at a CCI of the same level as the championship.

About Eventing

The Olympic sport of eventing encompasses three separate tests: dressage, cross country, and jumping held consecutively. Each test ridden by the rider/horse combination is scored individually but added together for the final results. The rider/horse combination with the fewest number of penalty points over the three days wins the competition.
continue reading "New Eventing Criteria"

The world governing equestrian body is formalizing a safety group to look at preventing serious injuries and deaths in the sport of eventing.

The Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) is seriously concerned by the fatal accidents that have occurred in the sport over the last months. The FEI does not have the authority to manage and oversee national events.
continue reading "Eventing deaths and injuries concern FEI"

The inaugural UMH Gaited Versatility Challenge and Open Gaited Breed Dressage Show near Lexington, Kentucky, held the weekend before the renowned Rolex Three-day Event was heralded a success by organizers.

The competition was conceived by Margo Kirn who began riding gaited horses after decades of training Thoroughbreds for the racetrack and three-day eventing. She found that gaited horses were as athletic as any other breed of horse, and she wanted to highlight their talents in a three-phase event modeled after three-day eventing.
continue reading "Gaited Horses Enjoy Inaugural Three-day Event"

Hawley Bennett of Langley, BC, rode to a fourth-place finish in the CIC 3* World Cup Qualifier at the CIC-W 3* Galway Downs Three Day Event, held March 30 to April 1 in Temecula, California, U.S.

Riding her Olympic partner and 2005 FEI Eventing World Cup Final mount, Livingstone, the 17-year-old Canadian Thoroughbred gelding she co-owns with her mother Gerry Bennett, Bennett earned her fourth place finish on a final score of 66.8.

“I am so happy with Livingstone,” said Bennett, who has been competing with the gelding for 13 years. “He had a solid dressage test, and one of the best cross-country rounds I have ever had on him.
continue reading "BC Eventer earns top-five finish in World Cup Qualifier"