December 2016 - Eighteen of 30 Horses Survive Horrific Wreck On a Saturday evening last month four mares – two paints, a quarter horse and a Tennessee Walker - quietly munched hay in a comfortable barn in Honey Brook, PA. They were still wearing the yellow auction tags slapped on their backs. Had it not been for the horrific wreck they survived in Tennessee a few weeks earlier they would likely have been on a dinner plate in France. Read full article >>
December 2016 - Standardbred Sale Nets $53.4 Million At the 78th Annual Standardbred Horse Sales Company Annual Sale, held at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex from November 7–11, 1,544 horses sold for $53.4 million dollars to horsemen from all over the world. Standardbred sold 868 yearlings during its three day Select Yearling Sale for $33.5 million, for an average of $38,608 that was second only to the record-shattering 2007 Yearling Sale, and that represented a 25 percent increase over 2015. Read full article >>
December 2016 - Irv Naylor Wins Two on Pennsylvania Hunt Cup Day Irvin S. Naylor made two trips to the winner’s circle as the owner of Pennsylvania Hunt Cup winner Ebanour, and Maiden Timber winner Henry San. The 82nd running of the PA Hunt Cup was held Sun., Nov. 6 in Unionville, PA. A beautiful, brisk sunny day and good footing made for competitive racing over timber. Read full article >>
December 2016 - Pennsylvanians Capture Morgan World and National Championship Titles More than 950 Morgan horses from across the country and Canada graced the rings during the 44th Annual Grand National & World Championship Morgan Horse Show in Oklahoma City, October 8-15. They competed in more than 300 classes for more than $400,000 in prize money. Read full article >>
November 2016 - Days After Rescue from New Holland Auction, Clydesdale Rescued from Pond Cyrus the Clydesdale may not have his own twitter account, but he achieved global fame nonetheless. Dramatic pictures of the 18-year-old being rescued from a Chester County, PA pond in early October were spread across the country and around the world. Cyrus went viral! Read full article >>
November 2016 - Irish Rider Daniel Coyle Wins Grand Prix at the PA National Horse Show Horses as therapists was an ongoing theme at the 71st annual Pennsylvania National Horse Show, held October 13-22 at the Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg, PA. The show’s presenting sponsor, The Lindsey Maxwell Charitable Fund, is administered by 27-year-old amateur/owner hunter rider Lindsey Maxwell from Los Angeles, CA. Read full article >>
November 2016 - Stiffer Charges for Equine Cruelty a Whisker Away Pennsylvania was poised to catch up with the rest of the United States in terms of punishment for animal cruelty as Pennsylvania Equestrian went to press on October 24. House Bill 869 was passed unanimously by both the state House and the Senate and was sent to the Rules Committee for concurrence. Read full article >>
November 2016 - Little Is Three Star Champion and Reserve at Fair Hill International The final day of competition for The Dutta Corp./USEF Two- and Three-Star National Championships took center stage on Sunday at Fair Hill International. Winning the Three-Star title from a field of 48 horses were accepted during the first inspection was Marilyn Little with RF Scandalous. Read full article >>
October 2016 - Olympic Eventers Triumph at Plantation Field Horse Trials Upper-level event riders from around the country travel to Unionville, Pa. to compete at the Plantation Field International Horse Trials and Country Fair, but this year three local riders bested a competitive field of entries. Read full article >>
October 2016 - Lawsuit Amplifies Racing Reform Problems, But a Fix May Be Coming Controversy is swirling around HB941 like flies in a horse barn in July. The bill, now known as Act 7, began with such promise. A slew of reforms to Pennsylvania’s horseracing industry, aimed at protecting the industry by changing the way it is governed in the state, were signed into law by Governor Tom Wolf in February, 2016. Read full article >>
October 2016 - Devon Fall Classic Wraps Up with Horse of the Year Championships Elizabeth Traband and Melissa Rudershausen wrapped up the Devon Fall Classic on Sunday, September 18 with victories during the United States Hunter Jumper Association Zone 2 Horse of the Year Jumper Championships. The all jumper show ran September 15-18 at the Devon Horse Show grounds, Devon, PA. Read full article >>
October 2016 - BJ’s Pleasure Passes at Age 33; Foals Changed the Standardbred Breed On Monday, February 6, 2005, Hoof Beats editor Dean Hoffman previewed an upcoming article on harness racing’s elite broodmares. To make the list, each mare had to produce at least four foals that made $250,000 or more. On the pacing side 18 mares had achieved this status, while only three of their trotting colleagues could boast of the same accomplishment. Read full article >>
September 2016 - Horse Beating Generates Calls for Stiffer Animal Cruelty Laws A disturbing scene straight out of Anna Sewall’s classic Victorian-era novel “Black Beauty,” played out on a Lancaster County road last month: A man in a straw hat bending over a horse lying on the pavement, appearing to beat the animal with his hands. Behind the bay horse was a wagon full of watermelons. Read full article >>
September 2016 - Horse Found After Two Weeks Lost in Maryland Park Well organized searches, publicity, and a little luck brought Paso Fino gelding Play Doh back to his owner Susan Crawford after he was missing for twelve days in the Patapsco State Recreation Area in Maryland. Read full article >>
September 2016 - Thoroughbred Breeders Suffer Financially Due to Wording Change in Racing Bill There were smiling faces all around the table on February 23 when Governor Wolf signed HB941 into law. That was the legislation that promised long-sought reform for Pennsylvania’s horse racing industry. The bloom came off that rose pretty quickly, when it became clear there was a problem with the way the final bill described breeders’ awards. Read full article >>
September 2016 - Howard Taylor Having a Great Year with a Stable Full of Superstars He’s been in this business for decades and has certainly possessed some outstanding horses along the way, including champions Buck I St Pat and Economy Terror. But Howard Taylor is a little superstitious regarding the success he has enjoyed in 2016 with Shamballa, Control The Moment and Lady Shadow. Read full article >>
August 2016 - New Coalition to Reform Racing Receives Chilly Reception One of the nation’s leading animal welfare organizations has teamed up with top leaders in the U.S. horse racing industry to find common ground to improve the treatment of race horses during and after their careers. Read full article >>
August 2016 - Unbeaten Songbird Soars Into Saratoga Race after race she is marching her way into the ranks of female racing royalty. Zenyatta. Rachel Alexandra. Royal Delta. Rags to Riches. All thoroughbred magnets that have connected so passionately with racing fans. Now it's Songbird's time. Read full article >>
August 2016 - Humane Organizations Still Fighting to Stop Horse Slaughter in Canada In 2014, after years of pressure from Europe’s Humane Society International (HSI), the European Union banned the import of horse meat shipped from Mexican abattoirs. Dr. Joanna Swabe, the HSI/Europe Executive Director, says that her organization finally convinced European Commissioners that conditions in the Mexican abattoirs were problematic at best. Read full article >>
August 2016 - Ten Hot-Weather Tips for Horses from New Bolton Center Summer is a great time to ride, but summer heat can be dangerous for horses, resulting in dehydration, lethargy, and general malaise. Severe heat stress may cause diarrhea, or even colic. Following these 10 tips and using common sense will help keep you and your horse safe and comfortable during the hot days ahead. Read full article >>
July 2016 - Kevin Babington Repeats Devon Grand Prix Victory with Mark Q Kevin Babington and Mark Q repeated their 2011 victory in the $225,000 Sapphire Grand Prix of Devon CSI4*, beating Danielle Torano and McLain Ward in a three-horse jump-off. A crowd of 9,000 spectators turned out for the Devon Horse Show and Country Fair's highlight event. Only three were able to master the first round, and it was Babington, of Gwynned Valley, PA and Mark Q that were the pathfinders. Read full article >>
July 2016 - Pennsylvanians Win Big at the Devon Horse Show The 120th Annual Devon Horse Show and Country Fair, held May 26-June 5 in Devon, PA, is the longest running and largest outdoor multi-breed competition in the United States. With the grandeur of Philadelphia's prestigious Main Line setting the stage, the event features a world-class field that annually ranks among the most prominent internationally. Read full article >>
July 2016 - Rescued Horses Freeze Branded for Safety There are lots of potential tragedies that can strike a horse that has been rescued from near-starvation and abuse, but one of the most devastating is the possibility that the horse could wind up at an auction where so-called “kill buyers” are buying up horses to take to Canadian abattoirs. Most horse rescue groups do everything they can to protect the animals in their care; the ultimate goal is to rehabilitate horses and get them adopted by people who will protect and care for them. Read full article >>
July 2016 - Straight To It Wins Radnor Hunt Cup Trainer Jack Fisher saddled the winners in the two top races on the card at the 86th running of the Radnor Hunt Races, Saturday, May 21. Fisher trained Straight To It to the win in the $30,000 Radnor Hunt Cup Timber Race for owner Sheila Williams. The only timber race on the card, the Radnor Hunt Cup, was run in memory of George Strawbridge, Sr. Read full article >>
June 2016 - Work to Ride Success Story Shariah Harris Joins Cornell Class of 2020 Nestled far back amongst the trees on a dead-end road, a stone’s throw away from the Pennsylvania Turnpike, sits Chamounix Equestrian Center, the home of the indomitable Work to Ride program in Philadelphia, PA. Established over twenty years ago, Work to Ride is a non-profit community-based prevention program that benefits disadvantaged urban youth though constructive, educational activities centered around horsemanship and equine sports. Read full article >>
June 2016 - Transporter of ‘Paintball Pony’ Found Guilty on All Counts The emaciated mare thought to have been shot by paintballs who has become a media sensation received justice on May 20. Phillip S. Price, Jr. of Providence, RI was convicted of three counts of animal cruelty, one count of dealing animals without a license, and one count of importing animals without required interstate health certificate. He was ordered to pay restitution of $10,178.29—the cost of the animal’s vet bills to date – and fined $3,056.50. Read full article >>
June 2016 - Wild Willowdale: Steeplechase Ends in Dead Heat, Tailgaters Dodge Loose Horses A dead heat in the featured $25,000 Willowdale Steeplechase was a high point of the 24th running of the Willowdale Steeplechases, run Sunday, May 15 in Kennett Square, PA. Fritz Boniface on Grand Manan showed the way for most of the 3.5-mile Amateur Steeplechase, often jumping alone well ahead of the pack, but Amelia McGuirk on Monstaleur caught him in the stretch to force a photo finish. Read full article >>
June 2016 - Jersey Fresh Event Marred by Death of Rider Phillipa Humphreys Tragedy struck the Jersey Fresh International Three Day Event Saturday. May 14 when British rider Phillipa Humpreys died after a fall on the cross country course. Jersey Fresh officials issued this statement: “It is with deep regret that we announce that rider #52, Philippa Humphreys, 33, suffered fatal injuries in a fall at fence 16, the table, on the cross country course of the CCI3* at the Jersey Fresh International Three-Day Event. Read full article >>
May 2016 - Gutsy Women, Freaky Winner Highlight Cheshire Races The 71st running of Mr. Stewarts Cheshire Foxhounds Point to Point races on Easter Sunday, March 27, added a new feature that harkens back to the past. The Unionville, Pa. course was the site for the first running of the Mrs. Miles Valentine Memorial Ladies Side Saddle race. Read full article >>
May 2016 - Revised Newlin Township Ordinance is Even More Restrictive After several contentious meetings with residents, the formation of a committee of concerned citizens urging the supervisors to rescind the so-called Equestrian Ordinance, more than two years of angry township meetings and the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s threat to sue Newlin Township, a revised ordinance has emerged. An olive branch it is not. Read full article >>
May 2016 - Animal Cruelty Cases Will Be Part of National Incidence Based Registry System Early this year 16 starving horses, along with numerous sheep and goats, were removed from a farm in Carbon County, PA. Three of the horses died at a veterinary hospital; one was euthanized because it was so neurologically damaged that it could no longer stand. Two of the horses were so thin that they were rated zero on the Henneke Scale—a measurement of a horse’s body condition. Read full article >>
May 2016 - Mohaymen Looks to Bounce Back in Kentucky Derby The most highly touted Derby prep matchup in years took place in the $1 million Florida Derby. A clash of the titans: an East vs. West showdown of unbeaten colts. It never happened. Undefeated 2015 juvenile Eclipse Award-winning Nyquist rolled to an easy victory, stamping himself as the favorite for the Kentucky Derby on May 7. Read full article >>
April 2016 - Governor Wolf Signs Racing Reform into Law “Now we don’t have to worry about the Governor saying that racing is threatened with closing because it’s not going to be funded,” Brian Sanfratello says. “That will give the breeders and owners in Pennsylvania a sigh of relief. We won’t have to keep warning them of the possibility that racing will close.” Read full article >>
April 2016 - Newlin Township Residents Still Hunting for Resolution The mood in Newlin Township, Chester County, PA is still fraught with anger and resentment over the Equestrian Ordinance passed by the Board of Supervisors in 2014. At the March 14 meeting of the township supervisors, residents hoping to see the ordinance rescinded were disappointed. The supervisors insisted that they have no control over the process. Read full article >>
April 2016 - Old, Underweight Mare Shot by 130 Paintballs, Abandoned at New Holland According to an article in LNP, New Holland police charged Phillip S. Price, age 65, of East Providence, RI on March 30. Price is charged with three counts of animal cruelty, a single count of dealing and handling animals without a license, and a single count of importing animals without an interstate health certificate. Maximum fine could total $3,750, plus court costs, and he could be ordered to pay restitution for the horse’s care if he is found guilty. Read full article >>
April 2016 - PA-Bred Mor Spirit a Top West Coast Derby Contender Stuart Grant likes to tell folks that he spent time around horses growing up in Brooklyn, N. Y. Thing is, the horses all had cops on their backs. Grant is the proud breeder of Pennsylvania-bred colt Mor Spirit who was born at Derry Meeting Farm. The dark bay colt is considered one of the top West Coast contenders for the Kentucky Derby. Read full article >>
March 2016 - Starving Horses Seized from Veterinarian’s Farm “It was their back yard. You can see the horses, and just seeing them wasting away is unimaginable. Why someone would ever allow that to happen, I can’t understand.” Jackie Burke has been working with Last Chance Ranch in Quakertown for 15 years. She has seen a lot. Still, what she saw on Clyde “Renny” Shoop’s farm in Carbon County in the snow-covered landscape was heartrending. “The fact that it had snowed, and most of it was snow-covered, meant that we didn’t get the full force, like the first rescuers in there.” Read full article >>
March 2016 - PA Junior Jumper Establishes Popular Online Group Since the birth of the Internet, people have wanted to share content with friends, colleagues, and strangers alike. Social media is not a new phenomena, and iconic Facebook is a major platform that has not only survived the twelve years since creation, but also evolved into more than just a blank wall. It is a full-fledged, multidimensional community. Read full article >>
March 2016 - Leg Up Farms Receives Funds for Therapy from Sandusky Fines The scars left by the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal run deep through Pennsylvania. But out of the darkness brought by the disturbing acts committed by the former Penn State football coach comes a glimmer of light: $48 million in fines levied by the NCAA against the university following Sandusky’s 2012 conviction will be directed primarily toward a wide range of programs to help survivors of child sexual abuse. Read full article >>
March 2016 - Pennsylvania Trainers Succeed at the Thoroughbred Makeover When the winners of the Thoroughbred Makeover were named last October at the Kentucky Horse Park, Pennsylvania had three winners to its credit, more than any other state with entrants in the competition. A program of the non-profit Retired Racehorse Project, the 2015 Thoroughbred Makeover drew 200 Thoroughbreds from 44 states, Canada and England. Horses had to be trained for racing only prior to entry in the first months of the year. Read full article >>
February 2016 - Heartache in Bucks County as Equine Herpesvirus Erupts In an unthinkable Christmas week tragedy at Mile View Farm in Doylestown, Bucks County, PA, three horses were euthanized after being diagnosed with the neurologic form of Equine Herpesvirus, also called Equine Herpesvirus Myeloencephalopathy (EHM). Just before New Year’s Eve, a fourth horse was euthanized. Read full article >>
February 2016 - Cold-Weather Tips for Horse Owners from New Bolton Winter temperatures are finally here, and horse owners need to prepare for cold weather. Liz Arbittier, VMD, staff veterinarian in the Equine Field Service at Penn Vet’s New Bolton Center, offers six important tips to keep horses healthy and safe during the icy days of winter. Read full article >>
February 2016 - Farm Partners Sought for the Penn State Parasite Research Project Equine gastrointestinal parasites, and their increasing resistance to available dewormers, are a major concern in the equine industry. Taking a whole-farm approach to managing parasites can decrease the frequency of deworming, eliminate the use of products that have become ineffective, help you learn which horses have natural resistance and which ones are “shedders”, and help decrease the development of resistance to dewormers. Read full article >>
January 2016 - Newlin Township Lawyers Up Newlin Township’s Board of Supervisors has apparently decided that more attorney fees will solve the problems created by the so-called Equestrian Ordinance passed in October 2014. The Township has retained two attorneys from a West Chester law firm to meet with Pennsylvania’s Senior Attorney General Susan Bucknam. Read full article >>
January 2016 - Newlin Township Supervisors Respond The Newlin Township Board of Supervisors seeks to respond to newspaper articles and editorial comments that incorrectly cite the facts concerning the adoption of Ordinance 2014-01. This Ordinance amended the Newlin Township Zoning Ordinance by adding a use for a “commercial equine activity” and clarifying the regulations applicable to equestrian boarding when conducted as an accessory use to a residential dwelling. Read full article >>
January 2016 - Colorado Ranger Horse Association Calls Pennsylvania Home Despite the breed’s name, Colorado Ranger Horses have fans throughout the country and internationally. One of the biggest concentrations of Colorado Ranger Horses, also called Rangerbreds, is in the state of Pennsylvania which is the home of the breed registry and in recent years, the site of the breed’s annual Championship Show, in Wattsburg. Read full article >>
January 2016 - Wolf at the Door of Pennsylvania’s Horseracing Industry In October Governor Tom Wolf threatened to shut down the state’s horseracing industry, ostensibly because no deal had been reached that would shift the regulatory costs of horseracing from the state to the industry. Regulatory costs, especially drug testing and the costs of running the state’s testing laboratory, have been rising while revenues from pari-mutuel wagering have been declining. Read full article >>
