December 2013 - Four PA Senators Want to Amend Rules Governing Horse Racing On Memorial Day in 1981 a bay colt named Summing won the Pennsylvania Derby at the venue known as the Keystone Race Track. That was the same year that Pennsylvania’s legislature reformed the laws governing horse racing in the state. Summing could hardly have been called a favorite, but the Kentucky-bred colt impressed his owners enough with that race that they decided to enter him in the Belmont. Read full article >>
December 2013 - Enforcement of EU Rules Banning Tainted Horsemeat Stall There is a profitable, but declining, market for horsemeat in Europe, and much of the horsemeat consumed there comes from Canada and the United States. US and Canadian horses enter the food chain by way of the Canadian abattoirs. It used to be a simple transaction. Horses sold at auctions in Pennsylvania and elsewhere in the US were transported to Canada and sold to the meat processors. Read full article >>
December 2013 - A Test of Fortitude: Local Champion Triumphs at Inaugural Dressage Finals With feathers floating as he picks up a canter, Sir Lancelot is collection incarnate as he glides into the last movement of the test and halts neatly at X. His rider, Emily O’Neill from Conestoga, PA, salutes and gives the big Friesian his head, liberally patting his supple neck. The pair just executed the winning test to capture the Third Level Freestyle during the Inaugural US Dressage Finals at the Kentucky Horse Park on November 10. Read full article >>
December 2013 - Richardson Part of Team Working to Save St. Nicholas Abbeys At dawn on a Tuesday morning in July, world-renowned surgeon Dean Richardson, DVM, opened an e-mail from two equine surgeons in Ireland. Included were two radiographs of a horse’s shattered leg. The questions: “Can this horse be saved? What are the chances of survival?” Read full article >>
December 2013 - PA Hunt Cup From a large starting field that was thinned by falls, Kieran Norris piloted Merrifield Farm's Foyle to a win in the 79th running of the $35,000 Pennsylvania Hunt Cup, held Sunday, November 3 in Unionville, PA. Read full article >>
December 2013 - Wise Dan Rolls in BC Mile, Awaits Another HOTY There was a lot of chirping this summer and fall surrounding Wise Dan and his connections’ unwillingness to tackle tougher foes and longer distances such as in the mile-and-quarter Breeders’ Cup Classic. If he’s such a dominant horse, the pundits carped, let’s see him challenge the heavy hitters. Read full article >>
November 2013 - Irish Riders Monopolize the Pennsylvania National Horse Show The 68th annual Pennsylvania National Horse Show came to a thrilling conclusion on October 19 as many of the world's top riders competed in the $85,000 FEI World Cup Grand Prix de Penn National. You could hear the crowd collectively hold its breath as each horse sped around the course, but it was Irish rider Conor Swail and Game Ready who pulled out all the stops to clinch the win. Read full article >>
November 2013 - Jan Byyny Clinches Emotional Win in Fair Hill CCI3* Buck Davidson needed just one more rail to fall to clinch the win in the Dutta Corp Fair Hill International CCI3*, but he had his fingers crossed that the pole would stay in its cup. That’s because his longtime friend Jan Byyny and Inmidair were show jumping for the win, and he didn’t want anyone else to taste victory but her. Read full article >>
November 2013 - Pennsylvania Standardbreds Succeed at Kentucky’s Red Mile Fresh off her triumph in the $260,000 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes Final for 2-year-old trotting fillies on September 15, Designed To Be travelled to the Bluegrass State for an engagement in a $96,200 division of the International Stallion Stakes at The Red Mile on September 26. The filly certainly showed no signs of bouncing off her Sire Stakes victory when she stopped the teletimer in a 1:52.2 world record and defeated her Keystone State rivals Shake It Cerry and fellow world record holder Cooler Schooner. Read full article >>
November 2013 - Dressage at Devon Boasts Beautiful Weather and Breathtaking Horses Gorgeous autumn weather complimented the parade of quality horseflesh during the six days of competition at Dressage at Devon. American-based former Danish Olympic rider Lars Peterson, now based in Wellington, FL, won Saturday’s FEI Grand Prix Freestyle Open on Mariett with a score of 76.975%, followed closely by Ashley Holzer, a Canadian and four-time Olympian, aboard Breaking Dawn with a 76.5%. Read full article >>
November 2013 - Strawbridge’s Moonlight Cloud Sizzles in France A year ago Moonlight Cloud nearly shocked the racing world. Closing with her patented late rush, the little bay mare came up a head short to the wonder mare Black Caviar in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot. It was the closest the Australian champion came to defeat in 25 starts. Read full article >>
November 2013 - Thoroughbred Makeover Showcases Ex-Racehorses The first-ever Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium drew 800 Thoroughbred enthusiasts, horse trainers, horseracing luminaries and horse lovers to Pimlico Racetrack on October 5 and 6. The stars of the show took over the track's home stretch: 26 Thoroughbred ex-racehorses and their trainers. From jumping, pole bending, dressage, vaulting, and polo, to team sorting with cows and barrel racing, the makeover showcased the breed's remarkable versatility. Read full article >>
October 2013 - New Holland Auction Veterinarian James Holt Undaunted by Threats What’s it like to be the veterinarian on duty at the New Holland Sales Stables? “I’ve had death threats, my office has been broken into, I’ve had my tires slashed,” says Dr. James Holt, of Brandywine Veterinary Services. Clearly there’s not a James Herriot vibe here. Read full article >>
October 2013 - Derby Winner Orb’s Connections Purchase Barn at Fair Hills What’s the old adage, can’t teach an old hunting dog new tricks? This is typically sound advice, and especially true in the sport of thoroughbred racing where change is exceedingly slow. Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey’s methods have been consistent over nearly four decades. Read full article >>
October 2013 - Cheating Death Twice, Slaughter Bound Horse Finds a Home Kelly Smith of Omega Horse Rescue in York County, PA, sees heartbreaking and inspiring situations every day. So when she has a story of an amazing horse, it really is amazing. This is the story of a horse that saved his own life, then survived another near-death. Read full article >>
October 2013 - Why is He So Skinny? Weight Loss Worries in Horses A horse can lose weight for many reasons, from something as simple as underfeeding to a very serious condition such as cancer. Your veterinarian will first look for three major causes: anorexia, increased nutrient demands, or protein-calorie malnutrition. Read full article >>
October 2013 - DiBella Wins Ludwig’s Corner Horse Show $7,500 Mini Prix in Downpour Not many horse shows can boast of a tradition as long and successful as the Ludwig's Corner Horse Show and Country Fair. The Labor Day weekend event has seen struggles but has come through them in good order, marking its 70th anniversary year in 2013. Read full article >>
October 2013 - Two-Year-Old Filly Breaks Trotting World Record The Campbell brothers knew they had a filly with a fantastic turn of foot and tons of trot. They also knew it might be time to switch up their game plan, but never in their wildest dreams did they think it would result in Cooler Schooner becoming the swiftest 2-year-old trotter of all time. Read full article >>
October 2013 - Martin Clinches Richland Win, Looks Ahead to Boekelo Boyd Martin set himself up for a successful fall with a win aboard Trading Aces in the Richland CIC3* in Richland, Mich., in August. Martin, whose Windurra Farm is based in Cochranville, Pa., positioned himself well after dressage, scoring 43.9 to sit in second place behind fellow Pennsylvanian Phillip Dutton and Ben. Read full article >>
October 2013 - Brandywine Polo Club Starts to Rebuild Damaged Barn after Gatsby Fundraiser Polo, picnics, parties... and elemental disaster. Brandywine Polo Club has been an influential social highlight in Chester County since 1950 and has become not only a beacon of inspiration, but also of determination as they strive to rebuild yet again. Read full article >>
September 2013 - Afraid of Thunder, With Good Reason Throughout my many years on this glorious and sometimes merciless planet, the instances of storms with severe thunder and lightning have been many. The fear of lightning has subsided somewhat for me, but for my cat, the phobia lives on. As a matter of fact, I can recall three instances which have left severe emotional scars on both me and my pets. Read full article >>
September 2013 - Wentz Saddlebred Earns World Championship The 2012 show season was a world championship year for Wentz Stables of Oreville, PA, and 2013 has shown equal promise. The star of the show ring is CH Winsdown Edgecliff, a beautiful gray American Saddlebred who has turned in an outstanding record of wins in the Saddlebred Western Pleasure division for trainer Tara Wentz-Goosley with her sister Cassi Wentz aboard, and now with owner-rider Lynn Finelli. Read full article >>
September 2013 - Millionaire Dry Martini Thriving in a Second Career F. Scott Fitzgerald once declared that there are no second acts in American life. Tell that to Dry Martini. A four-time graded stakes winner at the racetrack, the ghostly gray gelding at age 9 was retired after a fifth place finish in the $1 million Florida Sunshine Millions at Gulfstream Park in January 2011. Read full article >>
September 2013 - Chester County Couple Develops Worldwide Audience for Evention TV Social media and the internet are changing how people live their lives and how they get their information. As for information about horses and riding, one spot where people are looking is Evention TV, produced by Jimmie and Dominic Schramm of Atglen, PA. Read full article >>
September 2013 - Newtown Tragedy Sparked Retired Racehorse Challenge In the profoundly sad days following the massacre of 26 children and teachers at their Newtown, CT school last December, grief engulfed our nation like a toxic cloud. People wept openly as they watched the news. It was hard to imagine how sunshine could ever pierce the cloud that stalked communities from Newtown to Honolulu. Read full article >>
September 2013 - Rookie from Reinholds, PA Wins NJ Extreme Mustang Makeover Few experienced horse people would consider a four year old mustang with 120 days of training as a mount for their four year old son. For Nate Eicher, the combination is a no-brainer. The 29 year old Reinholds, PA resident trained the mustang Little Mouse, the winner of the Extreme Mustang Makeover held at the Gloucester County Dream Park in Logan Township, NJ, August 3-4, then bought the mare for his son Dillon, age four. Read full article >>
August 2013 - Animal Crime Institute Trains Law Enforcement to Investigate Animal Abuse In her 14-year career with the Pennsylvania State Police, Trooper Colleen Shelly saw her share of animal abuse cases. She gathered evidence. She put the facts together. She brought offenders to justice. But she was frustrated by what seemed to be a lack of coordination in efforts to arrest perpetrators of animal abuse, and to prosecute them. Read full article >>
August 2013 - Pennsylvania Equestrian Wins Two AHP Awards Pennsylvania Equestrian again won awards at the annual American Horse Publications Award Contest, part of the organization’s annual meeting held in Colorado Springs June 20-22. In the category of General Excellence State or Regional Publication, Pennsylvania Equestrian received Honorable Mention, behind winner California Thoroughbred. Read full article >>
August 2013 - Steeplechaser McDynamo Elected to Racing Hall of Fame He was dubbed the “King of Far Hills.” As the burly bay thoroughbred approached the final jump on the northern New Jersey race course in October 2007, jockey Jody Petty looked over his shoulder to the left. Nothing. So Petty peeked over his right shoulder. No horses there either. Read full article >>
August 2013 - Hunter Derbies Are Featured at Brandywine Valley Summer Series The third annual Brandywine Valley Summer Series attracted top hunter and jumper riders to the Devon Show Grounds for two weeks of 'AA' rated competition held June 26 - June 30 and July 3 - 7, 2013 with a local day on July 8, 2013. Read full article >>
August 2013 - 70th Annual Ludwig’s Corner Horse Show Will Entertain Families This Labor Day Weekend Cap off the final days of summer with a weekend of family fun at the 70th annual Ludwig’s Corner Horse Show and Country Fair. The family event, held Labor Day Weekend, Saturday through Monday, August 31 - September 2 at the Ludwig’s Corner Horse Show Grounds, Glenmoore, PA, has been a Labor Day tradition for generations of Chester County families for more than a half century. Read full article >>
August 2013 - Sun Stakes Saturday at Pocono Downs Awards $2 Million in Purses Although there was $2 million in purse money and four major stake races, including a track record, a world record equaling performance and a world record, the evening of June 29 at Pocono Downs still seemed to belong to the Captain. Captaintreacherous that is. Read full article >>
July 2013 - Kaitlin Campbell Turns Pro, is Devon’s Reserve Open Jumper Champion The Devon Horse Show brings out the best of the best, especially in the Open Jumper Division. It also is a great stage for new talent moving into the professional ranks like Kaitlin Campbell of Upper Black Eddy, PA. Read full article >>
July 2013 - Princess of Sylmar Off to Saratoga after Kentucky Oaks Upset Ed Stanco works as an actuary. He crunches numbers. And then he crunches more numbers in his insurance business. Stanco’s number came up big-time in the 139th running of the Kentucky Oaks. His homebred Princess of Sylmar stormed down the middle of the stretch at Churchill Downs. reeling in last year’s juvenile filly champ Beholder to capture the $1 million race. Many pundits tabbed it as the deepest field in years. Read full article >>
July 2013 - Down for the Count: The Art and Science of General Anesthesia in the Horse Horses everywhere require surgery on a daily basis. Along with surgery comes general anesthesia. General anesthesia induces the animal into a state that results in unconsciousness, amnesia, and lack of movement and pain. Typical procedures performed under general anesthesia include, but are not limited to, orthopedic procedures such as joint arthroscopies and fracture repairs, soft tissue procedures such as throat surgeries and hernia repairs, and emergency procedures such as colic surgeries, C-sections, and extensive laceration repairs. Read full article >>
July 2013 - Local Eventers Shine at Bromont Three-Day Event Pennsylvania eventers put in a very strong performance at the Volvo Bromont Three-Day Event in Quebec in June, claiming top placings in the CCI3* and wins in the CIC3* and CCI2* divisions. The horses and riders battled cold and rainy conditions all weekend, which made for tough going on cross-country day. Read full article >>
July 2013 - Pennsylvania Goes Western... Dressage There’s a real thrill to getting in on the ground floor of a new movement- especially when the fun incorporates skills you likely already possess. So what’s this cool venture? Western dressage, which dovetails western riding with dressage principles. It’s really no surprise to see these two come together: both disciplines feature common elements based on solid horsemanship and timeless riding. Read full article >>
July 2013 - Bill to End Doping of Racehorses Introduced Pennsylvania Representative Joe Pitts (R) is among three legislators proposing a bill to end doping in horseracing. Pitts, along with U.S. Sen. Tom Udall (D-NM) and U.S. Reps. Ed Whitfield (R-KY) introduced The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act on May 16. The bill would provide the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) with authority to cleanup the sport and enforce anti-doping standards in races with simulcast wagering. Read full article >>
June 2013 - FBI Raids Berks County Horse Rescue After an April 30 raid at the offices of Another Chance 4 Horses, a Bernville, PA equine rescue organization, questions and controversy have fed on each other. It has not been pretty. News of the raid seemed to open an enormous vein of antipathy--on equine-related blogs, on Facebook and across the internet; anonymous posters have called Another Chance 4 Horses a scam, evil, immoral and worse. Christy Sheidy, the owner of Another Chance 4 Horses, has said little. Read full article >>
June 2013 - New Bolton Lecture: The Dope on New Drug Research and Testing For more than 30 years, the Equine Pharmacology & Forensic Research Program, a collaboration between Penn Vet’s New Bolton Center and the Pennsylvania Equine Toxicology & Research Center in West Chester, has been working to develop drug detection tests for banned substances in race horses at both Thoroughbred and Standardbred race tracks. Read full article >>
June 2013 - Wet Jockeys Celebrate First Wins at the Willowdale Steeplechases Mother’s Day at the Willowdale Steeplechases was a memorable occasion for at least two jockeys who found themselves drenched in water after marking their first wins in NSA sanctioned races. Eric Poretz earned his first NSA win in the Foxhunter’s Chase, an amateur highweight timber race, on Mr. Tack, owned by Scanden Stable and trained by Patrick Worrall. Read full article >>
June 2013 - Trailer Fire Kills 30 Horses from Shippensburg On May 6 a trailer carrying 30 horses caught fire along Interstate 81 near the town of Lisle, NY. The trailer was hauling horses from Shippensburg, Pennsylvania to an abattoir in Canada. All thirty horses died in the fire. Read full article >>
June 2013 - Naylor’s Decoy Daddy Wins National Hunt Cup at Radnor Hunt Races The 83rd running of the Radnor Hunt Races on Saturday, May 17 was one of the last major events of the spring steeplechase season. Owners and trainers took full advantage of the event, filling the six race card with good fields of competitive entries Read full article >>
June 2013 - St. Lawrence, Skidmore Tie for Top Honors at IHSA Championships in Harrisburg St. Lawrence University coach Mary Drueding and her defending national champion Saints shared the 2013 Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) hunter seat high point team Collegiate Cup with last year's reserve champions, coach Cindy Ford and her Skidmore College Thoroughbreds. It was only the third tie in the competition’s 40 year history. Read full article >>
May 2013 - Horses Die, Whodunit Unfolds There’s a mystery unfolding in south central Pennsylvania: Who killed Joseph Meyer’s horses? The trail riding and lesson stable owner has no dearth of enemies, or trouble. His neighbors admit in public hearings to calling him “a habitual liar,” a “creep,” “delusional” and an “arrogant carpetbagger.” Read full article >>
May 2013 - Many Holes Exist in the Safety Net of Organizations That Monitor Cruelty If horses, dogs and cats could vote, would their lives be better? Would they ask legislators to require better working conditions for them? If they could form unions to help them secure greater leverage in their negotiations with the people who own them, what would they ask for? Read full article >>
May 2013 - Pennsylvania Eventers Shine at The Fork, Get Ready for Rolex Leading Pennsylvania eventers were out in full force at The Fork Horse Trials in Norwood, N.C., last month competing in the last major preparation event before the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event. While no Pennsylvania riders took home a win in the CIC3*, CIC2* or Advanced divisions, local riders secured top-three finishes at each level. Read full article >>
May 2013 - Point-to-Point Races The Pennsylvania point-to-point racing season got underway in Chester County with Mr. Stewart’s Cheshire Foxhounds Point-to-Point Races on Easter Sunday March 31 and The Brandywine Hill Point-to-Point Races the following week on April 7. Read full article >>
May 2013 - Penn Vet Lecture: Worrisome Wobbling and the Neurologic Hors Worrisome Wobbling – What to do for the neurologic horse was the subject of a March 5 presentation at Penn Vet’s New Bolton Center by Amy L. Johnson, DVM, DACVIM – LAIM and Neurology. Dr. Johnson is one of a small handful of veterinarians in the world board-certified in both large animal internal medicine and neurology. Read full article >>
May 2013 - Most Adopted Horses Need Multiple Homes Twenty-four years of statistics compiled by the Standardbred Retirement Foundation show that 76 percent of horses adopted for the first time need another adoption, and 49 percent need more than two homes in their lifetime. Read full article >>
April 2013 - Hauling Horses Across State Lines? New Rules Apply Reports in farm journals and publications covering the beef and dairy industries have created some confusion for horse owners. The reports refer to new regulations governing transportation of livestock, and seem to suggest that horse owners will be subject to new, onerous burdens, including rigorous identification documents and health certification. A review of the 37-page summary of the new rules, which became effective in March, provides clarification. Read full article >>
April 2013 - Celine Marlin Andrews Wins USEF Small Hunter National Championship Seventeen-year-old Celine Marlin Andrews of Valley Forge, PA took on the adults and professionals and came out on top, winning the first US Equestrian Federation Small Hunter National Championship for 2012 on her Dutch Warmblood mare Diva SCF, known around her barn as Aurora. Read full article >>
April 2013 - Derby Prospect Normandy Invasion Targets the Wood Barbaro did it. So did Animal Kingdom. Faced with “put up or shut up” in their final Kentucky Derby preps, both colts punched their tickets to Louisville. Next up: Normandy Invasion. Known for his explosive late kick, Rick Porter’s chestnut colt will have one final chance to earn his way into the Derby in the $1 million Wood Memorial at Aqueduct Racecourse on April 6. Read full article >>
April 2013 - The 100 Day Thoroughbred Challenge Produces Four Winners The Retired Racehorse Training Project's 100 Day Thoroughbred Challenge saw each of the four horses emerging victorious as best suited for at least one of five equestrian disciplines. The horses began their training on December 1 at Dodon Farm Training Center in Davidsonville, MD, appeared at the Maryland and Pennsylvania Horse World Expos, and concluded with a final appearance and graduation ceremony at Caves Farm in Owings Mills, MD. Read full article >>
March 2013 - Herd of Morgan Horses in Lebanon County, PA at Center of Dispute The story is becoming depressingly familiar. Horses, lots of horses, neglected and in trouble, living in squalor. In plain sight. Passersby are shocked. Police are called. Humane officers investigate. Still the animals seem no closer to rescue and safety. Doesn’t anyone care? Read full article >>
March 2013 - Penn Vet Lecture: Easy Keepers: Metabolic Diseases in Horses Metabolic diseases in horses was the subject of a presentation at Penn Vet New Bolton Center on January 8 by Olivia Schroeder VMD, DAVBP and a member of the Boucher Field Service at Penn Vet’s New Bolton Center. The lecture was part of the First Tuesday Lecture series at New Bolton Center, offering the public open lectures on equine topics, at no charge, the first Tuesday of each month. Read full article >>
March 2013 - Cerro Is the Latest Kentucky Derby Prospect for Team Valor It looks like Graham Motion is going for the hat trick. The Fair Hill trainer famously prepped Animal Kingdom for his 2011 Kentucky Derby triumph with a Gulfstream Park grass race, in which he finished second, and the $500,000 Spiral Stakes, which he won to punch his ticket for the Derby field. Read full article >>
March 2013 - Local Standardbreds Foiled Again, Market Share, Chapter Seven Among 2013 Dan Patch Winners He hasn’t garnered anywhere near the same amount of attention as Horse of the Year Chapter Seven or Hambletonian victor Market Share, but Foiled Again, last year’s Pacer of the Year and this year’s repeat winner as Older Male Pacer of the Year, deserves just as much print as his fellow champions. Read full article >>
February 2013 - Stuck with Four Horses, Boarding Stable Owner Seeks New Law There are many legal aspects to be considered when running a boarding facility. Stable owner Debra Passero thought she had herself covered by a detailed contract, but as she recently found out, her contract needs support from a law that does not exist. In May of Last year, Debra Passero took on a new boarder with four horses at her Rock Ridge Ranch in Dingman’s Ferry, PA. “She signed my boarding agreement and paid me for May’s board. Read full article >>
February 2013 - New Qualifying System in Place for the 2013 Kentucky Derby Three-time Kentucky Derby winner Bob Baffert isn’t pleased. On the flipside, trainer Larry Jones-- who has finished runner-up twice in the Derby with Hard Spun and the ill-fated Eight Belles-- likes the forward thinking. For the first time since 1986, Churchill Downs officials have elected to overhaul the Kentucky Derby by ditching the graded-stakes earnings as the qualification system in favor of a sliding scale of points for the top four finishers. Read full article >>
February 2013 - Are Euthanasia Clinics the Fix for the Unwanted Horse Problem? Unwanted horses, like unwanted dogs and cats, present compassionate humans with dilemmas that are not easily solved. The numbers increase. The resources shrink. There are villains and there are victims and sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference. Good-hearted people rush in to rescue a horse in need, and find themselves incapable of saying no to the next horse and the next horse. Soon the rescued horses need to be rescued. Read full article >>
February 2013 - Five Tips to Keep Your Horse Healthy This Winter People joke about “bulking up for winter,” but for horses that live outside, increasing calories is a very real need as it takes more calories to keep warm. A high-quality hay is the foundation of any healthy diet, and increasing calories through increasing the hay ration rather than grain is a healthier option. Older horses that are unable to consume their calories from hay due to dental disease might need another calorie source such as corn oil. Read full article >>
February 2013 - New Bolton Lecture: Headshaking Syndrome in Horses Headshaking syndrome in horses was the subject of a presentation at Penn Vet New Bolton Center on November 6, by Joy Tomlinson, DVM and Large Animal Internal Medicine Resident. The lecture was part of the First Tuesday Lecture series at New Bolton Center, offering the public open lectures on equine topics, at no charge, the first Tuesday of each month. Read full article >>
