March 4, 2010:
News from Stephens College

Stephens College, an all-female private institution located in Columbia, MO, was established in 1833. The Stephens Department of Equestrian Studies offers bachelors of science degrees in both Business Management and Education, minors in Equestrian Studies and Animal Science, and a master's program in Therapeutic Instruction/Occupational Therapy. The College’s riding program began in 1925 and is home to the Prince of Wales Club, the oldest continually active riding club in the country.

Stephens College teams emerged victorious at international competition

Stephens College was host to an international saddle seat invitational competition with South Africa. The event, which took place December 11-12, 2009, was patterned after the World Cup competition. The Stephens teams emerged victorious, earning gold medals in both the three- and five-gaited events.

Ellen Beard, team coach and coordinator of equestrian operations at Stephens College, said the Stephens teams, whose members are students in the College’s Equestrian Studies program, practiced tirelessly to achieve their best against a very talented group of experienced international riders.

“The competition was stiff and brought out the best in the riders," said Beard. "Our South African friends graciously announced at the closing reception that this invitational was exceptional. The quality of hospitality, horses and sportsmanship was excellent. They marveled at all of the opportunities available at Stephens.”

Stephens Stables named as 2010 Most Notable Property

Stephens Stables has been named to the 2010 Most Notable Properties List by the City of Columbia Historic Preservation Commission. The program, which recognized seven historic properties, encourages the preservation of important historical properties and recognizes property owners who maintain and/or rehabilitate historic properties. A public reception honoring this year’s award recipients was held on February 2, 2010.

“Stephens Stables continues to be a local favorite – we know because of the daily visits we receive from community members of all ages,” Ellen Beard said. “Receiving this formal acknowledgement from the City of Columbia solidifies its intrinsic value as a property worth protecting.”

The Stables occupies 16 acres on the Stephens campus and boards approximately 40 horses. The facility comprises two multi-disciplinary barns with a total of 61 stalls, indoor and outdoor arenas, and a cross-country course.

Stephens student honored for equestrian achievements

Women's Intersport Network (WIN) for Columbia honored Mandy Martin as its WINner's Choice in recognition of outstanding performance and contributions to women's athletics. This marked the first time since the WIN Awards were established that the honor went to a Stephens student.

Martin is a well-known equestrian, being both an equitation national champion and a world's champion performance rider. In 2008 aboard The Daily Lottery, Martin won the Junior Five-Gaited World's Championship title and the ASR Four-Year-Old Five-Gaited Sweepstakes.

February 23, 2010:
Penn Ohio Winter Training Clinicand UPHA Chapter 13 Sale Horse Preview

The Penn Ohio Winter Training Clinic will be held on Saturday, February 27, 2010 at the Champions Center in Springfield, Ohio. “This is going to be one of the BEST ever and you will want to be sure to attend,” stated Marcia Belcher, President of the Penn Ohio Futurity and UPHA Chapter 13 Vice-Chairman. The guest clinician will be Tre Lee, who will discuss his training techniques and how to bring out the best in your horse. If you want to attend, please send in the attached registration form or give Belcher a call at 330-421-4091. Reservations are required for lunch.

Following the clinic, UPHA Chapter 13 is hosting a Sale Horse Preview to be held at the Champions Center in Springfield, Ohio. The event is intended to be an opportunity for owners/trainers to present their show horses for sale and for buyers to view a selection of horses available for purchase. A catalog will be published and price ranges will be indicated. The preview will begin immediately following the clinic lunch and the duration will be as long as necessary to give each entry an opportunity to be shown. All sales are by private treaty. UPHA Chapter 13 is charging $150 (non-member fee) to enter a horse in the preview and UPHA members will be charged a reduced fee of $100. Entries may submit a video clip, which will be incorporated into a media show and played continuously in the barn area. A printed program will be distributed at the event and also maintained on-line prior to the sale date. Check the UPHA Ch. 13 Chapter Page as well as www.pennohiofuturity.com for sale entries.

February 8, 2010:
O'Connor to speak at ASHA Convention regarding drug rule change

David O'Connor, USEF President, will speak at the ASHA Convention Open Forum, Saturday, February 20, at 1:15 p.m., to explain the new USEF rule change regarding nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

Under the previously existing USEF rules, no more than two of the seven approved NSAIDs are permitted to be in the plasma or urine of the horse at the time of competition, with the exception of the forbidden combination of Bute and Banamine.

The USEF Board of Directors has voted to approve a rule change to permit only one NSAID to be present in the horse at the time of competition, with an effective date of December 1, 2011. Until the single NSAID rule goes into effect, a new Disclosure Form must be filed in the show office (effective April 1, 2010) prior to the horse competing if the horse has been administered two NSAIDs in the five days preceding competition.

The 2010 ASHA Convention is Thursday, February 18, though Saturday, February 20, at the Griffin Gate Marriott in Lexington, Kentucky. For more information, visit http://www.saddlebred.com/ASHA-Annual-Meeting.

February 8, 2010:
UPHA Chapter 13 Sale Horse Preview and Pink Ribbon Night Set to Take Place in Coming Weeks

Lexington, Kentucky - UPHA Chapter 13 is set to host a Sale Horse Preview to be held at the Champions Center in Springfield, Ohio, on Saturday, February 27, 2010.

The event is intended to be an opportunity for owner/trainers to present their show horse and show horse prospects for sale to an audience at minimal expense. The preview will begin at approximately 1 PM, and will take place as long as necessary to give each entry an opportunity to be shown. All sales are by private treaty.

To enter a horse in the Preview, contact Jim Taylor by email at MemoryLaneFarm@zoominternet.net, or by phone at (330) 722-0316. To receive a catalogue and other information on the Preview, contact Marcia Belcher by email atmcbelcher@verizon.net, or by phone at (330) 421-4091.

UPHA Chapter 13 is also set to present "Pink Night" to benefit the UPHA Pink Ribbon Program, a program created to help fund breast cancer research.

The event is scheduled for Saturday, March 13, at the Fairlawn Hilton in Fairlawn, Ohio. Included in the evening's activities will be dinner, a drawing for valuable prizes, and an auction. The guest speaker will be Dr. Scott Bennett, DVM, who will discuss what owners can do to keep their vet bills down, address how to prepare horses for the upcoming season and provide updates on recent technological developments.

Of the profits made from the event, 50 percent will go to the Pink Ribbon program, and 50 percent to other UPHA Chapter 13 programs. The deadline for reservations is Monday, March 1. For more information, contact Gloria Edwards at (330) 336-4582, or Jenny Taylor at (330) 722-0316.

December 20, 2009:
World Cup Application deadline extended, WEG PARTICIPATION announced

The deadline for submission of applications for the 2010 US Saddle Seat World Cup Team Selection has been extended to January 15, 2010. Applications are available online for riders interested in pursuing an opportunity to qualify for the teams that will represent the United States at the 2010 International Saddle Seat Equitation World Cup event, to be held October 6-8, 2010 at the Kentucky Fall Classic Horse Show in Shelbyville, Kentucky.

In addition, the Saddle Seat World Cup will be a featured part of the 2010 World Equestrian Games Equine Village at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky. Riders from the US teams as well as members of the visiting International Saddle Seat World Cup teams will have the opportunity to participate in the prestigious WEG Equine Village.

“We are extremely excited about 2010. We’re looking forward to hosting a first-rate competition in Shelbyville, but we’re even more proud that we have the chance to be featured in the World Equestrian Games at the Equine Village in Lexington. This will be the opportunity that we’ve been waiting for, to show the world how incredible our athletes and our horses are,” said Ellen Beard, Executive Director of the organization. “The US Team Selection Trials will be the beginning of what we know will be a very exciting year for us, as we select the team we hope will return the gold medals and the World Cup trophies to the USA.”

Riders from all Saddle Seat breeds are strongly encouraged to apply for the 2010 teams, each of which consists of five team members and an alternate. The purpose of the Saddle Seat World Cup is to promote the discipline of Saddle Seat Equitation on an international level. The diverse breed affiliations involved in Saddle Seat Equitation in the United States create the unique opportunity to draw from an expanded pool of top riders. Horses from the Saddlebred, Morgan, Arabian and National Show Horse breeds will be used in the competition.

A total of twenty finalists will compete to become one of five team members or an alternate for the US Three-Gaited team. Up to 12 finalists will have earned their bids to the trials by winning one of several designated qualifying finals or by virtue of a breed association nomination. In addition, ten finalists will compete for the honors of Five-Gaited Team membership. Two automatic bids for this team will be extended to the winners of designated Five-Gaited equitation events while the remaining eight finalists are chosen from a pool of applicants.

The remaining finalists for the three-gaited team will be chosen from a pool of applicants. In the event of multiple finals wins or declined automatic bids, remaining finalist slots will be selected from the pool eligible applicants.

Riders may apply for both the three- and five-gaited teams but must submit separate application materials and fees for each team. In addition, in the event a rider qualifies for both teams, they may only represent the US on one team.

Complete details, selection guidelines and application materials are available for download at www.saddleseatworldcupusa.com. Deadline for receipt of completed application packets is 9 p.m. EST on January 15, 2010. Interested applicants must submit completed applications, a $150 non-refundable application fee (per team), a brief essay, letters of reference, DVD or video and two photographs. Applicants must be 14 years of age on January 1, 2010, but there is no maximum age for applicants. In addition, all riders must maintain current amateur certification with the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) to be eligible.

The US Team Selection Trials are slated for March 26-28, 2010 on the campus of William Woods University in Fulton, Missouri. William Woods graciously provides the horses used for the trials, which is designed to prepare riders for the atmosphere of the International event. The Team Selection Trials will consist of two days of competition during which riders will complete two rail sessions, two individual patterns and one personal interview. Scoring will be equally weighted among the riding portions to total 90%, while the interview will account for the remaining 10% of each rider’s total score. Teams will be announced on the final day of the trials.

For more information on the US Team Selection process please visit the official website or contact Executive Secretary Christy O’Donnell (e-mail at WCEquitation@aol.com or telephone at 813-760-0465). The US Saddle Seat World Cup is a registered 501(c)(3) corporation.

November 2, 2009:
UPHA Chapter 14 Sponsors 2010 AMHA Silver Medals

Members of United Professional Horsemen’s Association Chapter 14 announced today that Chapter 14 would give additional funding to provide continued support of the American Morgan Horse Association’s Silver Medal Program. Chapter 14 gave $1,000.00 to the AMHA Silver Medal Program in September to ensure that silver medal winners in the UPHA Chapter 14 area would receive their 2009 medals. UPHA Chapter 14 announced today that an additional $1,000.00 would be provided to AMHA to cover the cost of AMHA Silver Medals for 2010 winners in their chapter area. UPHA Chapter 14 includes all of the New England states, New York and Canada. Chapter 14 is proud to lead the way in support of the AMHA Silver Medal Program. It is the hope of UPHA Chapter 14 members that other UPHA chapters will meet the challenge by exploring ways in which they too might help to assist AMHA to continue to award the coveted silver medals to winners in their areas.

Pink Ribbon Barn Challenge

Horse Protection Act Information - click here to read .pdf

Press release issued by USEF on March 2, 2009:
D&M Program Notice Regarding Use of Liniments
By Dr. Stephen Schumacher

Recently, there have been some questions related to the use of liniments. The specific liniments in question are:

Equi-Block® Liniments by Miracle Corp.
Ingredients:
Menthol (3%), Purified Water, Isopropyl Alcohol, Chamomile Extract, Polysorbate 80, Olibanum Extract, Rosemary Oil, Capsicum Oleoresin, Carbomer, Trolamine, Methylparaben.

Thermaflex Liniment Gel by VitaFlex®
Ingredients:
Menthol 4.0%, Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), Plant Extracts of Calendula and Rosemary, Oil of Cajuput (Melaleuca Leucadendron), Other Ingredients include: Alcohol, Water, Thickeners, Benzyl Nicotinate, FD&C Yellow #5 and FD&C Blue #1.

Vetrolin® Liniment by Farnam
Ingredients:
Alcohol, Water, Green Soap, Camphor, Oil of Sassafras, Oil of Spike, Methyl Salicylate, Oil of Cedarwood, Oil of Rosemary and Oil of Thyme.

(Forbidden substances are noted in italics.)

The classification of these substances as Forbidden is neither a new policy nor a recent development. Some of the ingredients in the above listed liniments have been Forbidden substances for more than 20 years. These substances, and products containing them, are classified as Forbidden because of their potential actions on various body systems when administered intravenously, intramuscularly, subcutaneously or orally. However, when used topically and as recommended by their manufacturers, these products have not been associated with a positive by the Federation.

As a practical matter, provided the products containing these substances are administered only topically and as recommended by the manufacturer, there is no need for restricting their use during competitions under USEF rules. However, if these substances are used inappropriately (e.g., in a manner other than topically), this could result in a positive finding in the blood or urine of the horse, which would be a potential violation of the rules.

One exception is the substance capsaicin and closely related analogues (e.g., Capsicum Oleoresin as found in Equi-Block®.) There were four drug violations associated with the detection of capsaicin in the blood following topical administration at the 2008 Olympic Games. Neither of these substances or other capsaicin derivatives should be used topically in any poultice or liniment within the 7 days preceding competition.

It is important to note that many preparations produced for the equine market routinely have their formulations changed without any published notice. It is for this reason that the USEF Equine Drugs and Medications Program typically does not comment on products by name, but requests lists of ingredients. It would be irresponsible for the USEF to list name brand products as Forbidden or Permitted as there is no control or notification of changes in their ingredients.

Please contact the Equine Drugs and Medications Program office by phone (800) 633-2472 or by e-mail at medequestrian@aol.com if there are any questions regarding additional liniments than those addressed above.

Dr. Stephen Schumacher

SADDLEBRED RESCUE, INC. ANNOUNCES NEW LEASE PROGRAM

As part of their mission to widen the safety net for the saddle seat breeds, Saddlebred Rescue, Inc. is announcing the start of a new lease program in addition to their ongoing rescue and adoption efforts.

This exciting new program has the potential to bolster the growth of several important segments of the industry as well as provide meaningful jobs for a variety of horses.

Launched with the aid of a UPHA Grant, the new lease program will require lessees to be active (professional trainer) members of the UPHA. For an annual fee payable to Saddlebred Rescue, horses may be leased to trainers, who may then sub-lease them to their customers. Horses will remain the property of Saddlebred Rescue, and as such, may not be sold or transferred.

Unlike the horses purchased from livestock sales and in danger of going to slaughter, Saddlebred Rescue anticipates its pool of lease horses will come from the industry itself. Because it is a 501c3 nonprofit organization, the value of a horse donated to SBR for the lease program is eligible as a tax deduction (to the extent of the law). Saddlebred Rescue hopes to attract owners who may wish to donate a useable show horse and benefit from a tax credit while at the same time taking comfort in knowing that the animal will have a safe and secure home.

Horses will be evaluated and selected for the program on a case-by-case basis.

“Our hopes are that this might help trainers get new customers in the show ring, paving the way for these same customers to own a more advanced show horse down the line.” , Pat Johnson, Director of SBR noted.

For more information about donating a leasable horse, or applying to lease a horse, contact Pat Johnson at 908-304-3560.