Sarah Beatty

Washington, D.C. District Judge Paul L. Friedman has dismissed a lawsuit brought by the animal activist group In Defense of Animals, ecologist Craig Downer and author Terri Farley to halt the roundups of wild horses in Nevada and the stockpiling of horses in storage facilities according to the Las Vegas Sun.

Four U.S. pairs, Jennifer Wooten-DaFoe and The Good Witch, Will Coleman and Twizzel, Michael Pollard and Wonderful Will, and Allison Springer and Arthur are entered in the Luhmühlen CCI**** (Germany), June 16-20, as reported by Eventing Nation.

The pairs have applied for consideration for the 2010 Alltech/FEI World Equestrian Games, but they have yet to make the U.S. Eventing Team short list.

Last week a horse was diagnosed and destroyed after contracting the Hendra virus in Tewantin, Queensland, Australia.

Since 1994, when the first Hendra outbreak was recorded, there have been 14 outbreaks killing more than 40 horses and four humans in Australia. Dr. Alister Rodgers, a veterinarian, was the most recent human to succumb to the illness in September of 2009.

Upcoming British show jumping star Ellen Whitaker, niece of show jumping greats Michael and John, had a falling out with Great Britain Show Jumping Chef d’Equipe Rob Hoekstra according to BBC Sport.

Whitaker disagreed with the program Hoekstra designed for her. The 24-year-old objected to changing her individual competition schedule to compete for the team.

The American Hunter–Jumper Foundation will no longer exist as an independent foundation as of May 31. Current programs run by the AHJF will continue to exist but under the management of the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association.

The idea for the AHJF began when the World Hunter Champion Rider Association was established in 1991. Then in 1992, the American Hunter-Jumper Foundation, Inc., was founded to address the needs and ideas of the members.

For the first time, fans of the Devon Horse Show And Country Fair  (Pa.) will be able to purchase tickets online. TicketLeap, a local Philadelphia company, has partnered with Devon to provide ticketing for the 2010 show, which begins on May 27 and runs through June 6.

Michael and Nathalie Pollard, Dalton, Ga., welcomed twins into the world on April 18. Sebastian Packard Pollard and Sterling Aurora Pollard are the newest members of the Pollard family. Older brother Phineas, 21 months, was excited about his new brother and sister.

Michael was competing at the Florida International CCI in Ocala, Fla., when he received a call from Nathalie.

Ernie Paragallo was sentenced to two years in jail and fined $33,000 following his conviction on 33 counts of animal cruelty for starving and neglecting 177 horses.

Paragallo received the maximum jail time and fine.

In April 2009, a raid took place on Paragallo’s Center Brook Farm in Climax, N.Y, where 177 Thoroughbreds were found in terrible condition. The horses obviously suffered from long-term neglect. All horses were malnourished and anemic; several suffered from untreated open wounds and had lice and skin diseases.  

Analysis of all urine and blood samples taken during Medication Control Program Testing at the FEI World Cup Show Jumping Final in Geneva, Switzerland, April 13-19, has proved negative, but analysis on leg swab samples is still being carried out.

The FEI Ground Jury disqualified Sapphire when she was in the leading position with McLain Ward at the Final because of hypersensitivity of her left foreleg. No lameness was detected.

Breyer Animal Creations officials announced they will unveil their newest model—McLain Ward’s superstar show jumper Sapphire—at the Old Salem Farm Spring Horse Shows (N.Y.) on May 22.

The unveiling will take place during the exhibitor ice cream party with Ward in attendance. Attendants will be able to pre-order the Sapphire model.