Taylor Perugino

Effective immediately, the U.S. Equestrian Federation has banned the use of “Carolina Gold” or any other product containing gamma aminobutyric acid. The drug, an inhibitory neurotransmitter, is thought to calm horses but currently has no scientific data to support the claim. 

Visual Dressage, a website for helping dressage riders develop their own freestyles, was launched in January. Layla Porter and Jim McGowan, both of Buckinghamshire, England, started work on the site in 2009.

All equine herpes virus (EHV-1) quarantines have been lifted according to statements on the California Department of Food and Agriculture and North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine websites.

The Southern 8ths Nikon Three-Day Event in the Heart of the Carolinas will feature the first U.S. Eventing Association recognized beginner novice and novice three-day event on May 3-6 at Southern 8ths Farm in Chesterfield, S.C.

The Federation Equestre Internationale’s first team eventing series, the FEI Nations Cup Eventing 2012, will debut at Fontainebleau (France) on March 22-25. The event is part of a six-leg series and is open to all nations that can provide a team of three to four riders for each leg. The series is a test run of the concept.

Great Britain’s Oliver Townend will take over the ride on the four-star horse Armada, previously ridden by New Zealand’s Andrew Nicholson, according to Horse and Hound.

Nicholson was concerned that he couldn’t guarantee the horse’s entry to the 2012 Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials CCI**** (England) due to the fact that he has five other qualified horses in his stable. So he suggested that Armada’s owner, Paul Ridgeon, send the horse to Townend. 

In a reversal of a decision announced earlier in February, the Steel Pier of the Atlantic Pier Amusements and Cape Entertainment Co. in Atlantic City, N.J., will not resume its famous high diving horse act.

Intermediate level event horse Jack's Irish Z was euthanized on course at the Florida Horse Park in Ocala on Feb. 11 after breaking his leg on the landing of the second-to-last fence in the Ocala Horse Properties Winter II Horse Trials. His rider, Katlyn Hewson of Ontario, dismounted immediately after the horse cleared the fence and was uninjured.

The gelding was imported to Canada in 2008 and was an 8-year-old Irish Sport Horse owned by Chuck, Sue, and Katlyn Hewson and Karl Slezak.

Eventer Lellie Ward suffered a fracture to her C-2 vertebra and multiple facial injuries in a riding accident on Tuesday, Jan. 31, at her Paradise Farm property outside of Aiken, S.C. 

Ward, 53, had just mounted a client’s 4-year-old mare in the outside arena and started to gather her reins when the mare abruptly began bucking. 

The North American Riders Group has published its 2011 rankings of shows, and Spruce Meadows (Alberta) once again topped the list.

Volunteers numerically evaluated 50 of the top horse events in North America and sent the completed evaluations to the NARG Board of Directors for review. Specific categories separated the events into one ring or multi-ring formats prior to evaluation on the merits of their footing, stabling, courses, technical aspects, financial success, type of presentation or ceremony and marketing. The event was judged on the combined score of all sub-categories.