Kentucky Horse Park Mourns the Loss of Popular Champion Sprinter
Photo by James Shambhu
LEXINGTON, KY (September 25, 2009) – Kona Gold, winner of the 2000 Eclipse Award for Sprinter of the Year was humanely euthanized at the Kentucky Horse Park this morning after suffering a severe fracture to his left front leg while exercising in his paddock. He was 15 years old.
Within minutes of the accident, he was taken to Hagyard Equine Medical Institute for evaluation where it was determined by the surgical staff that his injury was beyond repair. The unanimous decision to euthanize was made by the surgeons, his former trainer Bruce Headley, and the staff at the Kentucky Horse Park who have loved and cared for him during his retirement.
John Nicholson, Executive Director of the park stated, “Kona Gold came to the park because he deserved his place among our other champions, and also because he endeared himself to the racing public during his illustrious career on the track. It was a case of ‘love at first sight’ for our staff when Kona Gold stepped off the van two years ago as a new resident of the Hall of Champions. Not only was he a handsome animal with kind eyes, he was also gentle and good. He was definitely one of my personal favorites because he had such a good heart.” Read more> http://www.horsesinthesouth.com/article/article_detail.aspx?id=8275
Photo caption: Kristina Cook (GBR) aboard Miners Frolic during their Dressage test at the HSBC FEI European Eventing Championship.
CLOSE CONTEST PROMISED AS GREAT BRITAIN SNATCHES LEAD
Fontainebleau (FRA), 25 September 2009 – A battle royal is developing in the HSBC FEI European Eventing Championship at Fontainebleau for at the close of the Dressage phase Great Britain, the defending champions, have now drawn ahead of Germany, the favourites – by just 6.1 penalties.
The hungry French team is edging closer all the time in 3rd, less than the cost of one Cross-Country run-out behind Britain, and the Belgians are looking dangerous in 4th, ahead of the young and exciting Irish team, 5th.
HIALEAH — Hialeah Race Park is taking a major step toward becoming part of an eventual major Quarter Horse racing circuit with the addition of an American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) race meet that starts this fall. The AQHA race meet will begin November 28, 2009, and run four days per week (Saturday through Tuesday) through February 2, 2010 for a total of 40 days.
There will be eight Quarter Horse races per day with an average of $100,000 per race day going into the Horsemen’s Purse Account for a total of $4 million for the 2009-2010 race meet. This does not include nomination payments, etc., for Futurities, Derbies, and stakes races. As part of its commitment to this endeavor, Hialeah Race Park is providing 1,000 stalls along with other requirements and accommodations. A second Quarter Horse race meet will begin in the winter of 2010, and a third will begin in the winter of 2011. Read more> http://www.horsesinthesouth.com/article/article_detail.aspx?id=8265
HUGE ENTRY FOR MEYDAN CITY FEI EUROPEAN OPEN ENDURANCE CHAMPIONSHIP 2009
Assisi (ITA), 25 September 2009 – The countdown is on for a spectacular weekend of endurance competition around the historic city of Assisi in Italy. A huge field is expected to line up with a confirmed entry of 106 riders from 25 nations competing over the 160km circuit.
As well as European riders, the competitors will include representatives from the USA, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Malaysia.
A year from today, on 25 September 2010, the curtain will rise on the greatest global gathering of equestrian sport — the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.
The quadrennial competition, which brings together Jumping, Dressage, Eventing, Driving, Endurance, Vaulting, Reining, and — for the first time, Para-Dressage — takes place in the famous Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY from 25 September to 10 October 2010.
It is the sixth time the games have been held, and the first time they have been sited outside Europe.
BRONSON ANNOUNCES PASSING OF LEGENDARY STATE FORESTER JOHN BETHEA
TALLAHASSEE — Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Charles H. Bronson today announced the death of John M. Bethea, a dynamic leader in helping shape the current state of Florida’s 1 million-acre State Forest system. He was 89.
“Our current state forests owe a great deal to John’s vision and leadership,” Bronson said. “He was a man of great talent and energy whose entire professional career was spent developing and creating the forest system that millions of residents and visitors alike enjoy today on a daily basis.”
He rose from an extension agent in 1941 to Florida’s chief forester in 1969, where he served until his retirement in 1987.
In addition to overseeing virtually every aspect of the land management and recreational opportunities in the forest system, Bethea was also instrumental in reorganizing what was then known as Florida’s Board of Forestry, culminating in its absorption into the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services as the State Division of Forestry. He became its first director in 1970. Read more> http://www.horsesinthesouth.com/article/article_detail.aspx?id=8257
New York, NY – September 24, 2009 – Three regional qualifying competitions were held this past weekend for the 2009 ASPCA Maclay National Championships. They were the last Regionals held, and the final list of qualifiers is now available. The 2009 ASPCA Maclay National Championship will be held at the Syracuse Invitational Sporthorse Tournament on October 28-November 1, 2009.
Zazou Hoffman was the winner of the Region 1 qualifier at the Grand Fall Classic in Westbrook, CT. Hoffman finished second at Regionals last year and won the previous year. The 17-year-old from Santa Monica, CA, trains with Missy Clark and John Brennan.
Hoffman rode Clark’s Ivy, an aged gelding that she has shown seven times now at major horse shows. “We use him very sparingly because he’s just such a special horse,” Hoffman explained. At this year’s Regionals, Hoffman went 52nd in the order over a course that included a bounce combination. “I’m always so confident in Ivy, and he had been amazing all weekend,” she recalled. “I felt pretty good about it, so that was nice.” The pair led from the first round and won without a work-off. Read more> http://www.horsesinthesouth.com/article/article_detail.aspx?id=8254
This is your premium equine online magazine portal, news aggregator and THE place
to list your horse-related equestrian events and advertise your equine
supplies, services, products, horses, ponies, equipment and target the Southern
USA. We are constantly enhancing HorsesintheSouth.com to be better and better
for you!
