Horse Sports by the Bay, Inc. is pleased to announce that several classes have been added to the weekly schedule of events for the 2009 Horse Shows by the Bay Equestrian Festival. Held at the Flintfields Horse Park in beautiful Traverse City, MI, the Horse Shows by the Bay Equestrian Festival runs July 8 through August 2, 2009, and features some of the top horses and riders in the country.

Due to the popular response of the newly created USEF recognized Amateur/Owner 3′3″ division, Horse Shows by the Bay Series I, II, and III will be adding this section of classes to their weekly schedule. The $2,000 division will be held on the weekends and will have an entry fee of $250. Please refer to class numbers 170, 171, 172, 173, and 174 when entering. Also, class # 240, Beginner Rider Crosspoles, is being added to each week and will be held on Sunday as part of the Beginner Rider division.

Dressage by the Bay II, held from July 31 - August 2, will now be offering, in addition to the in-hand Young Horse and Mature Horse classes, class #560, Individual Breed Class (All Ages). Competitors are asked to please specify registry and provide papers when entering, and registries may run concurrently but will be pinned separately. The entry fee is $40, and the class may be added at the show. It will run on August 2nd. Management has the right to determine eligibility.

The 2009 Horse Shows by the Bay Equestrian Festival has sold out for the first two weeks of events and they are expecting the largest number of competitors for their third week in the six-year history of the competition. Competitors have additional classes, a world class facility, and increased prize money to look forward to at this year’s show. The hunter/jumper series will take place from July 8 - July 26, with feature events including the weekly Show Jumping Grand Prix, Hunter Classics, the Hunter Derby, and the HJAM Equitation Finals. Dressage and polo events are scheduled for July 29 - August 2.

For more information on the Horse Shows by the Bay Equestrian Festival, please visit www.horseshowsbythebay.com or call 561.723.6287.

NARHA announced today that online registration is now available on the NARHA website (www.narha.org) for the 2009 NARHA National Conference and Annual Meeting in Fort Worth, Texas November 18–21.

The NARHA National Conference is a wonderful place to get a sense of the people and horses who make equine assisted activities and therapies (EAAT) such a challenging and rewarding industry. For people who wonder if this profession is for them, this is a perfect introduction. In addition the NARHA National Conference is simply the best opportunity for EAAT professionals from all over the world to renew friendships and update their skills and knowledge.

This year NARHA will present an inspiring keynote speaker, Michael Richardson, who operates Broken R Rancch in Hico, Texas. After a paralyzing injury in a Jeep accident, Richardson turned to therapeutic riding lessons.Today Michael trains horses, coaches riders and gives clinics—all from his wheel chair.

NARHA has selected the historic Cowtown Coliseum as the venue for the NARHA Horse Expo on Saturday, November 21. According the Cowtown Coliseum website www.cowtowncoliseum.com/history.asp) the facility was built to be “the largest, most elegant and perfectly appointed livestock exhibition building in the South, and without superior in the United States.”

Since its completion in 1908, the Cowtown Coliseum has showcased such luminaries as Theodore Roosevelt, Enrico Caruso, Elvis Presley, Bob Hope and Doris Day. It has also been used in the filming of numerous movies, TV shows and music videos.

From sessions on “Natural Horsemanship for Therapeutic Riding,” “Teaching an Effective Driving Lesson” and “Drill Team for Challenged Riders”-to three games forums-the day will be filled with exciting learning opportunities. Not to be missed is the exhibition of the Fort Hood Mounted Cavalry in 1870’s period attire.

The NARHA Horse Expo, a favorite among the NARHA Conference attendees, is included in the conference registration price.Transportation to the Horse Expo from the conference hotel is included-as well as breakfast and lunch. Registration for the NARHA National Conference and Annual Meeting is open to the public. For more information and to register online, visit the NARHA website at www.narha.org.

USRider, America’s premier motor plan created to provide roadside assistance to equestrians traveling with their horses, is pleased to recognize some outstanding tack and equine equipment companies. These companies are part of the numerous benefit partners in USRider’s ever-growing member benefits program – Winner’s Circle Advantage.

As traveling equestrians, USRider members have access to substantial savings through benefit partners that include equine apparel and accessories, farm and stable equipment and supplies, gifts, art and collectibles, equine health care, equine publications, tack and equipment, trailers and trailer accessories, training, and horse transportation, as well as many hotels, motels and rental car companies.

USRider provides roadside assistance and towing services through the Equestrian Motor Plan. Standard features include flat-tire repair, battery assistance and lockout services, plus towing up to 100 miles and roadside repairs for tow vehicles and trailers with horses, emergency stabling, veterinary referrals and more.

USRider’s managing member, Mark Cole, said “In addition to assisting our members when they have trouble on the road, we also want to provide our members with exclusive money-saving benefits for products and services that are important to horse owners. We want our members not only to have ‘peace of mind’ as they travel with their horses, but we also want them to enjoy the amenities of our Winner’s Circle Advantage benefits program.”

Four of the newer benefit partners of Winner’s Circle Advantage are nationally known and provide a wide variety of tack and equine equipment:

EquiFit inc. is the equine industry’s innovator of protective performance gear. EquiFit strives to give both horse and rider the most competitive and sound edge possible with their revolutionary T-Foam technology, which reacts to body pressure and heat to absorb 97% of shock and vibration, providing superior protection from the trailer to the ring. Visit www.EquiFit.net or call 877-4-EquiFit (437-8434) for more information. USRider members receive free shipping.

The nation’s most unique equine competition, the Extreme Mustang Makeover, will return to Fort Worth’s Will Rogers Memorial Center for a third year but with an added twist; the Extreme Mutt Makeover.

Known for its ability to transform wild horses into willing partners, the Extreme Mustang Makeover is bringing this new dimension to the animal adoption world to highlight the time-honored partnership of man with dogs and horses.

“Everyone knows that most horse people are also dog people and that most dog people have an affinity for horses,” says Mustang Heritage Foundation (MHF) Executive Director and competition visionary Patti Colbert. “Both species face similar problems; a struggling economy that has forced pet owners to abandon or give away their animals and a need to find compassionate animal lovers who are willing to give these animals good homes.

The Extreme Mustang Makeover management is working in partnership with the Humane Society of North Texas to produce the Extreme Mutt Makeover. The event will be held in conjunction with the Extreme Mustang Makeover in Ft. Worth, Texas, September 18-20, 2009 at the Will Rogers Memorial Center.

While the Extreme Mustang Makeover will return with its reputed lineup of amazing performances and transformations of 125 formerly wild horses, a total of 10 shelter dogs selected from the Humane Society of North Texas will be matched with 10 dog trainers. Dog trainers will compete for prizes on Friday and Saturday during the Extreme Mustang Makeover. Following the dog competition, the dogs will be available for adoption through the Humane Society of North Texas.

Three levels of competition will be presented during the Extreme Mustang Makeover, including Idols and Legends, featuring three and four year old geldings, as well as Mission 008, featuring yearlings with trainers age 18 and under. Idol and Legend levels are determined by the trainers own assessment of the horse’s progress and level of ability. A total of $25,000 will be offered in the competition, with a $5,000 prize going to the Legends champion, while the Idols champion will take home $3,000 and the youth champion taking home $1,500.

The MHF in cooperation with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) created the Extreme Mustang Makeover event to highlight the recognized value of mustangs through a national training competition. The event will give the public a unique opportunity to see the results of wild horses becoming trained mounts and then participate in a competitive bidding process to adopt one of these treasured animals. Adoption of all horses will take place September 20 with BLM personnel on hand to answer questions and assist adopters with the application process.

All events are free with the exception of the Legends Finals September 19. Tickets are on sale now through www.extrememustangmakeover.com for this entertaining and heartfelt event.

The purpose of the competition is to showcase the beauty, versatility, and trainability of these rugged horses that roam freely on public lands throughout the West, where the Bureau of Land Management protects them under Federal law. The BLM periodically removes excess animals from the range to ensure herd health and protect rangeland resources. Thousands of removed animals are then made available each year to the public for adoption. All of the animals involved in the “Makeover” competition will be available for adoption at the Fort Worth event in September.

Girls love horses. It doesn’t matter if they live in the North America, South America, Europe, Asia or beyond–girls are connected to horses and horses connect girls.

Since 2001 Girls Horse Club™ has edited, illustrated, and published thousands of stories created by and for horse girls while providing a safe and fun online community. Each summer we host a virtual horse camp with activities, competitions, and giveaways that nurture a love for horses through writing, reading, drawing, photography, games, and more. This year we’re raising the bar with a fiction competition judged by high-profile children’s writers and media experts Terri Farley, Sharon Lerner and Jessica Burkhart. The goal is to give young authors a boost of confidence and a leg up toward achieving their goals, along with some fun prizes and great content for readers.

Entries are accepted starting Saturday June 27 and ending August 23, 2009. Winners will be announced September 12, 2009. Prizes donors include publishers Random House, Simon & Schuster, Sourcebooks, Precious Moments, Bella Sara, Templeton Thompson, each of the competition judges, and more. Please see the links below for additional details.

JUDGE BIOS

Terri Farley has authored more than 40 books including the best-selling Phantom Stallion and Wild Horse Island book series. When she’s not writing, visiting classrooms or giving workshops for young writers, Terri is a wild horse advocate and avid student of horse behavior. She once spent two weeks on a remote island in rugged conditions recording the behavior of wild mares as a volunteer for EarthWatch.org.

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Jessica Burkhart started writing at age 14 to fill a void after spinal fusion for severe scoliosis meant she could no longer ride horses. She built her resume as a teen freelance writer, and as a senior in college she wrote a novel in 30 days as part of the National Novel Writing Month. By the time she graduated Magna Cum Laude at age 20 with a BA in English, she had an agent and a book deal with Simon & Schuster for her first series, Canterwood Crest.

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Sharon Lerner is an Emmy Award-winning writer and producer who helped develop two highly acclaimed television series, Sesame Street and Between the Lions. As former head of Children’s Media for Random House, she helped initiate their expansion beyond books into audio, video and software. She has also authored more than 10 books, most recently a picture book adaptation of Black Beauty. Sharon is a lifelong horse girl who enjoys Dressage with her horse Coda.

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ABOUT GIRLS HORSE CLUB

Girls Horse Club is an original media property developed by Plan B Enterprises, Inc. The company and Girls Horse Club community is led by Michelle Bushneff. She has a long history developing and marketing meaningful products for kids and young adults, with a portfolio that includes successful electronic games and applications, interactive books, collectibles, and more. She doesn’t have a horse of her own (yet), but spends as much time as possible around horses by taking riding/training lessons, volunteering, and trail riding.

CONTACT: Michelle Bushneff | girlshorseclub@gmail.com