The Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show is going on now and can be watched live online.

A deep plunge of cold air is coming just in time for Valentine’s Day this year, which may not make you enjoy heading out with the horses quite so much. But if your heart yearns only for horses, no matter the weather, you can still feed that hunger.

VIRGINIA HORSE CENTER

The Polar Bear Horse Show is a very aptly named event this year. The hunter schooling show will be held in the East Complex at the center. The event includes classes on the flat and over fences and begins at 8:30 both Saturday and Sunday. Casual attire is permitted except in the equitation classes. Find the schedule of classes here.

TAKE A ROAD TRIP

• Clinic:  Lana Affemann Performance-Horses and Stark Performance Horses will be holding a clinic on grooming your horse and showing in halter and showmanship Feb. 14-15 in Smithfield, Va. (4-hour drive from Roanoke.) For more information or to RSVP, contact Hillary Stark at Hrstark184@yahoo.com or (757)705-3648. 
• Gymnastics Clinic with Paul Ebersole at Morven Park’s indoor arena in Leesburg, Va. (3-hour drive). Lessons will last one hour for groups of three or four riders, for all levels from Green horses and going up through the Eventing levels (Baby BN, BN, N,T,P,I)  Ebersole will also offer a cross country clinicFeb 28-Mar 1st at Morven. Cost is $90 per horse which includes Morven’s ring fee. Auditors are welcome to watch at no charge. To sign up, please email Pat Palmer at ppalmerwheatland@aol.com.

ONLINE

If you’d rather just stay wrapped up in a blanket inside during this bitter weekend, thankfully these days you can do so and still be at the horse show.

• The USEFnetwork is streaming several events live this weekend from Ocala, Florida. Thursday at 2 p.m. is the $34,000 FEI Thursday Prix. Friday at 1 p.m. watch the $200,000 Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup. Forget the packed restaurants on Valentine’s Day and make your reservation with your computer for the $100,000 WCHR Peter Wetherill Palm Beach Hunter Spectacular at 7 p.m. instead. On Sunday, close out the weekend with the $150,000 FEI Ocala Grand Prix CSIO4* at 2 p.m.
• The 60th annual Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show will be streaming live on iEquine.com now through Feb. 22. The Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show is held at WestWorld in north Scottsdale, Arizona, and attracts hundreds of thousands of spectators. 
• IEquine.com will also broadcast live the Tamworth Peel River Produce Indoor Show Jumping Championships from Australia on Feb. 13-15. Find the live feed for the event here.

A LOOK AHEAD

• Hollins Spring Welcome Horse Show, Feb. 26 – March 1, Virginia Horse Center
• Pennsylvania Horse World Expo, March 5-8, Harrisburg
• Spring Breakout AQHA Show, March 21-22, Virginia Horse Center
• Virginia Horse Festival, March 27-29, The Meadow Event Park, Doswell, Va.
• Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, April 25-26, Kentucky Horse Park, Lexington, Ky.

Courtesy Global Champions Tour

Tired of the winter cold? Our dream vacation just came true.

The Longines Global Champions Tour will bring world-class showjumping to Miami Beach, Florida. And when we say to the beach, we mean it. The arena will be right on the beach, just inches from the waves. Could anything be more perfect than the sound of horses galloping around the arena mixed with the sound of waves crashing on the beach? And just when you think it can’t get any better than that, admission is also free for all three days, April 2-4. Spring break anyone?

Riders will compete for $879,000 in prizes across five classes, including the  Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix and the American Invitational. Spectators can watch from the grandstand with seating for 1,400 or along the edge of the arena. Seats are non-reservable and available on a first come, first served basis.

Flights are about $500-$600 roundtrip from Roanoke that weekend. Fly out of Charlotte and it’s in the $400 range for a roundtrip ticket. Or you can make it a road trip and be there in just over 13 hours of driving from Roanoke.

Artist’s rendering courtesy The Ark

Horses and other animals are going first class at New York’s JFK airport where ARK Development, LLC, a Racebrook Portfolio Company, has signed a 30-year lease with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to create and manage a $48-million, 178,000-square-foot intelligent air cargo facility. Set on 14.4 acres, the site will house a USDA-approved, 24-hour airport quarantine area to handle the import and export of horses, pets, birds, and livestock. 

Designed by master architect Gensler, GH2 Gralla Equine Architects, “The ARK at JFK represents an enormous leap forward in the care and comfort of horses and cattle,” says Ms. Lachlan Oldaker of GH2 Gralla Equine Architects. “The design allows planes to taxi directly to the building, so horses can be transported in a seamless fashion that reduces stress.”

Other perks include a large animal departure lounge, where horses for export will have access to comfortable stalls, food, and water. There will also be an arrivals area where their vitals can be taken before they are placed in their individual climate controlled stalls, equipped with bedding and natural light. In addition, state-of-the-art veterinary care will be available 24/7, 365 days a year, with services including: general medicine, emergency, critical care, internal medicine, surgery, and advanced diagnostics.

AQHA has officially confirmed that the Novice (Level One) Championships East will be held at the Virginia Horse Center in Lexington this fall. With such a big show right in our own backyard, many in the Roanoke region may be wondering how they can take part.

The first and most basic step is that you must be an AQHA member and have your Novice card. And of course you must be riding a registered quarter horse as well. ([Please note that due to Level 1 rules, the competitor does not have to own the horse that he or she shows at the Novice championships.) Six divisions will be offered at the show: Amateur, Select, 14-18, 13 & under, Rookie Youth and Rookie Amateur.

Then you must qualify for the championships (The qualifying period for the 2015 Level 1 Championships is July 1, 2014 – June 30, 2015.) This can be done 4 ways.

1. Show at 20 shows in a Level 1 class; if a show does not offer the Level 1 class, contact the show manager or show secretary to add the class. 
2. Place in the top 10 in a Level 1 class at a Merial AQHA regional championship show; a top-10 placing qualifies the rider on that horse only. Virginia is part of Region 5 with Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania.
3. Qualify through the exhibitor’s state/provincial affiliate. The top three individuals in each Novice class offered at the Novice Championship shows that are not nationally qualified will be invited to the Novice Championship shows as a Virginia Quarter Horse Association qualifier. Points are computed in the same manner as points for year-end awards.
4. Enter Rookie classes if eligible. To enter a Rookie class, the exhibitor only needs to be eligible for that Rookie class as of January 1; there is no qualifying method for Rookie classes. Keep in mind the horse that you intend to bring for the class must also be Rookie eligible. Eligibility for a Rookie-level class depends on both the horse and the rider’s show records: Both of you must have less than 10 lifetime AQHA  points in that class on your show records. However, you can have points in another class and still qualify as a Rookie in a new class. You remain Rookie eligible through the year, no matter how many points you accumulate throughout the year.

Each horse-and-rider combination will pay a $325 flat entry fee, which will include the entry of up to three classes, office and drug-testing fees, plus one stall. Tack stalls may be purchased for $100, and exhibitors will also need to pay for shavings. Each additional class, after three, will cost an additional $35 per class. No classes are offered on an individual basis without the $325 flat fee being paid first. No class entries will be taken on-site.

The videos below offer a little of a glimpse into past Novice Championships shows. Only a few years old, these shows have been growing each year. With 1,562 total entries in the championship in 2013 and 2,726 entries in 2014, the 2015 horse show is estimated to involved between 700 to 1,000 horses and several thousand people.

Mike Rosser & Besides That.

This weekend the hunters/jumpers are back in Lexington and the sun will be out for at least most of the show. And Green Hill will be hoping the rain/ice in the forecast holds off for the second in their Winter Series. And of course if you don’t do cold, there’s always the events streaming online from warmer climates.

VIRGINIA HORSE CENTER

The horse center is holding the Stonewall Country Horse Hunter/Jumper Show through Sunday. The “A” rated show will be judged by Mike Rosser and Peggy Beachy. The show will use the center’s Coliseum and the East Complex. Rosser, of Southern Pines, N.C., was awarded the North Carolina Hunter Jumper Association “Horseman of the Year” in 1998 and again in 2007.  He is now second-vice president of NCHJA. Mike has been an “R” Judge for the USEF (United States Equestrian Federation) for 25 years and is  also a judge for AQHA ( American Quarter Horse Association). He has judged many prestigious horse shows, including Devon, Wellington, Washington International and the AQHA World Show. 

GREEN HILL EQUESTRIAN CENTER

The center in Salem, Va., is holding its Winter Series Fun show on Sunday. It will be judged by Richard Toms. The show will start at 11 a.m. It will begin with model (halter) classes and showmanship and go on to the riding classes, including pleasure and gymkhana (games) events. There are no over fence classes at this show.

ONLINE

• The USEFnetwork.com will broadcast the $50,000 HITS Grand Prix from Ocala, Fla., on Sunday, Feb. 1.
• HorseShowGlobal is live streaming the Arizona Sun Circuit from Scottsdale Arizona through Sunday. 

A LOOK AHEAD

• Polar Bear School Show, Feb. 14-15, Virginia Horse Center East Complex
• Hollins Spring Welcome Horse Show, Feb. 26 – March 1, Virginia Horse Center
• Pennsylvania Horse World Expo, March 5-8, Harrisburg
• Spring Breakout AQHA Show, March 21-22, Virginia Horse Center
• Virginia Horse Festival, March 27-29, The Meadow Event Park, Doswell, Va.
• Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, April 25-26, Kentucky Horse Park, Lexington, Ky.

Caitlin Ackerman and Ziptown Doc win Novice amateur hunt seat equitation at the 2012 East Novice Championship. (Quarter Horse Journal photo)

Update: AQHA has now confirmed that the AQHA Level 1 Championships will be held at the Virginia Horse Center in Lexington, Va. The qualifying period for the 2015 Level 1 Championships is July 1, 2014 – June 30, 2015. View the AQHA’s confirmation.

“We are thrilled to announce that, after months of discussion and negotiations, the Novice Championship is coming to the Virginia Horse Center in 2015,” said John Nicholson, consultant to the Virginia Horse Center. “Without question, adding prestigious events like the Novice Championship to the Horse Center’s calendar strongly indicates that it’s not only surviving, it’s thriving. This is the latest in a series of positive developments that are elevating the Virginia Horse Center. Going forward, our goal is to bring more quality equestrian events, like this one, to the Horse Center.”

The Horse Center and the AQHA have agreed to a one-year contract with a two-year option to return.

Update: The Virginia Horse Center previously confirmed the Novice Championship, but in a Facebook post today (Jan. 24) they have clarified that they are still awaiting a decision and confirmation from the AQHA but are optimistic the show is moving to the horse center.

The Virginia Horse Center has confirmed that the AQHA Novice Championship will be coming to Lexington, Virginia, on Sept. 29-Oct. 4, 2015. A representative for the VHC confirmed the show was moving to the center via Twitter and said an official announcement was “coming soon.” If won, the show would be huge for the ailing equestrian facility which on Wednesday announced plans to help it get out of “intensive care” in its quest to get its finances back on track.

In that announcement, VHC treasurer and board member Tom Clarke said, “ “Things are looking very good going forward.” He said in a news release on the center’s website that the horse center “has 80 shows scheduled for this year, up from 73 last year. Although it lost its No. 1 show, the Arabian Sport Horse, the horse center has succeeded in landing the Sallie B. Wheeler/U.S. Hunter Breeding National Championship and the AQHA Novice Championship Horse Show.”

The show is also listed on its events calendar.

Last year the AQHA Novice Championship was held in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and perhaps the VHC is starting to pull some big shows from other arenas. Clarke said, “We’re methodically cultivating relationships. We’re marketing new shows. … We hope to steal shows from other places. We see this as a positive year.”

The Virginia Horse Center is easily accessible from Interstate 81 and Interstate 64.

The show is continuing to grow. In 2013, there were 1,562 total entries. Last year,  there were 453 rookie entries and 2,273 Level 1 entries. The Virginia Horse Center currently hosts the AQHA Spring Breakout and the Virginia Classic horse shows.

The horse shows and other events are hard to come by in the Roanoke region this weekend — and perhaps just as well as weather forecasters are beginning to utter the “S” word for this weekend in the area. If they are right and you’re left to cuddle up inside this weekend, there is still hope: Online streaming. I can’t even imagine if I would have had such a thing as a horse-crazy kid. With a good connection, you never have to never be very far from an arena filled with sleek show horses.

STREAMING ONLINE

• USEFnetwork will broadcast two Grand Prix live from the HITS Desert Circuit in Thermal, Calif., on Friday and Sunday. Friday’s is the $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix. Sunday’s is the $50,000 Go Rentals Grand Prix.
• USEFnetwork also has a huge library of On-Demand videos that include George Morris clinics, the U.S. Dressage Finals, the Washington International Horse Show, the Pennsylvania Horse Show, the U.S. Pony Finals and the Ariat Tulsa Reining Classic just to name a few.
• The Arizona Sun Circuit (AQHA, NRHA, NSBA) is streaming live on Horse Show Global. The show starts Saturday, Jan 24, and runs through Feb. 1.
• FEItv is broadcasting Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping from Zurich. (Requires $15 monthly subscription.)

A LOOK AHEAD

• Stonewall Country Horse Show, Jan. 30-Feb. 1, Virginia Horse Center
• Polar Bear School Show, Feb. 14-15, Virginia Horse Center East Complex
• Green Hill Winter Series II, Feb. 1, Green Hill Equestrian Park, Salem
• Hollins Spring Welcome Horse Show, Feb. 26 – March 1, Virginia Horse Center
• Pennsylvania Horse World Expo, March 5-8, Harrisburg
• Spring Breakout AQHA Show, March 21-22, Virginia Horse Center
• Virginia Horse Festival, March 27-29, The Meadow Event Park, Doswell, Va.
• Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, April 25-26, Kentucky Horse Park, Lexington, Ky.

Volunteers from Roanoke Valley Horse Rescue will be at the Bonsack Kroger to collect food donations. If you would like to make a donation to help the horses at the rescue come stop by Saturday, Jan. 17 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m . They are in need of the following items.

• Corn Oil
• Canned Corn
• Canned Carrots
• Corn Flakes 
• Canned Apples

The rescue is always in need of a variety of items from copy paper and office supplies to horse feeds and lead ropes. You can check their wish list for items to donate. Another great way to support the horses at RVHR is to sponsor a horse. Just $25 per month will feed one younger horse grain for a week. There are also many volunteering opportunities at the rescue. Some of the duties include: feeding, grooming, watering, basic office assistance, landscaping, general grounds upkeep and building maintenance.

The rescue has 47 rescue horses under their care a two facilities. Some of those available horses are below: