At the 2009 Lexington Junior League Horse Show, Merrill Murray of Versailles, Kentucky claimed the Five Gaited Grand Championship aboard Courageous Lord. Murray, who trains more than 20 horses besides the champion gelding, counts on a KER-formulated feed to provide Courageous Lord with the energy and presence necessary to win a major championship. Attracting more than 30,000 spectators, the Junior League show is the world's largest outdoor Saddlebred event and is the first in a series of three shows that make up the American Saddlebred Triple Crown. Courageous Lord thrives on a product formulated by KER and sold by Team Member Woodford Feed. The product contains 14% protrein and 6% fat.

Chester Weber

Kentucky Equine Research (KER) has joined forces with combined driver Chester Weber, becoming the latest Team Weber sponsor to join the championship team as they head toward the 2010 World Equestrian Games. Weber, a force to be reckoned with in the field of four-in-hand combined driving, became the first American to win an individual medal at the World Championships and his high-profile team includes the now-famous Jamaica, the 2008 USEF Horse of the Year.

KER is a world-renowned nutrition and consultation company that works with feed manufacturers to develop horse feeds suited for the particular regions in which they are to be fed. Dr. Joe Pagan, president of KER, believes research efforts are the cornerstone of KER and he personally directs all scientific trials. Conclusions drawn from these trials are used in the formulation of technologically advanced feeds.

"KER is very pleased to join Chester's team of sponsors and we look forward to working with him," Pagan said. "Our partnership will be a beneficial one as both Chester and KER believe in accomplishing what is best for the horse."

The world-class horses that make up Team Weber use Restore, a carefully formulated electrolyte supplement designed to match the composition of horses' sweat. "Developed by KER, Restore is designed to replenish electrolytes in any situation where horses might sweat, particularly after training, travel, racing, during hot weather or competition," Pagan said.

Chester Weber

Weber and his team are the United States Four-In-Hand Combined Driving Champions, a title they have held for the past six years. Team Weber is currently preparing again for the U.S. Championships, hoping to earn an unprecedented seventh consecutive win.

"My horses are top athletes and they work hard and sweat hard," Weber said. "Restore is designed for elite athletes and I have confidence that this product will do the job it is designed for."

In addition to its research endeavors, KER has a rich tradition of providing top-of-the-line feeds to the greatest equine athletes in the world. In 2000, the company was tapped to be the official nutritionist of the United States Equestrian Federation. KER has also played a pivotal role in procuring feeds for the last four Olympic Games as well as other international competitions.

KER formulated the feed for Pennfield Equine Feed Technologies, another Team Weber sponsor. "Chester feeds his team the EnuroEvent Ener-G feed from Pennfield's Gold Medal Line. It is a feed designed for the intense needs of high-performance horses," Pagan said. "Chester has dominated the field of combined driving for many years and it isn't by accident. He works hard and makes sure that his horses have the best care, nutrition and training possible."

Bagdad Roller Mills celebrated its 125th year of business on July 25, 2009. The company showcased its plant, including some of the oldest buildings, and retired workers were on hand to explain historic procedures and changes in production methods through the years. Vendors and clients enjoyed fresh-grilled food, live broadcasting by a local radio station, and tours of the mill.

As part of its commitment to serving the equine industry, Bagdad Roller Mills became a Kentucky Equine Research Team Member in 1995. At this time the company began installation of a new mixing and bagging line dedicated to producing state-of-the-art horse feeds. Bagdad Roller Mills is committed to providing clientele with a high-quality product, utilizing the most modern technology and research-based information available. The success of the mill has been based on prompt service, quality nutrition, and fair pricing.

Catherine Whitehouse and Laura Jane Martin 12 Month Interns

Catherine Whitehouse and Laura Jane Martin have joined the KER staff as research interns for the 2009-2010 season. Catherine is a graduate of Lincoln University in Northern Ireland where she prepared a dissertation on seasonal changes in non-structural carbohydrate accumulation in pasture grasses as related to the etiology of laminitis. She is considering a career in product formulation and development. Laura Jane, a native of Ireland and graduate of the College of Agriculture, Food & Rural Enterprise in the U.K., is fluent in French and has worked in sales prep and breeding stock management. She hopes to gain an extensive knowledge of research protocol and the equipment currently used in nutrition studies. KER welcomes these young women to its research program.

Brook Dobbin and GP Shine

Sponsored rider Brook Dobbin and his longtime jumping partner GP Shine claimed the Victorian Showjumping Club's most prestigious title at the recent annual awards night. The combination won the Horse of The Year title for the second consecutive year. Brooke and his wife Angela have overcome the horrors of the Victorian bushfires earlier this year.Fortunately, all of their horses survived the emergency, with only fencing and pasture being lost to the Black Saturday disaster.

Horse owners need to be educated about the dangers of obesity in their horses and the benefits even moderate exercise can provide.