The annual South Australian Horse of the Year Awards afforded some well-deserved recognition for leading South Australian nursery Mill Park, with the Watson family honoured as recipients of the prestigious Matrice Award for outstanding contributions to the South Australian Thoroughbred Industry.

Outstanding sprinter Catapulted was crowned the Goldners Horse Transport South Australian Horse of the Year. The Catbird gelding was bred by the Watsons in partnership with Bob and Helen Dinham and sold for $90,000 under the Mill Park banner at the Adelaide Magic Millions Sale in 2007.

A multiple Group II winner of 10 races and more than $600,000 in earnings, Catapulted was selected by the judging panel as the best South Australian-bred performer of 2010.

Catapulted is out of the Umatilla mare Siren Miss, honoured as the Claude Haigh Memorial Broodmare of the Year. Her current yearling, a filly by Fastnet Rock, is headed to Sydney next month for the 2011 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.

Inglis Easter is still a month away and for Mill Park the next sale on the agenda is the 2011 Adelaide Magic Millions Sale on March 15 and 16, where they will offer seven yearlings for sale.

Mill Park Thoroughbreds are fed the Kentucky Equine Research (KER) products All Phase and Equi-Jewel to ensure optimum growth and development. The farm also uses Cool Command from KER Team Member Barastoc during yearling preparation.

Ardverness Almira

Ardverness Almira, a two-year-old filly owned by Marie Kukawski, won the led part-bred Andalusian youngstock class at the 2011 Royal Melbourne Horse Show in Australia. The filly is by the national champion PRE (Pura Raza Espanola) stallion Pagan MF and out the Anglo-Arabian mare Abbeyance Almira.

Ardverness Almira joined stablemate Zorra MFI (also by Pagan MF) as a Royal Show winner. Zorra MFI claimed victory in the led purebred class and was also named the reserve champion led purebred at this year's event.

Both horses were given a variety of Kentucky Equine Research (KER) supplements in preparation for the horse show, including All-Phase, Equi-Jewel, Bio-Bloom, and Restore. In addition to these, they were fed Barastoc Groom, which is a blend of high-quality protein meals, oils, live yeast culture, vitamins, and minerals. Barastoc Groom is  manufactured by KER Team Member Ridley AgriProducts.

The broodmares at Kukawski's farm are typically fed All-Phase from the time they are bred through early lactation, and then are fed Low GI Cube throughout the remainder of lactation.

The Royal Melbourne Horse Show is the largest breed show in the Southern Hemisphere, attracting over 1,000 competitors to the annual event. The next major events for both horses will be The Victorian State Championships to be held in March this year.

Kukawski is employed by KER as the Australasia marketing manager.

Kentucky Equine Research (KER) will kick off a ten-stop nutrition lecture tour beginning July 18-26, 2011. The tour, titled Nutrition of the Sport Horse Australasian Seminar Series, will include stops in Melbourne, Perth, Sydney, and Brisbane in Australia, and Palmerston North and Hamilton in New Zealand.

A more detailed schedule will be announced at a later date.

Featured speakers include Joe Pagan, Ph.D., founder and president of KER, and Clarissa Brown-Douglas, Ph.D., a nutritionist at KER. The lecture tour is being sponsored by Barastoc, Pegasus, and NRM, all KER Team Member feed manufacturing companies.

Admittance fee is $15 per person, with all proceeds from the seminars donated to Riding for the Disabled in Australia and the CatWalk Spinal Cord Injury Trust in New Zealand.

The tradeshow booth maintained by Barastoc and Kentucky Equine Research (KER) has been named the top stand at this year's Equitana Melbourne by Horsezone.com.au, an Australia-based equine website.  Barastoc is a KER Team Member feed manufacturer. Read the article.

Equitana Melbourne took place November 18-21 at the Royal Melbourne Showgrounds. Over 45,000 visitors attended the event. KER and Barastoc played a significant role in the event through sponsorship of the main demonstration arena and several demonstrations.

KER Australia's next major event will be the 2011 Nutrition of the Sport Horse Australian and New Zealand Seminar Series, to be held from January 28 to February 8. KER founder and president Dr. Joe Pagan and KER equine nutritionist Dr. Clarissa Brown-Douglas will present the latest findings in the nutrition and management of sport horses at various locations throughout Australia and New Zealand. Venues and times will be available soon.

NRM-sponsored rider Shiwon Green and her horse Gosh.

Equitana Melbourne was once again a resounding success. Held November 18-21 at the Royal Melbourne Showgrounds, over 45,000 visitors attended the event.

KER and Barastoc played a significant role in the event through sponsorship of the main demonstration arena, Barastoc Arena, a popular trade stand, and several demonstrations. KER-, Barastoc- and NRM-sponsored and supported riders also made everyone proud with some outstanding results and exhibitions.

KER-sponsored rider Caroline Wagner competed in the CDI-W, placing fourth in the Grand Prix and fifth in the Freestyle on her long-time partner WS Nevada. Wagner's horse had been out of work for several weeks leading up to the event, making their results even more impressive.

Barastoc-sponsored Becky Allen placed sixth on RSB Jacana in the Grand Prix jumping.

Jess Stalling, who is the partner of KER-supported rider Rhys Stones, placed second in the Galloway Show Horse Championship aboard Glendon Brae Oscar, a brilliant result for the young rider who was up against seasoned show personalities.

NRM-sponsored rider Shiwon Green and her horse Gosh were clearly the crowd favorites. The pair competed in the CDI-W and placed sixth in the Grand Prix and sixth in the freestyle. Gosh is an interesting mix of breeds, including Thoroughbred, Standardbred, and warmblood bloodlines. This is the pair's first international trip, having made the journey across the Tasman from New Zealand, They will be based in Australia for the next few months to make the most of the upcoming CDI-W competitions with the hope of qualifying for the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Shiwon and Gosh have gained a great following from taking part in the Steffen Peters clinic and demonstrations throughout Equitana.

Kentucky Equine Research will once again be taking part in the Southern Hemisphere's largest equine event, Equitana Asia Pacific (EAP).

EAP is a biennial event held in Melbourne, Australia, at the Melbourne Showgrounds, November 18-21. KER will be joining forces with long-time Team Member Barastoc at Stand No. 423, located in the Epsom Pavilion.

The KER-Barastoc stand will be an outstanding resource for any horse owner seeking information on nutrition and exercise physiology. Come and have your horse's diet reviewed by our nutritionists or try it yourself on KER's new diet kiosk. Don't forget to bring along your most difficult nutrition-related questions for our nutritionist and veterinarian, both of whom will be on-site throughout the event. There will also be product samples to be taken, bargains to be had, and giveaways to enter.

KER has been invited by event directors to present two sessions in Barastoc Arena, the main demonstration area. KER will present two sessions of Master Chef Equine, one on Friday, November 19, (12:45-1:30 p.m.) and another on Saturday, November 20 (11:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m.).

Master Chef Equine will be run as a competition requiring audience participation and will aim at providing practical information in a fun, competitive presentation. This will certainly be a unique presentation by Dr. Peter Huntington, Dr. Clarissa Brown-Douglas, and equine stars Gilroy, Anduin, Summer, and Grandeur. Be sure not to miss it!

The 38 Australian horses taking part in the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games will have a place in history as the first equine athletes to participate in this new global effort to introduce young people to the Olympic values.

Australia's Glen Haven Park was charged with recruiting and training the horses for the event, which will include individual and team jumping competitions. The competitors select the horse on which they'll compete through a random draw. See a video of the horses arriving and settling in to the Singapore Turf Club Riding Centre. 

Kentucky Equine Research Team Member, Barastoc (Ridley Agriproducts) is the official feed supplier for these horses for the 12 months leading up to and during the event. The horses receive nutritionally balanced diets with Barastoc feeds and KER supplements to bring out the best in each horse.

KER has worked closely with the trainers and staff at Glen Haven Park to ensure that the transition of horses from Queensland, Australia to Singapore has been as seamless as possible. The horses have been gradually acclimatized during their 12 months of training in lead-up to the games. Their diet and condition been carefully monitored throughout each stage of their preparation. These diets include:

Equestrian uniforms for the Youth Olympic Games.

• Barastoc Calm Performer
• Barastoc Cool Command
• KER Restore ™
• KER Hemabuild™
• KER Equi-Jewel™

With little time between the horses' arrival and return to peak competition fitness it has been imperative that everything, from the hay and water was taken with them whilst in transit to ensuring that their usual feed and supplements were at the venue for when they landed, to make sure the journey has been as stress free as possible. All the horses travelled extremely well and landed in excellent condition and have since begun their rigorous training schedule in lead-up to this week's competition.

Learn more about the equestrian events of the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games.

Boosting his record to 7 wins in 15 starts, Australian-bred Starspangledbanner claimed victory in the July Cup (Group 1) at Newmarket in England. Running no worse than second throughout the race, Starspangledbanner overtook Equiano late in the uphill stretch run to finish in first place by a neck. Taking the third spot was another Australian-bred horse, the seven-year-old mare Alverta.

Kentucky Equine Research (KER) Australasia formulated the feed products on which both Alverta and Starspangledbanner, a four-year-old colt, were reared. Starspangledbanner spent his growing years at Makybe Stud in Victoria, while Alverta was produced by Arrowfield Stud in New South Wales. The products are manufactured and distributed by Ridley Agriproducts, a KER Team Member.

The win was the second for Starspangledbanner in the Global Sprint Challenge following his victory in the Oakleigh Plate earlier in the year.

Thoroughbred sire Stratum can add the title of Kentucky Equine Research/Barastoc Champion First Season Sire to his impressive list of accolades following the Hunter Thoroughbred Breeders Association Annual Awards Night.

Dr. Peter Huntington of Kentucky Equine Research (KER) presented the award to Antony Thompson of Widden Stud.

Stratum, a son of Redoute's Choice, is enjoying a memorable debut season on the track with 11 winners (10 in Australia, one in New Zealand) to his credit, led by Golden Slipper winner Crystal Lily and stakes horses Pellizotti, Celebration Girl, and Across the Moon, plus metro winners Eclair Mystic, American Crew, Posh Chic, and Rose of Scotland. His progeny have earned $2.7 million this season.

The HTBA Annual Awards Night and Dinner, conducted in the Scone Cup Raceday Marquee on Wednesday, May 12, was attended by 350 guests and hosted by Aushorse and SKY Channel's Jo McKinnon.

The Hunter Thoroughbred Breeders Association is an organization devoted to fostering and promoting the Thoroughbred breeding industry in the Hunter Valley area of New South Wales, the second largest Thoroughbred breeding region in the world.

KER is an international equine nutrition, research and consultation company serving both the horse owner and the feed industry. Its goal is to advance the industry's knowledge of equine nutrition and exercise physiology and apply this knowledge to produce healthier, more athletic horses.

At the recent Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale in Sydney, top price of $1.87 million was paid for a Redoute's Choice-Regrowth colt bred by Segenhoe Stud. The colt was reared on KER Team Member Barastoc (Ridley Agriproducts) feeds and KER supplements.

The second-highest price at the sale, and top price for a filly, was $1.3 million for a Zabeel-Gin Player yearling offered by Rich Hill Stud from Matamata in New Zealand. Rich Hill depends on products from Team Member NRM Feeds to guarantee proper growth in its young horses.

Congratulations to KER clients Coolmore Stud, top vendor by aggregate at the sale, and to Rich Hill Stud who topped the averages.

At the 2010 Premier Sale in Melbourne, Australia, seven of the ten top-priced horses were fed on KER-formulated feeds and supplements made by Team Member Barastoc Feeds. The two top vendors by average were KER clients Burnewang North Pastoral and Mill Park, both of which use KER All-Phase pellets.

Megan Jones has produced two consecutive victories in FEI World Cup qualifying classes, an impressive testament to the athleticism of horse and rider as well as the management skills of her mount's caretakers.

Her first qualifier win was achieved in New Zealand at the Mitavite International Horse Trial held in Kihikihi. She and her mount Kirby Park Irish Jester bested the competition by 10 points. She followed up this victory with a second qualifying win at the Weekend of Equestrian World Cups, staged in Sydney.

"He was great all weekend. He is so much fun to ride, because he knows his job so well and loves doing it," said Jones.

Megan Jones feeds KER-formulated Barastoc feeds from Ridley AgriProducts and nutritional supplements from KER.

What a Year!

Australian Megan Jones couldn't have had a better start to the 2009 eventing season with both her and her mount Kirby Park Irish Jester receiving many accolades for their outstanding 2008 season. Megan and Jester were awarded the following honors:

There is no slowing down for Megan and Jester. The pair flew to New Zealand to take part in the first of the HSBC FEI World Cup Eventing qualifiers held at Kihikihi in March. Megan and Jester produced an outstanding dressage test and clearly led the field with a score of 38.1. Jones produced faultless cross-country and show jumping rounds to finish on their dressage score, earning $23,000 in prize money.

Megan and Jester will now head to Sydney for the second World Cup qualifying event. The World Cup Finals will be held in Poland later this year.

Megan feeds KER-formulated products from Barastoc (Ridley AgriProducts) to all of her mounts including Jester, and she uses several KER supplements such as Preserve™, Bio-Bloom™, EquiShure™, Glucos-A-Flex™, and others.

Megan Jones and Irish Jester crossing the finish line on cross-country.

On the winners podium.
(photo by: Peter Jones)

KER-sponsored rider Megan Jones crystallized her Olympic dream by being the highest placed rider on the Australian Eventing Team, leading the squad to an outstanding silver medal victory at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. A precisely ridden dressage test on the first day saw Megan and Jester hold a very handy position in third place on a score of 35.40, just behind Ingrid Klimke of Germany and fellow teammate Lucinda Fredericks. A fast and clear cross-country round allowed Megan to jump one place to hold second coming into the show-jumping phase the following day. After the second day of competition, the scores of the top eight horse and rider combinations were extremely close with very few points separating the riders. An unfortunate rail in the show jumping saw Megan and Jester drop two places in the final standings to fourth individually but still held on to lead Australia to a team silver medal.

The story of Megan and Jester is a truly inspiring one. Megan bred the little grey Irish Sport Horse gelding by Irish Enough and out of Kirby Park Yellow Empress at her family property located in Hanhdorf, South Australia. An important part of Jester's preparation was ensuring that he was in excellent body condition and well hydrated for the humid conditions of Hong Kong. Jester's diet, both whilst training and in competition, combines KER-formulated Barastoc Cool Command and quality forage and electrolytes.

The world's richest race for two-year-olds, the Golden Slipper Stakes in Australia, was won by Miss Finland. In a field of sixteen horses, the talented filly threaded her way from the rear of the pack through all contenders to finish in front by 4 ½ lengths. Miss Finland has been reared and trained on feeds supplied by Ridley Agriproducts.