We mourn the sudden and unexpected passing of Jon Costin with such sadness. On Tuesday May 7th, 2013, at Joseph Brant Hospital in Burlington, ON, he passed away at the age of 44. Jon was husband to Alycia and father to four children, Amalia, Erica, Luke and Simon. Costin trained with Neil and Cindy Ishoy for many years, was several times Canadian World Cup League finalist, and a USDF gold medalist. For three years he ranked top 60 in the World FEI/BCM Dressage standings. Career highlights include competing at the 2001 World Young Horse Championships in Verden, GER with Rebel Rockstar, short-list for the 2006 World Equestrian Games in Aachen with partner Wholio, his 17.1hh Hanoverian gelding sired by Warkant. Jon was a well-respected professional dressage rider, training and coaching out of Jon Costin Dressage Inc. outside Toronto. A funeral mass will be held at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Freelton, ON, on Tuesday at 11 a.m. We extend our sincerest condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues. 

South Hadley, MA  – Custom Saddlery, the official saddle of the Intercollegiate Dressage Association (IDA), awarded eight Custom “Advantage” saddles to the IDA Nationals team and individual winners. One of this years winners, Julia McNellis, comments, "When I found out that I won my second National Championship title, I was ecstatic but when I learned that the saddle I won was a Custom Saddlery Advantage dressage saddle I was completely over the moon!” The 12th Annual IDA National Championships took place on April 27-28 at Mount Holyoke College Equestrian Center in South Hadley, Massachusetts. On Team Championship Day, The Mount Holyoke College dressage team came away with the Intercollegiate Dressage Association (IDA) National Team Championship title at the MHC Equestrian Center with Johnson & Wales University finishing second and Delaware Valley College coming in third. Each rider of the winning team will receive a Custom “Advantage” saddle courtesy of Custom Saddlery.

Miami, FL - The exclusive equestrian community of Florida has long been an influential and trend-setting population. Fashion, jewelry, art, social events and horses all mix together and align beautifully within the luxurious lifestyles of elite equestrians. However, with their fast-paced show schedules and jam-packed social calendars, most equestrians have little time to worry about such things as the real estate market or the latest methods for buying and selling property, which could pose a problem when it comes to having to make quick decisions about re-locating or upgrading their facilities and farms to accommodate their horses. This is where the professionals at Platinum Luxury Auctions have stepped in to provide a perfect solution for both buyers and sellers of high-end equestrian properties, and in doing so, have sparked a new trend in luxury real estate sales.

Deborah Hausman who trains dressage horses and students at her Quailhurst Stable and Vineyard in Sherwood, Oregon, travelled over 3000 miles across the United States to Florida for the 2013 winter dressage season. With two young horses, Alexiss, a 2005 Holsteiner Mare (Caletino x Tjinja/Kennedy) and Verona, a 2002 Dutch Mare (Jazz x Glennridge) Hausman, her “girls” and her horse van towing her Austin Mini Cooper settled into a cozy studio apartment at Anne and Davis Gribbons’ Knoll Dressage near Orlando. Hausman, a longtime professional and breeder brought Alexis who she bred, backed and trained and Verona the mare she placed in the top 15 overall at the highly competitive PAVO Cup Young Horse series in the Netherlands. But they were not part of the original longtime plan. Hausman has trained and competed in Europe, works with Conrad Schumacher when he comes to the US, as well as competed on the busy California winter circuit, yet has always wanted to work with Gribbons. While her two young mares were worthy of the time and investment, they were not in the original plan. Deborah Hausman proves that starting over after loss is reachable. In 2012 a huge tragedy struck with the loss of her two FEI horses within a devastating six months.