Week in Review - U.S. Equestrian

See all the action from the most exciting equestrian event in the country! For just $7.99 you get all four days of coverage of the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event Presented by Farnam on NBCSports.com. You can enjoy dressage on Thursday and Friday, the cross-country on Saturday and the show jumping finale on Sunday. All with multi-camera coverage throughout the course and commentary by Kerry Millikin, the 1996 Olympic Individual Bronze medalist and winner of the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event in 1987.

Don't Miss Out on USEF's Coverage of the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event Presented by Farnam

The United States Equestrian Federation and EQUESTRIAN magazine's daily coverage of the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event Presented by Farnam will be live on the USEF's website at www.usef.org following each day's competition.

Steffen Peters and Floriano Finish at Third in the 2007 Rolex FEI World Cup Dressage Competition; Germany’s Isabell Werth and Warum Nicht FRH Named Champions

The freestyle is one of the most expressive elements of dressage, and there was no lack of emotion and pageantry during the finals of the 2007 Rolex FEI World Cup Dressage competition in Las Vegas. Germany’s Isabell Werth, aboard her 11-year-old Hanoverian gelding, Warum Nicht FRH, took the top prize before an appreciative crowd at the Thomas and Mack Center in what will be remembered as one of the great nights in the history of dressage competition in the U.S. American rider Steffen Peters and Floriano, the 17-year-old Westphalian gelding owned by Stephen and Laurelyn Browning, put in a third-place ride to end their World Cup bid among the 11 riders in the final. It was the highest-placed finish for an American rider in the World Cup since Debbie McDonald’s third-place finish in 2005 and her FEI World Cup win in 2003 aboard Brentina.

Switzerland’s Beat Mandli and Ideo du Thot Win 2007 Rolex FEI World Cup Title; McLain Ward and Sapphire Lead American Effort with Eighth-Place Tie

On the last day of the 2007 Rolex FEI World Cup for show jumping, it came down to a battle between the Germans and Swiss. In the end, it was a win for Beat Mandli and Ideo du Thot, the 11-year-old Selle Francais gelding after putting in two rounds where they downed only one rail to finish on a score of five World Cup points. Some 15 nations were represented in the show jumping World Cup and the roster of international sport stars left the crowds very happy with amazing rounds of show jumping and enough thrills and spills to satisfy the most ardent fan.

For the USEF's Rolex FEI World Cup™ Section Online featuring athlete biographies, a daily blog from the event, and daily coverage from the event:

Full Coverage DVDs Available of the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, Presented By Farnam

Complete unedited coverage of the 2007 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, presented by Farnam, will be available on a set of DVDs that will be produced daily during the competition.

This year’s Rolex Kentucky CCI****, an FEI Qualifying Competition and United States Equestrian Federation Selection Trial for the 2008 Olympic Games, returns to the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY, April 26-29. Separate DVDs of America’s only four-star three-day event will be available for each day of competition for $19.95 per day. The DVDs will show all of the rides for the particular day (Thursday and Friday dressage, Saturday cross-country and Sunday show jumping) unedited and without commentary other than the field announcer.

South Carolina, Texas A&M Win Varsity Equestrian National Championships

After three days of intense competition with 12 teams in each hunter seat and western division vying for the Varsity Equestrian National Championship, the University of South Carolina (USC) won its second overall championship in three years at the Heart O’ Texas Fair Complex on Friday, April 20 after a nail biting head-to-head competition in which both the western and hunter seat championships were tied going into the final round.

This Time It Was Team USA That Was Victorious in the Las Vegas World Cup Hunter Challenge

The World Cup Team Hunter Challenge rematch was met in stride, literally, as riders negotiated some of the nation’s top horses around the Richard Jeffrey-designed course at the Thomas & Mack arena on April 21, 2007. In the end, it was the U.S. team of Louise Serio, John French, Peter Pletcher and Scott Stewart who won against European show jumping riders Rodrigo Pessoa, Michael Whitaker, Christian Ahlmann and Marcus Ehning.

You probably take it for granted that when you go to the barn or walk out to the pasture, your horse will be there, right where you left him. Victims of horse theft know that this is not always the case. They know the empty feeling of searching the pasture and finding the fence broken, then searching the neighborhood and coming up empty-handed. They know the agony of placing phone call after phone call, hoping that someone has seen their horse. Sometimes they are lucky and get their horse back, sometimes their horse is never seen again.

USEF Announces Collecting Gaits Farm as Title Sponsor of the Dressage Festival of Champions

In continuation of their strong commitment to dressage, Collecting Gaits Farm has elevated their partnership with the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) to become title sponsor of the 2007 Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Dressage Festival of Champions, which will be held in Gladstone, NJ on June 14-17.

Schedule your advertising space now in the June Dressage issue of EQUESTRIAN and receive special discounted rates as a USEF member.

**Schedule ads in both the magazine and the 2007 Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Dressage Festival of Champions program and receive an even larger discount. This is a great time to advertise to over 89,000 USEF members in EQUESTRIAN and receive added exposure at this prestigious event, which takes place in June.

As the official publication of the United States Equestrian Federation, EQUESTRIAN reaches the best market—competitive horse owners, riders and trainers.

Exciting Exhibitions, Thrilling Competition and Boutique Shopping Spice Up Devon Horse Show

Celebrating its 111th year, the Devon Horse Show and Country Fair is adding an 11th day, Sunday, June 3, which will be devoted to local classes. Devon, which runs May 24 through June 3, benefits Bryn Mawr Hospital, to which it has donated over $12 million since 1919.

In the past two decades, huge advances have been made in our understanding of many equine diseases, but we have a lot more to learn before we can truly improve the way many of these diseases are prevented or treated. One simply needs to consider the impact that laminitis had on Barbaro, a horse who captured everyone’s imagination, or the effect that equine herpesvirus-1 infections have had up and down the East Coast in the past few months. While these diseases might be the most glaringly obvious at this time, they are not necessarily the most devastating to horses or the equine industry. Colic, osteoarthritis, neonatal septicemia, infertility, respiratory disease, laryngeal hemiplegia...the list of diseases needing attention goes on and on.

Mandy McCutcheon Becomes National Reining Horse Association One Million Dollar Rider

It was a night of firsts for Mandy McCutcheon and the National Reining Horse Association (NRHA)! A big win at the National Reining Breeders Classic (NRBC) earned her a distinction no other non pro rider in NRHA history has accomplished. McCutcheon of Tioga, TX, now joins the elite group of reiners who have earned $1-million in lifetime earnings. As well as being the very first non pro to achieve that mark, McCutcheon is also the first woman to reach the One Million Dollar Rider status.

United Professional Horsemen’s Association (UPHA) President Jim Taylor has informed American Saddlebred Horse Association (ASHA) President Fred Sarver that the American Royal will host the 2007 ASHA Junior Exhibitor Driving Challenge Finals, November 13-17, at Kemper Arena in Kansas City. Several qualifying shows are already scheduled; the current list is available online at www.saddlebred.com/files/drivingchallenge.pdf.

Beautifully Hand-Crafted USEF Leather Bags Made Exclusively by Freedman Harness, Canada

Call toll free today to order your USEF Leather Bags at (877) 256-7674 or visit www.freedmanharness.com.

National Reining Horse Youth Association’s Regional Clinic Series Features Many National Reining Horse Association Professionals

The National Reining Horse Youth Association (NRHyA) announces seven new regional training clinics across the United States. The clinics are designed to help reining enthusiasts learn from some of the best trainers in the reining business.

The Regional Clinic Series is open to all riders—youth and adults. Non-National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) members are also invited to attend and learn what the NRHA has to offer. Proceeds from the clinics benefit the youth association and its programs. A percentage of the proceeds will help fund the youth awards at each of the NRHA Regional Affiliate Finals.

American Saddlebred Registry Sweepstakes to Receive Over $120,000 Boost in Prize Money

The American Saddlebred Registry (ASR) Sweepstakes will be awarding over $120,000 in additional prize money, available to Kentucky-bred horses thanks to the state’s Breeders Incentive Fund. The Kentucky legislature enacted the Breeders Incentive Fund in 2005 to encourage breeding horses of all breeds in Kentucky. The fund takes a portion of the sales tax generated through stallion service fees and returns it to the breeders.

Do some serious spring cleaning with the United States Equestrian Federation Visa® Platinum Card

This spring it’s out with the old and in with the new when you use the United States Equestrian Federation Visa® Platinum Card, now offering 0% APR for 12 months*! With this exclusive card, every dollar you spend is interest free until next year, allowing you to purchase those new items you’ve been waiting to buy. So whether you use your United States Equestrian Federation Visa for everyday purchases, or that special purchase, switch now and save.

The United States Equestrian Federation Visa® Platinum Card also provides great benefits, including:

• No annual fee
• Your choice of benefits and rewards
• A percentage of every purchase goes directly to the United States Equestrian Federation

This Visa Platinum card issued by U.S. Bank is now the only card that supports the United States Equestrian Federation. Upon receiving your new card, the United States Equestrian Federation receives a payment from U.S. Bank, and then we will continue to receive a percentage of each net purchase you make on your card. This helps us fund our international teams.

*Click product name for terms and conditions: Platinum, Cash Rewards, Select Rewards, College Rewards. Offer not applicable for the College Rewards Visa Card. We may change APRs, fees, and other Account terms in the future based on your experience with other creditors or U.S. Bank National Association, N.D., and its affiliates according to the Cardmember Agreement and applicable law. The introductory rate does not apply to cash advances and is valid for the first 12 billing cycles. The rate will end early and increase to the APR for Purchases and Balance Transfers or to a Delinquency Rate APR if your Account is delinquent, over the limit or closed. We apply your payments to balances with lower APRs first.

The creditor and issuer of the Visa Platinum card is the U.S. Bank National Association ND.

The United States Equestrian Federation®, Inc. (USEF), as the National Equestrian Federation of the U.S., is the regulatory body for the Olympic and World Championship sports of dressage, driving, endurance, eventing, reining, show jumping, and vaulting, as well as 20 other breeds and disciplines of equestrian competition. As the country's largest multi-breed organization, the Federation has over 86,000 members and recognizes more than 2,800 competitions nationwide each year. It governs all aspects of competition, including educating and licensing all judges, stewards and technical delegates who officiate at these shows.

The vision of USEF is to provide leadership for equestrian sport in the United States of America, promoting the pursuit of excellence from the grass roots to the Olympic Games, based on a foundation of fair, safe competition and the welfare of its horses, and embracing this vision, to be the best national equestrian federation in the world.