Week in Review - U.S. Equestrian

As expected, the crack German squad claimed the honors in the opening leg of the 2006 Samsung Super League with FEI series at La Baule in France, but the USA, defending Super League champions, finished a close second with a gritty, determined performance.

The home side finished third, and came dangerously close to dislodging the eventual winners but were denied victory by the misfortune of their final runner Herve Godignon whose 12 second-round faults with Obelix proved very expensive indeed. Switzerland and Holland shared fourth spot ahead of Great Britain in fifth while the Irish, just as they so often did last season, found themselves struggling again, but managed to stay ahead of the Swedes, whose day began badly and ended with last place in the line-up.

Veteran Olympic Silver-Medalist Michael Matz Wins Kentucky Derby on His First Visit to the Run for the Roses

Imagine having an Olympic Silver medal of your very own. Imagine winning the greatest horse race in the world--the Kentucky Derby. To achieve either is a milestone in any horse lover’s life. To do both is almost unthinkable. That is unless you are Michael Matz, who has created his own exclusive club. And it has exactly one member. The 132nd Kentucky Derby was an exceptional day for this former Olympian and the horse he has trained for the past year, Barbaro.

The 2006 USEF Pony Finals National Championships will be held at the Kentucky Horse Park from August 9-13, 2006. Unlike in years past, this year’s Pony Finals will observe a new five-day format in place of the traditional four days. The championships include the 2006 Adequan/USEF National Pony Jumper Championship Individual, the 2006 Adequan/USEF National Pony Jumper Championship Team, 2006 USEF Pony Medal Final presented by Far Niente Stables, 2006 Wild Horsefeathers/USEF National Green Hunter Pony Championship, and the 2006 Wild Horsefeathers/USEF National Hunter Pony Championship.

Ariat International, the leading equestrian footwear and apparel manufacturer, has created a collection of high-performance athletic gear for our nation’s top equestrian athletes that will debut in mid-summer. Through the newly-signed sponsorship, Ariat becomes the “Official Apparel Supplier” of he United States Equestrian Federation (USEF).

Show Circuit Magazine/USEF National Junior Hunter Championships Announce 2006 East and West Coast Dates and Locations

The 2006 Show Circuit Magazine/USEF National Junior Hunter Championships have announced their East and West Coast dates and locations. The West Coast Championship will be held at the Oaks Blenheim facility in San Juan Capistrano, CA, August 15-16. The East Coast Championship will be held at the HITS-on-the-Hudson facility in Saugerties, NY, July 24-26. Show managers for the sixth annual event are Stephanie Wheeler and Tom Struzzieri.

Sallie B. Wheeler/USEF National Hunter Breeding Championships presented by VitaFlex Announces 2006 Dates and Locations

The 2006 Sallie B.Wheeler/USEF National Hunter Breeding Championship will again hold its East-meets-West format. The West Coast phase will be held at the Showpark All Seasons Summer Tournament Horse Show in Del Mar, CA, on August 30. The East Coast phase will be held at the Warrenton Horse Show in Warrenton, VA, on September 2.

SPECIAL LIMITED TIME OFFER: 0% APR on Purchases for One Year 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 one year*! With this exclusive card, every dollar you spend is interest free until next year. Use your USEF Visa for everyday purchases, home improvement projects, family vacations or that special purchase you’ve been waiting to make. Plus, you’ll earn reward points with every purchase. Spring clean your wallet and make sure you carry the correct USEF Visa card with the US Bank logo on the backside.

The United States Equestrian Federation Select Rewards Visa Platinum card provides great benefits, including no annual fee, your choice of rewards and 1,000 bonus points with your first purchase. In addition, a percentage of every purchase will support USEF programs and initiatives.

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

United States’ McLain Ward Wins Best Rider Award for La Baule 2006 After Giving Top European Riders a Run for the Money

It was another exciting day on May 7 in the beautiful seaside town of La Baule, France, and the equestrian competition could not have been better. Marcus Ehning of Germany on Noltes Kuchengirl lasted through two rounds of competition to claim the top prize in the 100,000 euros grand prix.

With the victory gallop at Rolex past, the East Coast eventing scene’s focus shifted to the final preparations for the New Jersey CCI** and CCI*** in early June and the Virginia Horse Park’s CCI* in mid-May. Many riders chose to have a final tune-up at the Maryland Combined Training Association (MCTA) Horse Trials located at Shawan Downs.

As the presenting sponsor of the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, Farnam looks at its involvement as more than an opportunity to showcase its vast equine product line. Its participation also helps to bring the equine industry together by affording horse lovers a pedestal to showcase their greatest passion.

The clinic "What the Judges are Looking for, and How to Achieve the Results with Your Horse," with Paso Fino Horse Association Senior Certified Judge and Trainer of the Year Rick Meyer and with Top Equitation Trainer Christy Meyer, will begin at 5 p.m. on Friday, June 2, at El Cardenal Farm in Mooresville, NC, with a question and answer session. It will resume Saturday morning with hands-on work with horse and rider.

Friends of Winter Miles Host Round-Up for Equestrian Facility; Winter Miles Horse Park Will be the First in Seminole County

The Friends of Winter Miles will sponsor an event to raise community awareness of the Winter Miles Horse Park, the first equestrian park in Seminole County, Florida. The Round-Up will be Sunday, May 21, 2006, from 1.-4 p.m. at the future site of the Horse Park.

Post Entries Accepted in American Saddlebred Classes at Devon Horse Show; Show Offers More for Saddlebred Riders

Post entries are being accepted in American Saddlebred classes at the Devon Horse Show and Country Fair in Devon, PA. American Saddlebred classes begin Wednesday, May 31, and run through Saturday, June 3. More information on the show can be found online at www.thedevonhorseshow.com, or by calling the horse show office at (610) 964-0550; or, contact Ryegate Show Services at (717) 867-5643.

For the full story, click here.

Del Mar’s Evening of Musical Freestyles delighted dressage fans with competition from some of the best in the world, including three-time Olympic Bronze medalist Guenter Seidel and Olympic and World Cup veteran Steffen Peters. They scored within a tenth of a percent of each other in the $5,000 Grand Prix Freestyle sponsored by Chalk Hill Estates Winery. Seidel on Aragon won with a score 74.450%, while Peters on Floriano scored 74.325% for second. Aragon is a 1992 Bavarian Warmblood gelding owned by Dick and Jane Brown, while Floriano, a 1990 Westphalian gelding is owned by Steve and Laurie Browning. The Evening of Musical Freestyles event is a qualifying competition for the World Equestrian Selection Trials and the 2006 Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF National Grand Prix Championship.

Scott Stewart dominated the hunter divisions at the Devon Horse Show and Country Fair last year, taking the Leading Hunter Rider title for the third year in a row, and he returns this year to defend his title with a dozen top horses. If he wins again, it will be his fourth title at Devon, as he was also Leading Rider in 1998.

U-Dump Trailers of Ocala, FL, and the Live Oak Combined Driving Event raffled off a new U-Dump trailer during the CAI Live Oak Event, March 16-19. All of the proceeds from the raffle were donated to the USEF High Performance Driving Team. For information about U-Dump Trailers,, please visit their website at www.udumptrailers.com

Rain Doesn’t Slow Aaron Vale at the Kentucky Spring Horse Shows as He Racks Up the Placings

Competitors at the 2006 Kentucky Spring Horse Show were greeted with a steady rain and a threat of late day severe weather as a slow moving storm front moved through the Lexington area on Wednesday. But the downpour did nothing to slow down Aaron Vale as he grabbed two of the day’s featured jumper events. Vale galloped to victory in the 1.40 m Jumpers at the Johnson Arena, outlasting 42 other competitors for the victory. In the 1.30 m Jumpers at the Walnut Ring, Vale was even more impressive as he grabbed the top five prizes in a class of 56 starters.

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.