Week in Review - U.S. Equestrian

The 42nd annual U.S. National Arabian and Half-Arabian Championship Horse Show (U.S. Nationals) made its debut in Tulsa, OK, at Expo Square, October 17-25. A total of 1,889 horses were entered in the show that provided 125 classes across a variety of disciplines that included reining, cutting, working cow, trail, mounted native costume, pleasure driving, show hack, halter, sidesaddle, park and English, hunter and Western pleasure.

The Arabian Horse Association (AHA), based in Aurora, CO, produced the nine-day event that reigns as the flagship competition for the Arabian horse industry and the grand finale of the show season. The show follows Youth Nationals, Canadian Nationals and Sport Horse Nationals—also produced by AHA.

The horse show featured a number of special events throughout the week that highlighted the Arabian horse lifestyle. A shopping expo provided every conceivable item for horses, equestrians and fans. The second Saturday included the Saturday Spectacular that showed off Arabians in two Western disciplines with a Cowboy Mounted Shooting Exhibition and a Freestyle Reining Invitational.

Upcoming USEF National Championships

At the UPHA/American Royal National Championship in Kansas City, MO, November 18-22

Kanavy and McCarty Score Wins in the American Endurance Ride Conference National Championships

Five weeks after Hurricane Ike devastated trails in the Clark State Forest in Indiana, the 100-mile and 50-mile American Endurance Ride Conference (AERC) National Championship riders and horses enjoyed excellent weather and trails on October 16 and 18.

“The only reason the ride took place was because of the nearly 300-plus hours in manpower it took to get the trails in excellent condition,” said co-ride manager Cindy Young. “Few people realize what a mess those trails really were and without some key people working diligently on some 35 miles of trails, the championships would probably not have happened.”

For a sport where weather and trails can collude to make for precarious conditions, especially this late in the season, this year’s national championship was nearly perfect. “Trails were excellent, the weather was perfect, and the knowledge and expertise of all the workers helped to make the national championships run flawlessly,” said Young. “It truly was a great event!”

The well-attended ride had 45 starters in the 100-mile event and 114 starters in the 50-mile event.

“The level of competition and the caliber of riders truly made for a national championship on all levels,” said Young. “We had competitors from 26 states as well as Canada, Switzerland, Holland and Namibia.”

The USEF Road Show booth was recently exhibited at the Future Farmers of America (FFA) National Convention. The booth was set up as part of the FFA National Agricultural Career Show. The staff manning the booth answered questions from a couple thousand attendees during the three-day period. The questions ranged from “What is USEF?” to “How do I get involved with equestrian sport?”

“This is exactly the type of event for which the Road Show was made. We talked to people who just love horses to people who compete in equestrian events,” said Ian Thornton, one of the USEF staff who manned the booth. The staff also gave out material on the USEF Youth Council and its annual convention, a guide to Equestrian Colleges and Scholarships, mouse pads and t-shirts. The staff also made contacts with several of the universities that were in attendance that had equine programs or equestrian teams.

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The 2008 Washington International Horse Show (WIHS) was an exciting and fun event for riders and spectators alike. The six-day competition offered more than $400,000 in prize money, held exciting nighttime sessions full of exhibitions and demonstrations, and hosted some of the best hunter and jumper competition in the country.

The highlight event of the week was the $100,000 President's Cup Grand Prix, which was won by two-time Olympic Gold medalists McLain Ward and Sapphire. Angel Karolyi of Venezuala and Ron Krise's Sun God finished second as the only other double clear, while Todd Minikus of Loxahatchee, FL, and Pavarotti were third.

Ward and seven other riders were clear in the first round to advance to the jump-off over the Richard Jeffrey-designed course. In the jump-off, Karolyi and Sun God were the first to attempt the shortened course. They went for the clear round with a little speed to put pressure on the other riders following. With the exception of a slip in one turn, Karolyi executed his plan beautifully. They finished with no faults in 39.47 seconds.

In October 2008, international para-equestrian driver Diane Kastama lost her equine driving partner, Jasper. The 13-year-old Welsh Cob gelding was loved by many. Kastama met Jasper with his tandem and pair mate, Rupert, at the World Championships in 2004. After leasing the gelding for the competition, Kastama found she couldn't leave him in Scotland.

Purchasing the cobs, they came back stateside to take on the combined driving world. Not only was Jasper her competitive partner, but they teamed up for many para-equestrian and driving demonstrations. The gorgeous bay horse dazzled crowds from his home state of California all the way to the audience at Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event. Every person that met Jasper was impressed by both his quiet gentleness and his brilliance. He was a beloved horse who will be deeply missed by all who had the good fortune to met him.

For the second time in three years, 21-year-old Laura Noyes has topped the United States rankings for the FEI World Cup™ Dressage Final for Young Riders. Noyes and her mount Synchro averaged 72.584% in their two best efforts in the FEI Young Rider Freestyle Test in a CDI-Y during the qualifying period (January 1, 2008–October 27, 2008), and have earned themselves an invitation to Frankfurt, Germany for the Final, to be held December 18-21. Thanks to the generosity of the event organizer and sponsor, horse transportation and rider accommodations are provided at no cost to the competitors.

Good news awaits when you renew your membership online for 2009! If you were an amateur, professional or junior member in 2007 or 2008, you will be able to renew online using our new Quick Renewal. Just log in to your Authorized User Account and select the Quick Renew option. All of your membership information will be there. All you have to do is review it; edit it, if necessary; submit payment; and print out a copy of your 2009 card.

In addition, the membership process has been further streamlined by doing away with the breed/discipline dues. The new USEF Competing Equestrian Membership due for all Senior Active and Junior Active members is $55. With that, you will be able to participate at all USEF Licensed Competitions, as well as receive automatic insurance and MemberPerks.

There are also two new member categories for individuals not participating in USEF Licensed Competitions. The USEF Equestrian ($35) includes the automatic insurance and access to the MemberPerks program, while the Club Equestrian ($15) includes access to MemberPerks.

If you have any questions about the new memberships, please call one of our Customer Care Agents at (859) 258-2472.

Once your membership has been processed you will be sent a membership card as well as key fobs. You are required to present proof of current USEF membership in order to compete in USEF Licensed Competitions. If you do not have your membership card, a key fob, or a copy of your membership card, you will be required to pay a $30 non-refundable non-member fee. You can print a copy of your card from www.usef.org. Please note, effective 12/01/08 you will no longer be able to sign a membership affidavit in lieu of paying the non-member fee.

Your USEF membership also verifies your amateur status. If you wish to compete in amateur classes and you have not presented proof of USEF membership with Amateur Certification, you will also be charged the non-member amateur fee of $30.

Competitions that are also recognized by an Affiliate organization may require membership in the Affiliate organization to be eligible to compete. You may be required to show proof of membership in the Affiliate organization, e.g. USHJA, USDF, USEA, AHA, AMHA, ASHA, IALHA, AHHS, IFSHA and others.

USEF Membership information can be verified online, however, should the competition office not have the opportunity to verify your membership information online, you will be assessed the relevant non-member fees.

Check Your Points Now in the
Farnam®/Platform™ USEF Horse of the Year Program

Do not wait until the end of the year! Your points are already online.

Please check your points and standings in your respective division(s) by:

Calling the Horse Report Hotline at (859) 225-2040, or
Ordering a copy of your horse’s point report via e-mail or mail (faxed copies will incur an additional charge), or
Checking your standings online.

Current Standings of a Few National Champion Divisions (as of October 9, 2008)

Division	Horse	Owner
Andalusian/Lusitano Halter Horse	Fandango del Sol	Cara Rothrock
Arabian English Pleasure/Pleasure Driving Amateur	O Houdini	Monica Meacham
Pleasure Driving-Single Pony	Smoke	Sherri Dolan
Friesian Western Pleasure	Ozzy	Stacy Kitchin
Hackney Pony Amateur	Heartland Classic	Maureen Quackenbush
Half-/Anglo-Arabian English Pleasure/ Pleasure Driving-Adult Amateur	Era Ghazmopolitan	Tracy Dowson
Green Working Hunter First Year	Pringle	Ashley Pryde
Junior Jumper	Notories Utopia	Signe Ostby
Morgan Western Pleasure Open	Three K's Titleman	Jamie Bish
National Show Horse Five-Gaited	Major Good	Rosemarie Pelfrey
Roadster Horse to Bike	Braveheart	Marilyn Macfarlane
American Saddlebred Three-Gaited Amateur	Like Sunshine	Susan Valley
Welsh Pleasure Up to 12.2 Hands	Rollingwoods Who Doone It	Dr. Ruth Wilburn
Western Trail Adult Amateur	Roxy Music	Peggy Weems

Joining the program is as easy as filling out an application, which may be found on the USEF website here, or may be obtained at any recognized horse show, or by contacting the USEF office at (859) 258-2472.

Take a holiday from interest payments!

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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, we 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 continue to fund important programs and activities.

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Hurry, offer ends December 31, 2008.

*Click product name for terms and conditions: Signature, Platinum, Cash Rewards, Select Rewards. The 0% introductory APR does not apply to Cash Advances or the College Rewards Visa Card and is valid for the first twelve billing cycles on Purchases and Balance Transfers. Thereafter, the APR may vary, and as of 9/30/08, the undiscounted variable APR for Purchases and Balance Transfers is 9.24%-20.24% (depending on your credit history).The variable APR for Purchases and Balance Transfers or any Delinquency Rate then in effect will apply to any outstanding balances after the promotional period ends. For updated rate information, call 1-866-322-7989.The variable APR for Cash Advances is 21.24%-26.24%. We apply your payments to balances with lower APRs first. There is a variable Delinquency Rate APR of 29.24% if your payment is late or you are over the limit. Cash Advance Fee: 4%, $10 minimum. Convenience Check Advance Fee: 3%, $5 minimum. Overdraft Protection: Advances posting as Overdraft Protection are subject to a fee of $10 per occurrence. Cash Equivalent Fee: 4%, $20 minimum. No Balance Transfer Fees for balances transferred with this application. Thereafter 3%, $5 minimum. There is a $2 minimum finance charge where interest is due and a $2.50 Closed Account Management Fee if you voluntarily close your account with a balance. Foreign Transaction Fee: less than or equal to 3% of the amount of your transaction in U.S. dollars. The Late Payment Fee is $19 for balances less than $100, $29 for balances of $100–$250, and $39 for balances of $250 and higher.

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

The vision of the United States Equestrian Federation® is to provide leadership for equestrian sport in the United States of America by promoting the pursuit of excellence from the grassroots to the Olympic Games, based on a foundation of fair, safe competition and the welfare of its human and equine athletes.

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