Week in Review - U.S. Equestrian

As a continued pledge of cooperation between the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) and the Swiss watchmaker Rolex SA, the FEI announced today that Rolex will be the title sponsor of the FEI World Cup™ Finals 2007 to be held in Las Vegas. The Rolex FEI World Cup™ Finals 2007, which will be among the most significant events on the 2007 FEI calendar, will be held from April 18–22 at the Thomas & Mack Center.

“We are very proud that thanks to the relationship of mutual trust and respect that now exists between the FEI and Rolex, a title sponsor of this quality has been brought to Las Vegas,”said FEI Commercial Director Christophe Troendle.

The International Andalusian and Lusitano Horse Association held their 2006 International Andalusian and Lusitano National Championship Horse Show, October 17-22, at the Will Rogers Memorial Equestrian Center in Fort Worth, TX. This year, the show was held in honor of longtime breeder of Andalusian horses, Donna Hecht of Oxnard, CA, and New Orleans, LA. Managed by Whizzer and Cathi Baker of Four Winds West, the show attracted entries from all over the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

Fifth Annual Zada Enterprises, LLC, Dressage at the National Featured at 123rd National Horse Show & Family Festival in Wellington, FL

Stadium Jumping, Inc., will present the Fifth Annual Zada Enterprises, LLC, Dressage at the National on December 1-3, 2006, at the Palm Beach Polo Equestrian Club in Wellington, FL. The dressage show is an annual highlight of the 123rd National Horse Show and Family Festival, which runs from November 29 through December 3.

The 2006 edition of Dressage at the National features the full gamut of dressage classes, ranging from USEF training level through FEI grand prix, including young rider, junior and adult amateur competitions. Top-level contestants aiming for the Great American Insurance Group/United States Dressage Federation (GAIG/USDF) Regional Championships will have the opportunity to compete in qualifying classes at all levels.

United States Dressage Federation Announces 2006 Recipients of the Ruth Arvanette Memorial Fund Grants

The United States Dressage Federation (USDF) is pleased to announce Diane L. Erhart of Park City, MT; Lisa Todara of Lee, NH; and Monica Willet of Harrisburg, PA, as the recipients of the 2006 Ruth Arvanette Memorial Fund Grants. These grants include a free annual convention package for the 2006 Adequan/USDF National Convention and Symposium, along with partial reimbursements of airfare and lodging expenses.

The Welsh Pony and Cob Association of California, Inc. (WPCAC), is pleased to invite all interested parties to its second annual pony symposium, to be held in Stockton, CA, on February 9-11, 2007. The WPCAC's annual meeting is also on February 11, 2007, during this event. The event will be held at the Stockton Radisson Hotel, with further information available soon at www.wpcac.com. Stockton is located an hour from Sacramento and two hours from San Francisco, and has a small airport of its own.

Rick Silvia Selected as Demo Rider for 2006 Adequan/United States Dressage Federation Symposium

Twenty-two-year-old Rick Silvia, a well-known competitor on the Southeast dressage circuit, has been selected as a demo rider for the 2006 Adequan/United States Dressage Federation (USDF) Symposium. The USDF Symposium will be held in conjunction with the Adequan/USDF Convention to be held in Kansas City, MO, November 29–December 3. Two-time German Olympian and World Champion event rider Ingrid Klimke will address the riders and their mounts in the USDF Symposium sessions on "Performance Through Fitness." In addition, 2004 German Olympic Team Veterinarian Dr. Ina Gosmeier will discuss the topics of acupuncture, chiropractic and kinesiology for the equine athlete.

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USEF members can now enjoy UPS discounts up to 30% off NEXT DAY and 2^ND DAY shipping and up to 5% off GROUND shipping services. To start to receive your savings, simply login to our specialized UPS website and select “Yes! Sign Me Up Now!” at www.savewithups.com/usef/ . Enter your information and your current UPS account number if you already have one. They will add our savings to your new Corporate UPS account. Once you have set up your account with the UPS discounts, you can use that account number at any UPS store and the discounts will apply. There is no code to take into UPS and receive discounts without setting up an account first. USEF is very happy to have such a great program with UPS to extend to its members.

The Fifth Annual Eastern States Dressage and Combined Training Association’s (ESDCTA) Judges, Trainers and Competitors’ Forum was a huge success with more than 170 people attending the event on October 14-15. Led by FEI Dressage Committee Chairperson and FEI O Judge Mariette Withages with Olympic Gold Medalist Hubertus Schmidt, the forum focused on bringing out the best in your horse. The purpose of the symposium was to offer an educational and fun environment that fostered interactive communication between riders, trainers and judges of all levels. The forum was held at Dr. Cesar Parra’s Performance Farm in New Jersey. Auditors were treated to great horses and riding from the demonstration riders, which included Olympians Ashley Holzer and Dr. Parra, and Dressage at Devon Grand Prix winner Courtney King, among others.

Buffalo Therapeutic Riding Center to Host Riding Clinic with U.S. Show Jumping Chef d’Equipe George H. Morris

The Buffalo Therapeutic Riding Center, a program held at the Buffalo Equestrian Center, is proud to announce that it will host a riding clinic with renowned trainer and current U.S. Show Jumping Chef d’Equipe George H. Morris. The clinic will be held on November 17-19, 2006, and is organized by Susan Schoellkopf, Executive Director of the Buffalo Therapeutic Riding Center and head trainer of SBS Farms, Inc.

"Beautiful Music and Breathtaking Horses" take center stage in the The Symphony of Horses 2006. The Marion Therapeutic Riding Association (MTRA) is producing its third amazing evening of world-class horses and riders performing to the Central Florida Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Dr. Susan Robinson. The production of 2002 and 2004 thrilled sold-out crowds to the benefit of the non-profit therapeutic horseback riding program.

Karin Offield of Offield Farms Offers USEF Members Interested in Dressage Free Membership to DressageDirect.com

Offield Farms has the opportunity to introduce all American dressage-interested USEF members to www.dressagedirect.com. Dressagedirect is dedicated to promoting the sport of dressage throughout the world.

In case you are not familiar with Dressagedirect, the service aims to provide its members with all international dressage show results on the grand prix level, along with interesting facts of the dressage community. This information is sent directly to the subscriber’s e-mail box shortly after each event.

For the full letter, click here.

From the October issue of EQUESTRIAN magazine:
A Day in the Life of a Horse Show Photographer

You’ve just had the ride of your life—you and your horse were in sync, every movement just right, performing as partners with each step. Whether you won a championship or had a personal best, or even if you crashed and burned spectacularly, after all is said and done you probably want to take home pictures that capture this occasion.

Who do you turn to? The horse show photographer. Read on to discover more about four different horse show photographers shooting three disciplines, taking four different approaches to seemingly the same occupation. Read on to experience a day in the life of a horse show photographer.

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.