Week in Review - U.S. Equestrian

Last Chance to Vote for the Farnam®/Platform™ USEF Horse of the Year; Voting Available Online

The tally has just begun, and your votes will be an integral part of deciding which of the nation’s leading equines will be named the Farnam®/Platform™ USEF Horse of the Year. Merely a week away from the 2008 USEF Annual Meeting, all heads are turning to five finalists in anticipation of which horse will be adorned with the title of Horse of the Year—one of the most prestigious awards the USEF bestows. This year’s winner will join dressage superstar Brentina (2005 winner) and jumping superstar Authentic (2006 winner).

All of the finalists for Horse of the Year will be recognized during the Annual Horse of the Year gala at the USEF Annual Meeting on Saturday, January 12, with the Farnam®/Platform™ USEF Horse of the Year Award topping off the evening. The Annual Meeting will be held January 9-13 at the Louisville Marriott Downtown in Louisville, KY. For more information about the Annual Meeting, visit www.usef.org/convention/2008.

Any USEF member can vote for the Horse of the Year. Simply visit www.usef.org and click on the Horse of the Year Voting link on the bottom-right of the homepage. Voting closes January 4.

The United States Equestrian Federation® (USEF) is pleased to announce the 2007 Equestrians of Honor. Of these seven honorees, one will be selected as the 2007 USEF Equestrian of the Year, one of USEF’s most prestigious awards. All of the Equestrians of Honor will be recognized during the Annual Pegasus Awards Dinner at the USEF Annual Meeting on Friday, January 11. The Annual Meeting will be held January 9-13 at the Louisville Marriott Downtown in Louisville, KY. For more information about the Annual Meeting, visit www.usef.org/convention/2008.

Any USEF member can vote for the Equestrian of the Year. Simply visit www.usef.org and click on the Equestrian of the Year Voting link on the bottom-right of the homepage. Voting closes January 4.

2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Show Jumping - to be Held During the CN Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, FL

The U.S. Olympic Committee USEF has announced the location and dates for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Show Jumping. The trials will be held during the Zada Enterprises, LLC, CSI***- W (February 27-March 2) and the CN Open CSIO***** (March 5-March 9) at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington, FL. The trials will take place over five classes.

2008 ASPCA Maclay National Championship Will Stay at the Syracuse Invitational Sporthorse Tournament

The National Horse Show Association of America is pleased to announce that the 2008 ASPCA Maclay National Championship will be held at the 2008 Syracuse Invitational Sporthorse Tournament in Syracuse, NY. The show will run from October 29-November 2, 2008, at the Oncenter Complex.

Once again in 2008, there will be eight regional competitions held across the country for riders to qualify for the national championship. The dates and locations of these regional qualifiers will be announced at a later date.

Triple Point Shows for Saddlebred, Roadster and Hackney/Harness Horses Announced

The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) is pleased to announce the 2008 triple point competitions for the Saddlebred, roadster and Hackney/harness divisions. Each year, the corresponding discipline committees vote to assign “triple point” status to a competition in each of the 12 regions. Points won at any of these designated competitions will count as triple points for the Farnam®/Platform™ USEF Horse of the Year Program.

Official Countdown to 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games Begins in Lexington

Two digital clocks in downtown Lexington will mark the number of days until the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. The clocks were unveiled by Lexington Mayor Jim Newberry and World Games 2010 Foundation CEO Jack Kelly, with 1,000 days until the Games’ Opening Ceremonies. The Games will begin on September 25, 2010, and end on October 10, after 16 days of world championship equestrian competition at the Kentucky Horse Park.

As part of USEF’s response to concerns expressed during last year’s circuit, the HITS Desert Horse Park in Thermal, CA was the scene of a meeting of some of the most influential minds in U.S. show jumping on Thursday, December 13, where a pre-season footing test was performed.

The March issue of EQUESTRIAN magazine featuring the 2007 Farnam®/Platform™ USEF Horse of the Year award winners is coming soon. Book your space now and receive unprecedented low rates just for USEF members. This is a great opportunity to showcase their achievements with an ad that will be seen by over 90,000 people in this special keepsake issue. But you better hurry! Space closes on January 22. For more information, contact Crissi White at (859) 225-6936 or cwhite@usef.org.

The United States Dressage Federation (USDF) is pleased to announce and congratulate its new USDF Certified Instructors. The USDF Instructor Certification Program is designed to set a standard of excellence in dressage training and instruction in the United States and to educate dressage riders, instructors and aspiring instructors.

American Saddlebred Horse Association Convention, Youth Conference, Saddlebred Ball Set for February 14-16

The American Saddlebred Horse Association's (ASHA) Annual Meeting and Youth Conference will be held Thursday–Saturday, February 14-16, at the Embassy Suites in Lexington. The weekend ends with the annual Saddlebred Ball at Keeneland Race Course.

USET Foundation Featured in Special Section of February 2008 Issue of Town & Country Magazine; Fundraising Initiative Earns $200,000

The United States Equestrian Team (USET) Foundation has announced that the Foundation will be featured in a special 24-page editorial and advertising section in the February 2008 issue of Town & Country magazine. The fundraising initiative raised $200,000 for the USET Foundation's high-performance fundraising programs. These contributions will help support high-performance equestrian athletes, including those preparing and competing at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

Equestrian Sport Productions Offers Individual Reserved Seating at Winter Equestrian Festival

Equestrian Sport Productions, LLC (ESP), is offering individual reserved seating with in-seat a la carte food service for the first time during the 2008 CN Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF). WEF begins its 12-week season at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) in Wellington on January 16 and runs through April 6.

Dansko Fair Hill International to Drop Combined Driving from 2008 Schedule; USEF Eventing Championship CCI*** to Return as Feature Attraction

The Board of Directors of Fair Hill International, Inc. (FHI), has voted not to host a combined driving event at the Dansko Fair Hill International when it returns to the Fair Hill Natural Resources Management Area in Fair Hill, MD, October 16-18, 2008.

Take advantage of one of the many USEF MemberPerks privileges by using Hertz for all of your travel needs. Simply use your USEF/Hertz discount CDP# 15757 each time you place a reservation, and instantly qualify for member discounts in the

U.S.

and around the world. For low web rates, special offers and free membership to Hertz #1Club®, visit their website at www.hertz.com or call (800) 654-2200.

You can now accumulate points in the 2008 competition year. If you haven't recorded your horse in the Horse of the Year Program, now is the time so that you can begin accumulating points.

Remember to take advantage of the USEF MemberPerks Program. USEF MemberPerks offers substantial cost savings on products and services from John Deere, Dodge, Office Max, UPS and many more!

For more information, please call (877) 576-6872 or fax (859) 422-9407, or visit USEF.org's MemberPerks page.

Platinum Performance/USEF Talent Search
Qualified Riders

The Talent Search program is a very demanding show jumping competition, which attracts the nation’s top young riders in head-to-head competition. The qualifying period for the 2008 events began September 1, 2007.

Learn more about the program today.

East Coast Riders
(October 4-5, 2008, USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Finals,
Gladstone, NJ)

The first rider has now qualifed for the East Coast:
— Michael Desiderio

West Coast Championship
(September 17-20, Los Angeles International, Burbank, CA)

A few riders that have now qualifed on the West Coast:
— Lucy Davis
— Kristi Doyle
— Violet Fludzinski
— Amber Henter

To see the list of all qualified riders,
visit the 2007/2008 Ranking List online.

From the December 2007 issue of EQUESTRIAN magazine:
How Do I Get to Hong Kong?
Site of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games Equestrian Competition

The 2008 Olympic Games, to be hosted by China, are certain to be
one of the most talked about Olympics in the Games’ storied history. Imagine.

China has more than one billion citizens spread across a country as wide and diverse as any on the planet. It has an incredibly complex language with dozens of dialects. It has millennia-old ancient traditions and a completely foreign and exotic culture. Historically, China hosting the 2008 Olympic Games will be equivalent to the country having the most incredible “coming out” party…and the world will be its guest of honor.

In short, it is going to be one wild ride.

For the full story in PDF format, click here.

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 nearly 90,000 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.