Week in Review - U.S. Equestrian

The California wildfires caught the attention of the world in 2007 and humans weren’t the only ones affected. Hundreds of horses were displaced, their winter hay supplies up in flames and their barns destroyed.

The USEF’s Disaster Relief Fund lent a hand. After a call to action which reaffirmed the tie that bind horse people, money poured in from all over the Unites States, corporations got involved and the rebuilding effort began.

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The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) and the United States Dressage Federation (USDF) invite licensed dressage competitions to apply to become an official “qualifying competition” for the 2009/2010 USEF Dressage Developing Programs and the 2009/2010 FEI North American Junior & Young Rider Dressage Championships (NAJYRC) Program.

The American Saddlebred Horse Association (ASHA) announced its annual award winners, based on ballots tabulated from its board of directors. Nominees for each award are received from the general membership and committee volunteers, screened by the executive committee of the association, and voted on by the full board from the candidates selected. The awards are presented at the Saddlebred Ball, to be held at Keeneland Entertainment Center, Saturday evening, February 16, 2008.

"This will be the most people we will ever ride in front of," said Melanie Smith Taylor to Beezie Madden as they rode down Colorado Avenue in the 119th Rose Parade on New Year's Day in Pasadena, CA, as part of the 12-member all-Olympian squad representing the United States Equestrian Team (USET) Foundation. Indeed, more than a million spectators lined the five-and-a-half mile route for the two-hour parade that featured floats, marching bands and 300 horses, including for the first time in history, a squad representing the U.S. Equestrian Team.

Robert Higgins Wins The Paddock Saddlery United States Dressage Federation Volunteer of the Year Award

Each year, the United States Dressage Federation (USDF) recognizes a member of the organization who has demonstrated exceptional commitment toward USDF through consistent volunteer work. Thanks to a sponsorship from The Paddock Saddlery, that person is presented with the USDF Volunteer of the Year Award to acknowledge their superior efforts. This year, Robert Higgins received the prestigious award presented by The Paddock Saddlery. Higgins was presented with a beautiful bronze perpetual trophy, a commemorative plaque and a $500 gift certificate to The Paddock Saddlery.

2008 George H. Morris Horsemastership Training Session Hosted by Bates Saddles to be Held January 21-26

The George H. Morris Horsemastership Training Session hosted by Bates Saddles will take place in Wellington, FL, from January 2126, 2008. The aim of the training sessions is to help create complete “horsemasters” and a pipeline of riders for future U.S. teams as a select group of top young American riders are led through the training session by George Morris, the chef d’equipe of the United States Equestrian Team. Support for the sessions has been provided by the United States Equestrian Federation, the United States Hunter Jumper Association and the United States Equestrian Team Foundation along with Bates Saddles, Stadium Jumping, Purina Mills, Practical Horseman and the Syracuse Invitational Sporthorse Tournament. Designed to be a comprehensive training in horsemastership, not only in riding, the sessions include training by experts in a wide range of topics, including course building, veterinary care, nutrition and conformation. This is the second year that the sessions will be offered.

The deadlines for entries for the first three weeks of the CN Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) have been extended, announced Equestrian Sport Productions, LLC (ESP).

The WEF prize list of the schedule of events for the 12 weeks at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center has been available online since December 19, 2007, only four days after ESP took over operational management of WEF. The extended Wellington WEF series and additional sponsorship to bring prize money to a record $5 million required a complete review of the prize list.

Equestrian Aid Foundation Roasts George H. Morris and Jessica Ransehausen on February 26, 2008

The Equestrian Aid Foundation (EAF) is delighted to announce the First Annual Celebrity Roast honoring the birthdays of two icons in the horse industry. George Morris, legendary hunter/jumper guru, and Jessica Ransehausen, a driving force in American dressage, are both turning 70.

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 Paddock Saddlery has teamed up with Markel Insurance to bring back the Adult Amateur Winter Dressage Championships for amateur riders competing on the winter dressage circuit in Wellington, FL. This championship recognizes the success of amateur riders who often find themselves competing against some of the country’s top professionals. Adult amateurs from training level to grand prix are eligible to compete for the 2008 Markel Adult Amateur Winter Dressage Championships.

The United States Dressage Federation (USDF) is pleased to announce that 36 USDF members successfully completed the USDF “L” Education Program between July and November of 2007.

Stadium Jumping's $200,000 American Invitational Remains a Winter Equestrian Festival Tradition in Tampa

The city of Tampa, FL, will once again play host to the final weeks of this year's Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF), starting on March 19, 2008, at the Bob Thomas Equestrian Center at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa.

Telluride Farm's Catie Hope Dominates Junior Hunters and Equitation at Ledges Winter Classic

Diane Carney of Telluride Farm led several of her students to top placings this weekend at the Ledge Winter Classic, held January 3-6 at the Ledges Sporting Horses indoor facility in Roscoe, IL.

Official Housing Bureau Partner for Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games Kentucky 2010 Announces Partner for Private Property Rentals

Short's Sports & Events, a division of Short's Travel Management, has chosen Event Home Leasing to be Short's official private property rental provider for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2010. Event Home Leasing (EHL) is based in Louisville, KY, and is owned and operated by Dana and Charles Martin. The Event Home Leasing group has several years of experience in private home and property rentals. Dana served as the Player Accommodation Chairman for the 1996 and 2000 PGA Championships at Valhalla, facilitating private rentals for the 1996 and 2000 PGA Championships at Valhalla. She has also facilitated private rentals for the Kentucky Derby each year since 1996.

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.

Grand National Additional $5,000 Regional Championship & Special Stakes Competitions Announced

The American Saddlebred Registry Grand National program announces the five regional championship competitions that have been awarded an additional $5,000 in prize money and the three competitions that have won the $5,000 Special Stakes drawing—part of $40,000 more in prize money the Grand National will be awarding in 2008. Additionally, a donation of $5,000 has been made by freemansaddlebreds.com to the Grand National Fine Harness Open Championship at the Carousel Horse Show in Scottsdale, AZ, in March.

The Internationally Renowned Jumper Classic Relocates to New England’s Premier Equestrian Center

The Jumper Classic, now in its 19th year, announced that the renowned equestrian show jumping event will move to the Silver Oak Equestrian Center in Hampton Falls, NH. With 75 acres of show grounds, Silver Oak Equestrian Center more than doubles the South Hamilton, MA, facility at the Myopia Schooling Fields.

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)

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

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

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.