Week in Review - U.S. Equestrian

A new section on USEF.org offers information on the United States' participation in the Dressage World Cup Final, April 20-22, in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, and the Show Jumping World Cup Final, April 26-30, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Read about the events, the U.S. riders who are vying for the titles, and get official results and read press releases on the events.

The USEF Breeders Committee recently announced the sponsorship of a breeders' symposium. The inaugural event will take place the last Sunday in April at Wisconsin's state-of-the-art veterinary hospital, the Wisconsin Equine Clinic in Oconomowoc. Many of the top breeding stallions in the Midwest use this highly regarded facility for their reproductive needs. It is also used for care of young stock and managing mature stallions and broodmares.

Staffed by veterinarians in a variety of specialties, the symposium speakers will cover aspects of breeding, including collection, insemination, shipping fresh cooled and frozen semen, embryo transfer, foaling and care of the newborn. Dr. Andy Schmidt, Dr. Doug Langer, Dr. Scott Austin and Dr. Bob Magnus will educate attendees about the clinical side of the horse breeding business. Ken Borden and Gareth Selwood will speak on topics relating to halter training, showing in-hand and under saddle with young horses. Both professional horsemen have bred, trained and shown numerous in-hand champions at United States Dressage Federation and USEF competitions, and presented stallions for testing at breed approvals and inspections with great
success.

It's official and has been for a few months. The Florida Horse Park is a United States Equestrian Federation Training Site. From April 17-19, the Florida Horse Park hosted a training session for short- and long-listed riders on the U.S. Eventing Team. USEF Eventing Managing Director Torri Nahorniak was on-site, and Captain Mark Phillips and Robert Dover were the instructors. Capt. Phillips is the chef d'equipe (head trainer) for the U.S. Eventing Team, an Olympian and a well-known course designer. Dover is a six-time Olympian and offered instruction in dressage for the eventing riders.

As a reminder to all junior dressage riders, the 2006 USEF Junior Dressage Team Championship, sponsored by Collecting Gaits Farm, the Dutta Corporation and Performance Sales International, will be held at Pebble Beach Dressage and CDI***, July 6–9. In order to be eligible for this championship program, an Application of Intent must be submitted to the USEF office by Monday, May 15. Applications are available on the Federation website at www.usef.org/content/equestrianSports/disciplines/international/2005-JR-Dressage-Team-Champ.php. For more information, contact Jennifer Keeler, National Director of Dressage, at jkeeler@usef.org.

Lists of Qualified Riders and Horses for the American Eventing Championships Posted Online

The complete lists of the 2006 American Eventing Championships qualified horses and riders, at every level, can now be found on the USEA website at www.useventing.com. Just click on the AEC logo on the homepage, and go to 2006 Qualified Horses or 2006 Qualified Riders.

Faced with the high price of fuel, more endurance riders are participating in multi-day events as a way to get more miles for their money, reports the American Endurance Ride Conference (AERC), the governing body for endurance riding in the United States.

“In today’s age of increased fuel and other costs, the multi-day ride is the best value going for endurance riders,” says past AERC President Randy Eiland. “Instead of competing just one day, the multi-day ride allows the rider to participate in three or more endurance rides for the cost of only one trip.”

The American Youth Horse Council (AYHC) has partnered with Pennsylvania State University to conduct research that quantifies what we already know: Kids + Horses = Magic!

One of the strategic goals of the AYHC is to validate the measurable impact of equine activities on youth development. There have been few scientific studies conducted that measure the impact of horse activities on horsemanship and life skills development. AYHC and Penn State teamed up with the National High School Rodeo Association, 4-H, Pony Club and the American Quarter Horse Youth Association to conduct this important research.

The Appaloosa Horse Club (ApHC) is proud to announce its inaugural 50-mile National Championship Endurance Ride, scheduled for June 3, 2006, in Palmyra, WI. The event is being hosted by and held in conjunction with an Appaloosa Distance Riding Association (ApDRA) ride, and will follow the guidelines and rules set forth by the American Endurance Ride Conference.

For the full story, click here.

Saddlebred.com has a new and valuable feature titled, “Saddle Up a Saddlebred,” which allows anyone interested in seeing, riding or learning more about Saddlebreds to enter their zip code and find a number of stables within a 300-mile radius.

For the full story, click here.

Don't miss out on this exciting issue showcasing the international disciplines. This is a great time to showcase your farm, sell your horse or congratulate a rider or trainer. Special ad rates are available to USEF members. Ad space closes on April 28. Contact Crissi White at (859) 225-6936 or cwhite@usef.org.

The 2006 edition of the Legacy Cup is fast approaching. This two-week innovative, high-paying, exhibitor-friendly event is hosted by the Kentucky Spring Horse Shows and showcased at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY, May 10-21.

Colorado Horse Park Spring Two-Star Event Postponed

The Colorado Horse Park Two-Star Three-Day Event has been postponed. The event, usually held over the Memorial Day weekend holiday, typically draws several hundred horses and riders from beginner novice to Olympic medalists. Yet, even with its success, the volunteer Eventing Committee recommended postponement of the event in order to upgrade the footing, update the course and to find funding to make these improvements. Ideally, enough enhancements can be made to hold the Fall Horse Trials, which are currently scheduled for September 29-October 1, 2006.

For the full story, click here.

Save the Date: 48th Annual Washington International Horse Show Returns to Nation’s Capital

The 48th Annual Washington International Horse Show (WIHS), a leading competitive event on the equestrian calendar, will be held October 24-29 at the Verizon Center (formerly the MCI Center) in downtown Washington, DC.

Top horses and riders from more than seven countries will compete for more than $400,000 in prize money. Highlights of the week include the $100,000 President’s Cup Grand Prix and the $25,000 Puissance, an event rarely presented in the U.S. where riders test their horses’ ability to jump the highest. The current indoor record exceeds seven feet.

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.