Week in Review - U.S. Equestrian

2008 was the 25th anniversary for the National Show Horse (NSH) Finals. The show was held September 17-20 in Springfield, IL. The weather could not have been better, and with over $200,000 in prize money available, you can almost always guarantee a good time with a lot of quality horses. This year was no exception. The judges were Cari Bartz, Gayle Lampe and Richard Petty.

The National Show Horse Registry (NSHR) was very pleased with the addition of the Hackney Futurity, Hackney Pony and American Show Pony classes to their show this year. The NSHR hopes to continue this relationship in the future. The addition of the ponies, horses and owners added to this already exciting show. And it was obvious the crowd enjoyed them.

Being the 25th anniversary, it was only appropriate that Gene LaCroix, the founder of the NSHR be inducted into the NSHR Hall of Fame, along with Bruce Wolf and Henry Brown.

One of the most popular classes is the NSH Stallion Row Jackpot Weanling Auction Class with over $43,000 being paid out this year. The champion who won $12,945 was My Starina BFV, owned by Christine Hasse. In order to be eligible for this class, competitors must have purchased an auction breeding that had been held previously at the show.

The U.S. Saddle Seat Equitation World Cup Teams turned in gutsy performances under less than ideal weather and ring conditions to earn Silver medals in both the three- and five-gaited competitions of the 2008 International Saddle Seat World Cup. The event was held September 21-28, 2008, at a picturesque outdoor facility in Tulbagh, South Africa.

Both the three- and five-gaited U.S. teams headed to South Africa looking to defend double-Gold medal performances from 2004 and 2006. However, strong performances from a deep South African team and no help from Mother Nature thwarted their best efforts. South Africa earned the Gold in both competitions, while Canada took the Bronze in both the three- and five-gaited events.

The event was scored by a three-judge panel. Americans Patty Kent and Jan Lukens split the judging duties, with Kent judging the three-gaited competition and Lukens handling the honors in the five-gaited event. The panels were completed with judges David Brent of Canada and Hugo Visser of South Africa.

Despite threatening skies, spectators and competitors alike welcomed the opening of the performance division on Day Three of the 34th Annual Dressage at Devon. As a bridge between the Breed Show, with its focus on producing a dressage horse, and the Performance Show, which consists almost entirely of international-level classes, Thursday featured the USEF Four-Year-Old Test, the FEI Dressage Test for Five-Year-Olds and the FEI Dressage Test for Six-Year-Olds. Anticipation was the greatest for the six-year-old group, with Christopher Hickey, fresh from winning the 2008 Markel/USEF National Young Horse Dressage Championships in Kentucky. He didn’t disappoint, capturing the blue with an impressive 83.6%.

Of his ride on Cabana Boy, the judges said, “His walk was clear, regular and reaching,” and “his trot shows nice cadence and freedom.” The only place he lost that was in the extensions. “As for submission, he was very willing. Overall, we think he is a very promising horse.”

The Hanovian gelding by Contucci out of Briania was purchased by Hilltop Farm as a youngster to represent his sire Contucci. He was reserve grand champion at Dressage at Devon in 2005. In 2007, he was the winner of the FEI Dressage Test for Five-Year-Old Horses. Hickey said, “Cabana Boy is bold and quite confident in himself. Because of that, he commands everyone’s attention. It is a quality that’s required at the top to be a winner.” Cabana Boy is schooling Prix St. Georges and Hickey hopes to be competing him at that level next season. Second place in the class went to Froelich, an Oldenburg gelding ridden by Teresa Butta.

"The World Sporthorse Championships" Featuring the FTI Hampton Classic Grand Prix on Animal Planet This Weekend

The third episode in “The World Sporthorse Championships” series on Animal Planet airs this Saturday, October 4, at 3 p.m. ET. Featured in this episode is America's most prestigious show jumping event, The FTI Hampton Classic Grand Prix, from the Hampton Horse Show Grounds in Bridgehampton, Long Island. Busy Saturday? The program will re-air on Sunday morning (October 5) at 10 a.m. ET, so be sure to tune in and see America's top horses and riders compete for this prestigious title!

The United States Dressage Team and the United States Equestrian Federation received an unexpected decision on September 22, 2008 when the FEI Tribunal handed down its ruling regarding the positive medication test of Mythilus, Courtney King-Dye’s Dressage horse, from the 2008 Olympic Games in Hong Kong. The result of the Tribunal’s decision means that King-Dye and the entire US Dressage Team have been disqualified from the Olympic Games.

Upcoming USEF National Championships

This is the annual stallion and breeding issue. This issue will be seen by over 90,000 horse owners, breeders and trainers.

Advertising in the December/January stallion and breeding issue of equestrian allows you to reach the entire competitive equine market—over 93,000 horse owners, trainers and breeders. There is no need to advertise in multiple publications. Book your ad in equestrian and get the best value for your advertising dollars.

The deadline to book space in the issue is October 24. Ad design is available for no additional charge. For more information, call Kim Russell at (859) 225-6938 or e-mail krussell@usef.org.

USEF Hosts Driving Clinic at CDE Lexington to Begin Preparation for 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games; Fundraising Drive Under Way

The USEF will be hosting a driving clinic for four-in-hand drivers in order to develop a strong team heading toward the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG). Appropriately, this clinic will be held at the Kentucky Horse Park (site of the Games) and will give six drivers the opportunity to work closely with Peter Tischer during the Lexington CDE. The clinic will run from September 30-October 6, 2008, and the competition runs from October 2-5.

The clinic will feature some of the country’s top developing drivers. They will bring four to eight horses to the clinic. The clinic format will be similar to an actual team competition. Peter will coach the drivers before, during and after the competition. This includes lessons Tuesday–Thursday, warm-ups for dressage and cones, hazard course walks and either a hazard or cones school on the Monday following the competition. The idea behind this style of clinic is to develop a better understanding of what the U.S. has to offer for the WEG 2010 team. Drivers planning to attend the clinic include Bob Giles, Mike McLennan, Cindy O’Reilly, Gary Stover and Casy Zubek.

The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) is pleased to announce that it will be hosting a Para-Equestrian Dressage Workshop for potential para-dressage equestrians and instructors with U.S. Para-Equestrian Team Coach and international eventing rider Missy Ransehousen. The workshop will be held October 12-13, 2008, at the J.F. Shea Therapeutic Riding Center in San Juan Capistrano, CA.

Para-equestrian provides riders with all kinds of disabilities the chance to compete in dressage competitions at every level, from local shows to the Paralympic Games. Para-equestrian dressage will be included, for the first time, at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, which will be held in Lexington, KY, in September of 2010. Workshops like this are a valuable tool to help identify new athletes and to raise awareness of the ParaEquestrian program in the U.S.

This workshop is designed to help riders who have various disabilities learn more about competing in dressage at a national or international-level and also to assist trainers working with riders with disabilities. Auditors are invited and encouraged to attend at no charge.

The Arabian Horse Association (AHA) Sport Horse National Arabian and Half-Arabian Championship Horse Show (Sport Horse Nationals) made its sixth annual appearance from September 23-27, 2008, at the Idaho Horse Park in Nampa, ID. The event featured 339 horses and 78 classes in four divisions: sport horse in-hand and under-saddle, dressage, pleasure carriage driving and hunter/jumper. “This was the best Sport Horse Nationals to date,” said Bill Pennington, Chair of the show’s commission.

Sport Horse Nationals featured two special events, including a Saturday evening special performance and Thursday night’s Progressive Barn Party. Saturday evening highlighted some of the best that the sport horse competition has to offer with a jumper mini-prix, freestyle musical dressage, pleasure carriage driving—pick your own route and the crowning of the Sport Horse Supreme Champion.

The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) announces the details for the 2009 Annual Meeting, which will take place January 14-18 at the Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza in Cincinnati, OH.

Registration for this year’s annual meeting is $55 per person. This includes all breakfast and lunch functions, as well as registration materials. The deadline to get the discounted registration rate of $55 is December 19. Should you want to register on site, registration will be $80. Please note: registration will close at the end of business on December 19 and reopen on site January 13 at 1:00 p.m.

Ariat International Named as Apparel and Footwear Sponsor of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games

The World Games 2010 Foundation announced Blue Grass Airport as the official airport of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.

“Blue Grass Airport will be the gateway for thousands of visitors to experience the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in 2010,” said Michael Gobb, Executive Director. “From almost any destination in the world, passengers can fly into Lexington, KY, with just one stop. We are excited to provide visitors, media and athletes with their first impression of the region.”

The 15th Annual Capital Challenge Horse Show opened on September 27 with junior riders from across the country competing in the Monarch International Equitation Weekend.

Riders compete in Saturday’s age classes to warm up for, and with the hopes of winning, the coveted blue ribbons in Sunday’s premiere classes: the Monarch International North American Junior Equitation Championship and the Taylor Harris Insurance Services National Children’s Medal Finals.

Saturday’s classes give riders the opportunity to get in the Show Place Arena and see their competition. It is there that East Coast meets West Coast and the cream rises to the top. From the West Coast it was Tina Dilandri of La Jolla, CA, who dominated the 16-year-old equitation division and earned the championship with 20 points. Dilandri later went on to win the Monarch International Junior Equitation Flat Championship.

Hidden Creek Tosca, Ariano and Chocolate Martini Named Champions at the Young Jumper Championships

The top 15 qualifiers after two rounds in the five- to eight-year-old classes found the competition tough at the Young Jumper Championships (YJC) as they advanced to the finals at the Midwestern League Finals at the Kentucky National Horse Show in Lexington, KY, on September 26, 2008. Clear rounds were at a premium over Conrad Homfeld's course in the Kentucky Horse Park with only two horses reaching a tight jump-off in the seven- to eight-year-old division as Hidden Creek Tosca got the better of RGC Farm's Uceko by less than a second.

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. In the next week or two when the 2009 online applications are available, you can 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 fee 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.

Riders from The Oaks of Lake City’s Equestrian Center are already putting the new community in the limelight. Last week, The Oak’s equestrian member and young rider Hannah Lisec and the five-year-old Oldenburg Gladiator HU swept all four of their classes at the Fall Classic Dressage Horse Shows in the Park in Newberry, FL.

Belcort Farm Perpetual Leading Handler Trophy Awarded for the Sallie B. Wheeler/USEF Hunter Breeding National Championships

Chuck Esau and Oliver Brown have been awarded the Belcort Farm Perpetual Leading Handler Trophy for the West Coast and East Coast phase of the Sallie B. Wheeler/USEF Hunter Breeding National Championships. The trophy was donated by Walter J. Lee and is presented annually to the leading handler during the championships on each coast.

2008 Sporthorse Tournament Brings Olympians, General Interest Speakers and Resources for Horse Enthusiasts

A packed schedule of world-class show jumping competition, educational opportunities, vendors, exhibitors and children's activities comes to Syracuse's Oncenter Complex, October 29-November 1. The Sporthorse Tournament will feature the top-ranked U.S. riders, included appearances by all members of the 2008 Gold-medal Olympic show jumping team. An international field of competitors will all vie for the Budweiser World Cup Qualifier of Syracuse and the Animal Planet Sporthorse Cup (featured broadcast on Animal Planet on January 10, 2009). In addition, the finest junior riders in the U.S. will contest the National Horse Show ASPCA Maclay Championship.

On September 25, at the “Half-Way There” celebration marking the two-years remaining until the opening of the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games at the Kentucky Horse Park, park Executive Director John Nicholson announced several major horse shows that have just signed contracts to hold their events in 2009 in the new indoor arena, which is currently under construction.

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 2, 2008)

Division	Horse	Owner
Andalusian/Lusitano Youth	Melodica	Deb Goldmann
Arabian Working Western	Silver Supris	Sandra Eggert
Friesian In-Hand	Galahad	Linda Nicosia
Hackney Pony Open	Heartland Moonglow	Kay Marschel
Hunter Large Pony Hunter	Top of the Morning	Chuck Waters
National Show Horse Five-Gaited	Major Good	Rosemarie Pelfrey
Paso Fino	Nada Clu de Bosque Verde	Carolyn Steinback

To join the program: It 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!

Leave the interest payments behind this holiday season, with the United States Equestrian Federation Visa ® Platinum Card, now offering 0% APR for twelve billing cycles*! Wrap up great holiday memories with this unique card, knowing you’ll pay no interest until next winter. The United States Equestrian Federation Visa is perfect for holiday shopping, but you need to switch now to save. Plus, you’ll benefit our organization and earn great rewards with every purchase!

0% APR on purchases and balance transfers for 12 billing cycles*

The United States Equestrian Federation Visa ® Platinum Card alsoprovides great benefits, including:

No annual fee
Your choice of benefits and rewards
A percentage of every purchase goes directly to the United States Equestrian Federation

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.

Click here to apply today or call 1-800-853-5576 x9244.

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.