Week in Review - U.S. Equestrian

Beezie Madden, on the merits of a stellar season that included winning the Rolex Grand Prix of Aachen in Germany with Authentic, has reinforced her prominence on the world stage by qualifying for the International Jumping Riders’ Club (IJRC) Top 10 Final presented by Rolex to be held at the CSI-W Geneva in Switzerland on December 8. Madden plans on riding her superstar Authentic at the final. Authentic was the 2006 Farnam/Platform™ USEF Horse of the Year, and a Team and Individual Silver medalist from the 2006 FEI World Equestrian Games.

Each year hundreds of school-age riders attend the HITS Winter Show Circuits in Thermal and Ocala opting for life at the show grounds instead of at the school grounds. For many, this can mean extended periods of time away from school right in the middle of the academic calendar. It's for this reason that HITS offers on-site educational facilities at both circuits to help make it easier for students of all ages to keep current with their curriculum without sacrificing their passion and commitment to show jumping.

Cheska, Wolff, Ramar and Dilandri Top 2007 Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series Final Standings

Cara Cheska, Alexandra Wolff, Lindsay Ramar and Tina Dilandri emerged as champions of the 2007 Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series. The Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series conducted its largest series ever in 2007, with classes at 102 horse shows across the nation. This gave competitors an abundance of opportunities to accumulate points throughout the year. The series featured separate divisions for amateur-owner and junior riders with standings kept separately for East and West Conferences.

Note: The United States Equestrian Federation offices will be closed December 24-January 1.

124th National Horse Show and Family Festival Hosts 2007 Show Jumping Hall of Fame Championship Finals

The 124th National Horse Show and Family Festival, held at the Palm Beach Polo Equestrian Club in Wellington, FL, attracts the very best hunter and jumper athletes in the country. Top caliber competition at the National includes the Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series Championship Finals.

During the FEI Bureau Meeting in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, November 15-16, 2007, the following items were brought to the attention of the bureau for information and approval following the two meetings of the FEI Dressage Committee held in Turin, Italy, May 14-15, and September 3, 2007.

1) Safety at Prize-Giving Ceremonies: Due to the increased safety risk for riders and horses, the International Dressage Riders Club (IDRC) proposed that new recommendations should be made for prize-giving ceremonies and that only the first three-placed riders should be in the line-up. The remainder of placed riders (up to six) could make a tour in walk, trot or canter whilst being presented by the speaker. A steward should always assist with the “parade” and/or line up. In addition, the AIDEO and the FEI would inform organizers that in the interest of safety, they should not encourage very loud music at prize-givings.

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 FEI wishes to announce “On to Hong Kong,” a workshop to assist National Federations to prepare for the 2008 Olympic Games in Hong Kong. The event, to be organized together with the FEI’s Welfare Sub-Committee, will take place in the auditorium of the Olympic museum in Lausanne on February 17, 2008. The objective of the workshop will be to provide chef de missions, riders and vets with the latest updates and to promote the health and welfare of the horses by making the information collected at the August 2007 Test Event available to all Federation officials, veterinarians, riders, chefs d’equipe and others. The workshop will be open to all for a registration fee. However, depending on the number of participants registered by December 1, the FEI may need to limit the number of participation by National Federation due to seat restrictions.

During the FEI Bureau Meeting in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, November 15-16, 2007, the following items were brought to the attention of the bureau for information and approval following the FEI Vaulting Committee meeting held in Lausanne, Switzerland, May 25-26, 2007.

• Promotion to the status of international judge: Andrea Schirmacher (GER).
• Promotion to the status of official international judge: Pavla Juhaszova (SVK).
• The ground jury for the FEI 2008 World Vaulting Championships & Junior Open European Vaulting Championships, Brno (CZE) from July 31-August 3, 2008, was appointed.

2008 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, Presented by Farnam, Named One of Southeast Tourism Society’s Top 20 Events for the Month of April

The Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, presented by Farnam, has once again been designated one of the Southeast Tourism Society’s Top 20 Events for the month of April. The event was recognized by an elite tourism industry selection committee for offering outstanding entertainment value to groups as well as to individual travelers from around the world.

The October Food & Wine Magazine vineyard that was designated "Napa's Best Winery Tours" and winner of the "Best of Napa Valley Tourism Award" by Global Network of Great Wine Capitals is showing its hospitality to guests at the National Horse Show in Wellington, FL. Guests attending the Dancing with the Equestrian Stars After-Party on Friday, December 7, will be treated to Chateau Chevalier Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc wines from Spring Mountain Vineyard.

During the FEI Bureau Meeting in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, November 15-16, 2007, a number of important items were brought to the attention of the bureau for information and approval further to the two meetings of the FEI Jumping Committee held in Windsor, Great Britain, on May 14, and Lausanne, Switzerland, on October 9, 2007.

A summary of the main items follows.

1) Hypersensitization-Protocol for Thermography: The following protocol for thermographic and clinical examinations during CSIs/CSIOs/Championships was approved.

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.

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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)

Riders are still qualifying.

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

A few riders that have now qualifed on the West Coast:

— Anthony Desiderio
— Katharine James
— Iris Lichtenberg
— Samantha Ramsay

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

From the November 2007 issue of EQUESTRIAN magazine:
Bit by Bit

The USEF rules specify what is
and isn’t acceptable in the show
ring. Here we explain the whys
and hows of bit science.

From the rusty bits in museum showcases to the gleaming metal mouthpieces of the show ring, bits have remained relatively unchanged over their thousand-plus year history. Today, we have even more choices than ever thanks to a better understanding of the horse’s mouth and how it interacts with the bit and the bridle. The United States
Equestrian Federation Rule Book carries regulations about the proper bits for each discipline
and breed division, and tack stores carry an astonishing array of options, many of which fall into the Federation’s “legal” category.
Determining which bit is best for your horse, your particular style of riding within your discipline and making sure it is within the rules requires a mix of horsemanship and study. “There is no single answer to any question you ask about this subject,” said Jay Shuttleworth, who makes bits for all the disciplines and has outfitted members of the United States Equestrian Team.

For the full story in PDF format, click here.

Take a holiday from interest payments!

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The United States Equestrian Federation Visa® Platinum Card also provides 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, the United States Equestrian Federation 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 fund our international teams.

Click here to apply today or call (800) 853-5576, x9164.

Hurry, offer ends December 31, 2007.

*Click product name for terms and conditions: Platinum, Cash Rewards, Select Rewards, College Rewards. We may change APRs, fees, and other Account terms in the future based on your experience with other creditors or U.S. Bank National Association, N.D. and its affiliates according to the Cardmember Agreement and applicable law. The introductory rate does not apply to cash advances and is valid for the first 12 billing cycles. The rate will end early and increase to the APR for Purchases and Balance Transfers or to a Delinquency Rate APR if your Account is delinquent, over the limit or closed. We apply your payments to balances with lower APRs first.

The creditor and issuer of the Visa Platinum card is the U.S. Bank National Association ND.

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.