2024 Emerson Burr Horsemanship Grant Competition Dates and Locations Announced

by US Equestrian Communications Dept. | Apr 11, 2024, 1:00 PM EST

Lexington, Ky. – US Equestrian is pleased to announce the dates and locations for the 2024 Emerson Burr Horsemanship Grant competitions. The program is open to junior riders competing in pony hunter and jumper classes and tests their knowledge of horsemanship topics including equine health, horse care, riding and showing, and tack and equipment. ©Kathleen Landwehr/US Equestrian The Emerson Burr Horsemanship Grant program was created in 2002 by the friends and family of the late...

US Equestrian Announces Marshall & Sterling as Presenting Sponsor of USEF Pony Finals

by US Equestrian Communications Department | Nov 13, 2023, 9:00 AM EST

Lexington, Ky. – The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) is pleased to announce that Marshall & Sterling Insurance, Inc. has decided to not only renew their title sponsorship of the USEF Pony Medal Finals, but also expand their support to include the presenting sponsorship of the USEF Pony Finals. As part of their partnership, the event will be rebranded as The USEF Pony Finals presented by Marshall & Sterling for the next five years, as well as retain their title...

Samantha Smith Wins Marshall & Sterling/USEF Pony Medal Final at 2023 USEF Pony Finals Presented by Honor Hill Farms

by Kathleen Landwehr, US Equestrian Communications Department | Aug 13, 2023, 8:56 PM EST

Lexington, Ky. – The 2023 USEF Pony Finals presented by Honor Hill Farms ended on Sunday with the Marshall & Sterling /USEF Pony Medal Final. A total of 187 combinations competed in round one over Jasen Shelley’s challenging track with the requirement of halting then jumping a trot fence during the course. Twenty combinations returned for round two with three from the small section, 10 from the medium section, and seven from the large section. The second-round course required...

Photo Gallery

Drummond and AM Rising Star Take a Leap From Arabian Horse Show Circuit to Pony Finals

by Kathleen Landwehr, US Equestrian Communications Department | Aug 13, 2023, 11:06 AM

Seventeen-year-old Josie Drummond of Wellington, Fla., and AM Rising Star are regular competitors on the Arabian horse show circuit, and they were looking for a new competitive challenge. Drummond and her trainers Lori Cooper and Gina Pengue decided to aim “Gus” for the 2023 USEF Pony Finals presented by Honor Hill Farms. In their first appearance at the event, Drummond and Gus took the experience in stride and earned solid results. Josie Drummond and AM Rising Star, Lori...

Pony Finals and Beyond: Alumni Share Their Favorite Memories and Tips for Competitors

by Kathleen Landwehr, US Equestrian Communications Department | Aug 11, 2023, 11:10 AM

Adam Edgar competing on Happy Feet at the 2016 Pony Finals (Shawn McMillen Photography) Numerous youth athletes have competed at the USEF Pony Finals over the years, and many of them have gone on to achieve an impressive list of accomplishments as senior athletes competing at the national and international levels. Georgina Bloomberg, Greg Best, Lillie Keenan, Reed Kessler, Alison Robitaille, and Jessica Springsteen are a few individuals who have represented the U.S. at FEI Jumping World...
In addition to overall awards given out at the USEF Pony Finals presented by Honor Hill Farms, the Welsh Pony and Cob Society of America (WPCSA) gives out High Score awards to Welsh ponies competing at the show. The awards are organized by Dr. Ruth Wilburn, president of the WPCSA. Wilburn, who has been breeding ponies for 40 years at her Rollingwoods Farm, explained that the awards are meant to show the importance of Welsh ponies in the hunter pony world. Wilburn coordinates the awards with...

Rescue Pony Takes on Pony Jumper Division at Pony Finals

by Kathleen Landwehr, US Equestrian Communications Department | Aug 9, 2023, 8:37 PM

There are over 800 ponies at the 2023 USEF Pony Finals presented by Honor Hill Farms, and they all have their own unique stories. One such pony is Star Wish, or “Toby.” A 15-year-old rescue pony making his third appearance in the pony jumper division at Pony Finals, Toby and his owner/rider Zahara Henderson of Longmont, Colo., are ready to show off their partnership this week. Five years ago in New Mexico, Toby was rescued from slaughter as a 10-year-old unbroke pony and put into...