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Here you can find our archive of stories from Equestrian Weekly, our once-a-week look at affiliate news, international competition, amateur profiles, horse care tips, and more. You’ll also find stories from the USEF Insider, a twice-monthly email newsletter packed with features about USEF people and programs, including our drugs and medications program, regulations, and competitions departments.

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US Equestrian Mourns the Loss of Cecile Hetzel Dunn

by Natalie Voss | July 29, 2025

US Equestrian sends our condolences to all those who knew and loved Cecile Hetzel Dunn, who passed away July 26 at the age of 89. A well-respected and much-admired equestrian across multiple breeds and disciplines, Dunn was well known for her devotion to the horse and the sport, and for her unwavering dedication to providing guidance to the younger generation. A life-long equestrian, Dunn learned to ride her pony before she could walk. She began her professional career as an instructor at

Reflections From an Olympic Equestrian

by Allyson Mattingly | July 14, 2025

Competing in the Olympic Games is often described as the pinnacle of an athlete’s career, but for equestrian legend David O’Connor, the experience went beyond winning medals. His Olympic appearances on the U.S. Eventing Team at the Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000 Summer Games weren’t just defining moments in his career - they were personal, transformative journeys that would stay with him forever. 1996 Atlanta Olympics O'Connor and Custom Made, who he rode in the 2000

GallopNYC Brings the “Transformative Power” of Horses to Manhattan’s Central Park

by Mikhail Proctor | July 7, 2025

New York City’s Central Park, one of the most iconic urban parks in the world, offers a relaxed reprieve from the busy city atmosphere of Manhattan. Popular activities in Central Park range from walking, rollerblading, and cycling, to concerts, events, picnics — and even interactions with horses. This is exactly what GallopNYC provided on May 18, 2025, by hosting the Central Park Promenade, a family-friendly event sharing the magic of horses with New Yorkers. Central Park Promenade

2025 BreyerFest Celebrates 5* Eventer Tight Lines

by Debbie Elliot | July 3, 2025

Throughout his illustrious career, Tight Lines (a.k.a. “Phish”) achieved impressive feats such as representing the U.S. in the 2018 World Equestrian Games with Olympic eventer Will Coleman, and competing at the Kentucky 3-Day Event, the Maryland 5*, and the Defender Burghley 5*. Now the 18-year-old French Thoroughbred (Turgeon x Tel Quel) has been immortalized as the 2025 Celebration Horse at BreyerFest, which takes place at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Ky., from July

The History of Horses and Independence Day

by Allyson Mattingly | June 30, 2025

On the Fourth of July, Americans celebrate freedom, fireworks, and patriotism. For centuries, brave men and women have valiantly fought for the stars and stripes, but shouldn’t we honor the brave horses who have done the same? Photo Credit: Shannon Brinkman Horses have served our nation since long before the Constitution was signed, providing vital services such as transportation, communication, farm help, and, of course, companionship. In an age of instant communication, it may be hard

US Equestrian Awards Opportunity Fund Grants to 13 USEF Community Outreach Organizations for Vital Initiatives

by Mikhail Proctor | June 30, 2025

US Equestrian is pleased to announce that it has awarded $90,500 in USEF Opportunity Fund grants to 13 USEF Community Outreach Organizations (COO) in the fund’s fourth year through a comprehensive review process. The 2025 USEF Opportunity Fund grants will support an expansive list of projects that will further the missions of these high-impact organizations. Examples of the initiatives that were selected for funding include increasing resources to expand participation, purchasing safety

The Role USEF Eventing Young Rider Championships Plays in Talent Development for the Future

by Isabelle Whiteside/US Equestrian Communications Dept. | June 27, 2025

The 2025 USEF Eventing Young Rider Championships (EYRC) are right around the corner, and with them comes the excitement of watching the next generation of young eventing talent in action in the U.S. These championships are just one of the many development opportunities offered through the USEF Eventing Pathway Programs . The pathway programs are designed to identify and develop promising athletes and horses to build towards future success at the highest levels of the sport. From their first

Don’t Let Fireworks Spark Fear: Keeping Horses Safe During Fourth of July Celebrations

by Debbie Elliot | June 25, 2025

The Fourth of July is a day of celebration when we commemorate the Declaration of Independence. While it is a fun day of barbeques, parades, and fireworks for people, it can spark stress and fear in our dogs and horses. Horses are flight animals, so they will attempt to remove themselves from a situation if they think they are in danger, which can cause injury if they jump a fence or attempt to break out of their stall. On July 2, 2024, three horses were discovered running down the freeway on

Celebrating Horse Dads Everywhere!

June 11, 2025

June 15, 2025, was Father’s Day, when we celebrate our dads and everything that they do for us. Here at US Equestrian, we want to do a special tribute to all the horse dads out there — from those who ride and inspire their children from the saddle to those who support from them from the ground. McLain and Lilly Ward; photo by Leslie Potter/US Equestrian Below, we will celebrate a selection of successful equestrians who are also amazing, loving fathers, but first we want to thank

It's More Than Just a Show: The Heart, Heritage, and Horsemanship of Breed Shows

by Isabelle Whiteside/US Equestrian Communications Dept. | June 7, 2025

With competition season picking up and championship events around the corner, it is a great time to get familiar with what to expect at a breed show, specifically a Morgan breed show. These shows offer an opportunity for horses and athletes to shine, and for spectators and fans to enjoy close up action and experience a tight knit community. To get a better understanding of what goes on behind the scenes and in the ring, we talked to Connecticut Morgan Horse Association Vice President Adam

“My Jaw Literally Hit the Floor!”

by Debbie Elliot | June 6, 2025

Lauren Reischer was born with cerebral palsy, but she hasn’t let that stop her from reaching — and surpassing — her dreams. Having begun her equestrian journey doing therapeutic riding in order to teach her brain how to use her legs separately from one another, she went on to become a professional on the hunter/jumper circuit, a coach and an advocate for para equestrian sport. Reischer is also a board member for GallopNYC , the therapeutic riding center in New York where she

Identifying and Preventing Equine Botulism

by Debbie Elliot | May 28, 2025

Botulism in horses is a severe and often fatal neurological disease caused by a toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum . The bacteria can be ingested in contaminated feed (forage poisoning), can occur in an infected wound (wound botulism), or in the case of Shaker Foal Syndrome, spores can germinate and produce toxins in the gut of foals. CAUSES Clostridium botulinum is found ubiquitously in soil and leads to different variants of botulism labeled A through G; however, types