Connemaras

Lexington, KY – You don’t have to be a record-setting quarterback, point guard or track star to letter in high school sports anymore. The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) is writing a new chapter in the recognition of high school sports — one that honors Equestrian athletes. The USEF’s High School Equestrian Athlete program will offer specially designed emblems and pins, exclusively for equestrian athletes in grades 9-12. “High school equestrians have...

Looking to participate in one of the United States Eventing Association's (USEA) many programs? Check out the newest calendar additions for the following series, with more dates to be added in the coming months. Spalding Labs/USEA Young Event Horse Series The USEA Spalding Labs Young Event Horse (YEH) Series may be best described as an equine talent search. The series gives owners and breeders the opportunity to showcase the potential of their four- and five-year-old horses while encouraging...

Olympian and international dressage rider Lisa Wilcox turned in an all-American ride at the Gold Coast Fall Fling show, winning the Grand Prix aboard Ingred Lin’s Lusitano Quemacho Hi. The Grand Prix was sponsored by The Sanctuary Equine Sports Therapy & Rehabilitation Center, and Quemacho Hi won a beautiful Sanctuary signature orange embroidered polar fleece cooler and a $250 gift certificate for services at The Sanctuary. Wilcox and Quemacho Hi earned a score of 64.043% in the grand prix...

The National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) is proud to announce the creation of the NRHA Show Steward Program to begin in 2010. The first certification of NRHA Show Stewards will be held during the January 22-24, 2010 NRHA Judges School in Oklahoma City. The NRHA Board of Directors approved this trend-setting program at its August 2009 meeting with the intent to train and certify individuals to assist show management and judges with the interpretation of rules when necessary, to observe the...

The United States Equestrian Team (USET) Foundation is pleased to announce that the Jack Le Goff Memorial Fund has been established in memory of the legendary USET Eventing Coach. The fund will provide annual travel grant(s) to riders selected to represent the United States at the FEI Eventing World Cup Final. The first major gift to start this fund in Jack Le Goff's name was generously made by Cindy and Larry Lippon of Cave Creek, AZ, who had the pleasure and honor of knowing Jack Le Goff and...

Pat Boyle and Diane Carney Welcome Olympian to Illinois This past weekend Showplace Productions hosted a clinic with Olympic Show Jumping Assistant Chef d'Equipe Melanie Smith Taylor for the United States Hunter Jumper Association's (USHJA) Emerging Athletes Program. The clinic was managed by Pat Boyle and held at the Lamplight Equestrian Center in Wayne, IL. "I think the clinic was excellent and great for the area," commented Pat Boyle. "It was a great opportunity too for the kids to learn...

Margie Engle, one of the winningest grand prix riders in the history of the sport, recently added another accolade to her long list of accomplishments. The Olympic and Pan American Games veteran reached the $1 Million Club of the United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) Rider Recognition Program sponsored by World Equestrian Brands. The program was created in 2005 to track the overall lifetime money earnings of professional hunter and jumper riders. Each year, total monies won are added...

The Vermont Summer Festival, New England’s largest “AA” rated hunter/jumper horse show, returns to East Dorset, VT, from July 1-August 9, 2009. Offering more than $750,000 in prize money, the Vermont Summer Festival is the richest sporting event based on purse in the state. The competition attracts the best athletes, including Olympic medalists, from across the country and around the globe to vie for top honors. The first five Sundays feature a $30,000 grand prix, culminating with the $50,000...

People Helping Horses (PHH) Founder and Executive Director Gretchen Salstrom was recently made aware of the need in the community to serve children with disabilities through therapeutic riding. After careful consideration and much discussion, Salstrom and the PHH Board of Directors agreed to partner with NARHA certified instructor Laurie Grow in the launch of a new program, Leg Up for Kids Therapeutic Riding. The program officially commenced on April 1, 2009. It is run at Half Trak Farm, a...

Since its inception just five years ago, the United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) has experienced unprecedented growth and has quickly become the largest recognized affiliate of the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF). Albeit the USEF’s largest affiliate, USHJA is also one of the only affiliates to not have its own headquarters. But that is changing. On September 24, 2008, the USHJA celebrated two landmark occasions: the launch of the “Building For Growth” Capital Campaign and...

The Kentucky State Fair World’s Championship Horse Show has announced the changes to its Qualifying Requirements for 2009. The significant changes pertaining to show pleasure, country pleasure, and park are as follows: 1. A trainer or any member of his family may not show a customer’s show pleasure or country pleasure horse in order to qualify it for the Kentucky State Fair World’s Championship Horse Show. 2. All ribbon winners in classes of six or more entries will receive the following points...

Harrisburg, PA – With 274 riders vying for the title of 2008 Pessoa/USEF Hunter Seat Medal Final, making the top twenty-five is tough enough. But Kels Annabelle Bonham bested the competition to take the championship title, making her last year in the Medal Finals even more special. This was Bonham’s fourth time riding in the Medal Finals and she rode early in the order of go. Judges Alex Jayne and Tammy Provost put her at the top of their card and she stayed there until the conclusion of the...