Saddle Seat Equitation

Fulton, Mo. – A total of 23 of the country’s top saddle seat equitation athletes have convened at William Woods University this weekend for the U.S. Saddle Seat World Cup Team Trials. The trials will determine the roster for the three-gaited and five-gaited teams that will compete at the 2024 International Saddle Seat World Cup in Parys, South Africa, next December. Athletes at the World Cup compete on horses they’ve never ridden before, loaned by owners in the host country....

Kansas City, Mo. – The 2023 show season for saddle seat equitation athletes came to its exciting conclusion on Saturday with the USEF Saddle Seat Medal Final at the UPHA American Royal National Championship Horse Show. A total of 16 entries came to compete in the final, which took place in two phases on a single day. Isabelle Fischer and family. ©Leslie Potter/US Equestrian Isabelle Fischer (Villa Hills, Ky.) closed out her wildly successful season by winning the champion title and...

Kansas City, Mo. – Six talented equitation athletes trotted into Kansas City’s Hale Arena on Friday for the 2023 USEF Saddle Seat Adult Amateur Medal Final . After the rail work and individual patterns were complete, Morgan Peer (Clive, Iowa) was announced as the winner. Morgan Peer and My Mikimoto. ©Howard Schatzberg Photo For both the USEF Medal and the UPHA Adult Challenge Cup National Final earlier in the week at the American Royal, Peer catch rode My Mikimoto, a 2010...

Kansas City, Mo. – One of the most prestigious competitions for saddle seat equitation riders will take place this weekend at the UPHA American Royal National Championship Horse Show in Kansas City. The USEF Saddle Seat Medal Final for junior riders and the USEF Saddle Seat Adult Amateur Medal Final are open to riders of any breed and are the grand finale of the show season for many of the country’s top equitation athletes. ©Howard Schatzberg Photography The USEF Saddle Seat...

Show season may be winding down, but there’s still a lot of exciting equestrian activity yet to come. The final months of the year bring top competition for Andalusians/Lusitanos, saddle seat equitation, dressage, hunters, and jumpers. ©Howard Schatzberg Photo November 10 & 11 USEF Saddle Seat Medal Finals Kansas City, Mo. New for 2023, the medal finals for juniors and adult amateurs will be held at the same competition—the UPHA American Royal National Championship. The...

Lexington, Ky. - On September 15, 2023, the US Equestrian Federation (USEF) and Equestrian Canada (EC) renewed a reciprocal agreement outlining mutual membership and participation requirements for citizens from each country. Remarks from US Equestrian CEO William “Bill” Moroney “We are pleased to work together with our colleagues and fellow equestrians north of the border in Canada. This renewed reciprocal agreement allows for both organizations to receive the necessary...

Lexington, Ky. – US Equestrian is pleased to announce the equitation athletes who have been selected to compete in the U.S. Team Selection Trials for the 2024 International Saddle Seat World Cup. The Team Selection Trial will take place in Fulton, Mo., Dec. 1-2, 2023. ©Leslie Potter/US Equestrian The following athletes have been selected to compete in the International Saddle Seat World Cup U.S. Team Selection Trials and are listed in alphabetical order: Three-gaited: Ava Bertagnolli...

Lexington, Ky. – Youth saddle seat equitation riders are encouraged to submit their applications for the 2023 $10,000 Stephens College USEF Saddle Seat Medal Scholarship . This scholarship is open to high school juniors and seniors who will compete in the 2023 USEF Saddle Seat Medal Final at the UPHA American Royal National Championship Horse Show, or who have competed in and placed in the top four of a USEF Saddle Seat Medal qualifying class during the 2023 competition season. The...

Lexington, Ky. – US Equestrian is now accepting applications for the 2024 U.S. Saddle Seat World Cup Team coaches. The U.S. Saddle Seat Team will consist of 12 athletes, six to compete in the three-gaited section and six to compete in the five-gaited section at the 2024 Saddle Seat World Cup in December of 2024 in Parys, South Africa. Interested parties must complete an application and submit their resume via email to [email protected] no later than October 15, 2023. The application and...

Lexington, Ky. – The September 2 deadline for applications for the 2024 Saddle Seat World Cup Team is approaching quickly, and interested athletes are encouraged to submit their applications. The U.S. Saddle Seat Team won gold in the three-gaited division at the 2022 Saddle Seat World Cup. ©Leslie Potter/US Equestrian The 2024 Saddle Seat World Cup will take place in Parys, South Africa. US Equestrian will field a three-gaited team and a five-gaited team each consisting of six...

Championship season is heating up across equestrian sports. August brings national championships from US Equestrian National Affiliates and national breeds and disciplines, including pony hunters and jumpers, vaulting, American Saddlebreds, hunter breeding, and eventing. Mark your calendar for these exciting upcoming events. ©Devyn Trethewey/US Equestrian August 8-13, 2023 USEF Pony Finals presented by Honor Hill Farms Lexington, Ky. USEF Pony Finals presented by Honor Hill Farms is the...

Andrea Pianka started riding horses when she was seven years old, starting at a hunter/jumper barn and later competing in saddle seat equitation. However, she transitioned to carriage pleasure driving after becoming quadriplegic in a car accident when she was 18. “I’ve always liked driving, and then when I got injured, I started learning about adaptive driving with a carriage and it opened up a whole new world,” Pianka said. “I was very happy to know that I could still...