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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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Remembering the Horses of the Gold Medal Winning 1984 U.S. Olympic Eventing Team

by Danielle Henson/US Equestrian Communications Dept. | May 20, 2026

The 1984 Los Angeles Olympics presented a unique logistical challenge for the eventing competition. While dressage and show jumping were held at the iconic Santa Anita racetrack, the cross-country phase took combinations two hours south to Fairbanks Ranch near San Diego. The travel distance meant the competition was spread over six days, with rest days built in on either side of cross-country, an unusual format that gave the horses more recovery time than a typical three-day event. The U.S.

Olympic Snowboarder and Unabashed Horse Girl: Chloe Kim opens up about Mochi, the chestnut Arabian who helped her find herself again

by Danielle Henson/US Equestrian Communications Dept. | May 19, 2026

Before she was “Chloe Kim, three-time Olympic medalist and snowboarding superstar,” she was Chloe Kim, a horse-obsessed preschooler who aspired to one day be a famous equestrian. “I said I wanted to be a ‘horsey racer’ like a jockey,” Kim laughed, recounting the moment at her preschool graduation when every kid took the stage to announce their big dreams. “I was obsessed [with horses] since I was a little girl.” It’s a passion that may

Why Equine Pregnancies Fail—and How Research Is Changing the Answer

by Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation | May 18, 2026

Pregnancy loss in mares is not one condition—it is most often the result of either early embryonic loss or placental disease. Each requires a different understanding, and increasingly, research is providing those answers. Early pregnancy loss is often a problem of the embryo. Placentitis is a disease of the placenta—and timing determines whether we can save the pregnancy. Early pregnancy loss and placentitis represent two of the most significant—and very

Meet Our Board Members: Lisa Gorretta Is Ready to Pitch in for the Sport She Loves

by Natalie Voss | May 18, 2026

Lisa Gorretta often quips that she’s always had a difficult time with the word ‘no.’ Instead, when she’s been asked to step into new roles in equestrian sport through the years, she tends to utter a different two-letter word: ‘Ok.’ “I was raised with the concept that if you were unhappy with something that’s important to you, then you should work to improve it from the inside instead of complain about it from the outside,” she said. That

What’s Happening With That Rule? Updated Return To Sport Requirements

by Kimberly Loushin | May 18, 2026

One of the General Rule change proposals that’s been in our system for quite a while is Tracking 065-24, which pertains to Concussions, Injuries, and Return to Sport. This rule change proposal was first introduced in 2024 and has generated a lot of robust discussion. It is in its fourth draft as proponents amended the proposal in response to comments from USEF Committees and Recognized Affiliates. The current draft would require participants who have fallen at a competition to be

Meet USEF Interscholastic Student Athlete: Hannah Kim

by Danielle Henson/US Equestrian Communications Dept. | May 11, 2026

Before sitting down for her interview with US Equestrian, 17-year-old Hannah Kim had just finished an AP exam. A day full of balancing academic rigor with a passion for the barn is pretty much Hannah's normal. Hannah, a saddle seat rider based in Tampa, Florida, is this month's USEF Interscholastic Athlete of the Month , and it's easy to see why. She's the definition of a student athlete: sharp, thoughtful, and deeply committed to both her studies and her sport. From Summer

USEF's Human and Equine Safety and Welfare Committee Focuses on Feedback-Driven Initiatives

by Kimberly Loushin | May 11, 2026

As the US Equestrian Human and Equine Safety and Welfare Committee sat down in person this spring to evaluate their priorities for the next two years, they knew they wanted to focus their efforts on having a meaningful impact. They’ve created a priority list based on group discussions and member inquiries, and as it continues its work, the Committee wants to involve membership and other stakeholders to gather feedback to guide their priorities. “The committee wants to involve

Taking a Closer Look at: Altrenogest

by Kimberly Loushin | May 11, 2026

Altrenogest, which is commercially sold as Regu-Mate, is an FDA-approved synthetic progesterone used to suppress estrus and seasonal behaviors in competing horses and aid in breeding practices with broodmares. Altrenogest, or any other progestogen, is also prohibited for use in stallions and geldings while competing in USEF-licensed competitions because it has no legitimate therapeutic use in male horses and has been historically used as a calming agent. The prohibition of altenogest, or any

The Last Gift: Linda Bird Found Healing with a Personable Draft Cross Named Mocha

by Kimberly Loushin | May 11, 2026

For nearly a year, Linda Bird and her husband, Lonnie, searched for her next horse before they came across one she described as the almost-perfect horse. Young and handsome, the dark bay had basic under saddle training, but he was way above budget. Though he reacted dramatically to the simplest things, Bird clicked with the draft cross gelding immediately during the trial ride. Linda Bird with Mocha. Photo courtesy of Linda Bird Despite the monetary disparity, Lonnie insisted they buy him

“Mindy Is Like a Second Mom to Me”

by Debbie Elliot | May 4, 2026

Horses N Heroes in Citra, Fla., has become a safe haven for countless girls from families with extreme financial constraints, and for many of them, founder Mindy Morrow became a surrogate mother. Angel Antonaccio jumping Cirque du Soleil while at Horses N Heroes; photo courtesy of Horses N Heroes “The majority of the kids in my program live either at or below the poverty level,” Morrow explained. “I have kids who have come through the foster care system. I had one who came to

Taking A Closer Look At: Methocarbamol

by Natalie Voss | April 27, 2026

Methocarbamol, frequently known by its trade name of Robaxin, is a widely used therapeutic medication in horses. It’s also one of the medications we have recently seen the most overages for. Most people think of methocarbamol as a muscle relaxant that’s used to manage horses who tie up after exercise, or who are struggling with muscle spasms or muscle pain related to an injury. It’s frequently prescribed for back soreness. You may have heard some buzz about methocarbamol

Meet Our Board Members: Diane Pitts

by Kimberly Loushin | April 26, 2026

For Diane Pitts, her entrance to the horse world and eventually equestrian governance was the result of a request from her youngest son, who came home one day and said he wanted to start riding. She signed him up for a camp, not knowing it would become a lifetime passion for him, or that the horse world would become a mainstay in her life. Prior to that, Pitts, who grew up in a globe-trotting Army family, had limited horse exposure, largely through a few leisurely trail rides, though some of