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Equestrian Weekly Articles

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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Looking Back at the 2023 Pan American Games with Anna Marek and Kerri Short

by Leslie Potter | January 26, 2024

When U.S. dressage athlete Anna Marek returned from the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, she came home with valuable experience, a strengthened partnership with her horse Fire Fly, and some hardware— team gold and individual bronze . Anne Gribbons, Fire Fly, Anna Marek, and Kerri Short at the 2023 Pan American Games in Chile. ©Matt Turer/US Equestrian “This was my first major championship experience,” said Marek. “I’ve been on two Nations Cup teams,

Meet Our Community Outreach Organizations: O.C. Vaulting

by US Equestrian Communications Department | January 23, 2024

Located in the heart of Orange County, California, O.C. Vaulting fills gaps in services and programming within the equine industry for under-represented and under-served groups daily. O.C. Vaulting is fully operated by volunteer staff, which means they can offer programming that is low-cost or potentially even free. With access to horses in a metropolitan area--a center point of their mission-- these types of affordable programming allow O.C. Vaulting the opportunity to serve all socially,

Five Tips for Time Management

by Emily Girard | January 16, 2024

Eventing athlete and groom Isabelle Bosley cited task delegation and a focus on skill expansion are her main strategies to manage her time. Photo: Libby Law Photography Whether they’re full-time students or have other jobs, many equestrians are balancing their competitive careers with other activities. Though balancing a full life and equestrian career can be difficult, athletes who are successfully managing that balancing act say it is possible to strategize and make the most of your

Get Ready for US Equestrian's 2024 Annual Meeting

by US Equestrian Communications Department | January 9, 2024

US Equestrian’s Annual Meeting takes place in person Jan. 12-14 at the Omni Hotel in Louisville, Ky. Check out our online resources, including the event schedule and where to find special content and on-demand video. “ Our Future Is Now ” Workshop An industry-leading CEO, a decorated Olympian, two equine faculty members with more than 80 years of industry experience, and one of the foremost minds in equine biosecurity will headline US Equestrian’s 2024 Annual Meeting

Glitz, Glamour, and Athleticism: Meet the Parade Horse

by Emily Girard | January 8, 2024

The history of the parade discipline can be traced back centuries, both to the British monarchy and ranch owners in the American Southwest. Famous for their silver Western tack and elaborate costumes, parade horses and their riders can be seen in both street parades like the Rose Parade in Pasadena, California, and parade classes at horse shows. Ashley Hallock has shown American Saddlebreds for over 30 years and ridden in multiple parades, including the Tournament of Roses Parade. Hallock

"We Just Click:" Inside Niki Beck and Majestic Cloudy Boy's Endurance Career

by Emily Girard | January 5, 2024

Niki Beck and her horse Majestic Cloudy Boy compete in the 2022 Broxton Bridge Let's Have Fun Riding event. Photo: Becky Pearman Photography Niki Beck has been competing in endurance riding for over 10 years. She became involved in endurance while training a Thoroughbred in lower-level eventing. “I loved going out and doing the conditioning for the cross-country phase; I would go out with my friend, and she said, ‘You really love conditioning the horses. You should just do

USEF/USDF Emerging Athlete Program Members Attended 2023 USOPC Training Camp

by Kathleen Landwehr, US Equestrian Communications Department | January 2, 2024

Christian Simonson, Erin Nichols, Tiggy Gates, and Ellanor Boehning grab a photo outside of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Center. (Courtesy of Tiggy Gates) Last year, four USEF/USDF Emerging Athlete Program members attended a four-day training camp at the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colo. Ellanor Boehning (Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.), Tiggy Gates (Encinitas, Calif.), Erin Nichols (Yorba Linda, Calif.), and Christian

Breeding a Horse of a Different Color: The Trends and Science Behind Horse Coloration

by Emily Girard | December 19, 2023

Colors and patterns in horses are determined by multiple different genes. Photo: Leslie Potter/US Equestrian From buckskin to palomino to roan to Appaloosa, variations in coat color can be seen across multiple breeds. Though many physical traits in animals are caused by one gene, coat color is more complicated. While some horse breeders might not consider color as a factor when they plan matings, for others, the potential offspring’s color can be important, whether for personal preference

Meet Our Community Outreach Organizations: Manes For Movement

by US Equestrian Communications Department | December 12, 2023

Manes for Movement provides both equine-assisted therapies and recreational equine activities to children and adults with a variety of developmental, genetic, and neuromuscular diagnoses, including but not limited to autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, ADHD, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and a variety of genetic syndromes. Manes for Movement also serves individuals from a variety of socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds in the South Bay of Los Angeles Community. Since its

“Mules Can Dance Too”: The Diversity of Western Dressage

by Emily Girard | November 29, 2023

Lauren Dutton and Ooops See Daisy have won multiple world championships in Western dressage. Photo: Nicole Pols The Western dressage discipline is open to all breeds and types of equines, with its main focus being communication between horse and rider. One of these riders is Lauren Dutton, who competes in Western dressage with her mule Ooops See Daisy. “I bought a Quarter Horse gelding and then needed a buddy because we bought a farm and had a lot of land, and that's how I got the

Behind the Scenes of NBC’s Paris 2024 Olympic Games Commercial

by Kathleen Landwehr, US Equestrian Communications Department | November 28, 2023

Ashley Holzer and Valentine dressed for the commercial shoot. (US Equestrian) If you tuned in to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade or the Thanksgiving Day NFL game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks, NBC’s latest commercial promoting the Paris 2024 Olympic Games may have caught your attention. Rapper Megan Thee Stallion stars in the commercial alongside six U.S. Dressage athletes and their horses performing piaffe, passage, and canter pirouettes in front of a

How Young Riders From the Benestar Ranch Fundraised Their Way to Grand National Dreams

by Leslie Potter | November 21, 2023

At the 2023 International Friesian Horse Show Association (IFSHA) Grand National, there was a group of young riders who stood out. They could be seen competing in-hand and under saddle, supporting each other on the rail and sharing enthusiastic hugs in the warm-up ring after a successful class, even when they were competing against each other. None of these youth equestrians had competed at this level before, and their inspiring journey to the championship was the talk of the show. Friesian