The Varsity Equestrian National Championships took place in Waco, TX, April 15–17 at the Heart of Texas Fair Complex. Chrystine Tauber and R. Scot Evans served as the Hunter Seat judges with Tom McBeath and Lisa Moden officiating over the Western portion. University of Georgia won the Hunter Seat championship and Texas A&M University took the victory in the Western pen. Both teams were third in the discipline that they did not win, thus creating a tie for the Overall Champion. This led to a...

Photo by Al Cook (Kels Bonham from Savannah College of Art and Design won the Overall High-Point Individual title.) The American National Riding Commission’s (ANRC) Nationals were held April 16–18 at Sweet Briar College in Sweet Briar, VA. Judges included Bill Moroney of Keedysville, MD, and Anne Kenan of Dahlonega, GA. Savannah College of Art and Design took home the team victory over hometown Sweet Briar College. The University of Virginia team came in third, followed by Goucher College and...

Mattie Rohs of Alpharetta, GA, became the first 2010 American Morgan Horse Association (AMHA) National Youth of the Year Finalist after winning the senior division at the Citrus Cup Youth of the Year contest earlier this month. Rohs competed with seven other seniors to win the title. Rohs will represent Citrus Cup this fall at the National Youth of the Year Finals held in conjunction with the Grand National & World Championship Morgan Horse Show. Other top-placing individuals included senior...

In recent months, the USEF Dressage Department has received many inquiries regarding use of protective headgear in USEF/USDF-Licensed Dressage Competitions. “Protective headgear” is defined as a helmet which is ASTM/SEI-approved and has a secured harness. USEF General Rule GR801.6-.7 states: “6. Except as may otherwise be mandated by local law, the Federation strongly encourages all riders, while riding anywhere on the competition grounds, to wear protective headgear with harness secured which...

Photo Courtesy USHJA (The headquarters of the United States Hunter Jumper Association.) When a horse and rider present an elegant partnership it’s called great equitation. When two equestrian organizations—the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) and the United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA)—join forces, it’s called a winning combination. “Speaking on behalf of the IHSA membership, I am confident in saying that I believe this relationship will greatly enhance both...

Photo by Jon Kassel (Grand Prix Course at the sold out Alliant Energy Center Arena .) The 10,000 seat John Deere Coliseum at Madison's Alliant Energy Center was standing room only Saturday night as five of 38 entries passed the course's first test and were asked back for the tie-breaking round. Ultimately it was the feisty chestnut mare Happy Z and Ohio's Wilhelm Genn who laid down an unbeatable jump-off track for the win. Laura Linback and As di Villagana, competing last, also put in a...

Online store continues to raise funds and awareness in support of injured dressage star. The Courtney King-Dye Medical Fund eBay store is now featuring new helmet wearing campaign t-shirts, designed by Jeri Bryant, a single mom and dressage fan based in southern California. The t-shirts feature the slogan “Strap One On—Everyone’s Doing It” in an eye-catching graphic treatment. The Courtney King-Dye Medical Fund eBay store was established last month by King-Dye’s long-time sponsor Succeed®...

The deadline to submit renewals for American Saddlebred Horse Association (ASHA) youth clubs and charter clubs, as well as ASHA Youth Scholarship applications, is Friday, April 30. The purpose of ASHA scholarships is to encourage, support and recognize participation in all aspects of the American Saddlebred industry, as well as to strengthen the American Saddlebred industry and breed through education. Scholarships are awarded only to high school graduates or those students whose graduation is...

The United Professional Horseman's Association Chapter 10, along with the Mid America Horse Show Association, will be holding a Show Horse Preview, scheduled for 7 p.m. on Monday, June 14, at the Midwest Charity Horse Show in Springfield, IL. The Show Horse Preview will provide a sales showcase for Saddlebreds, Hackneys, and Morgans, and is set to take place on the evening prior to the opening of the Midwest Charity Horse Show. Entries selected for the presentation will be promoted via email...

Photo by ESI Photography (Peter Leone and Nerval de la Batia win their first Grand Prix of the season at HITS Culpeper.) Peter Leone and Nerval de la Batia, owned by the Beaupre Group, are on the road to the Pfizer Million as they took home the victory in Sunday's $40,000 EMO Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, to highlight the Commonwealth National. "It means a lot to me to come here and kick-off the season," said Leone of Greenwich, CT, who competed in his first of eight needed...