I spent last night stuck in Orlando and then Charlotte before finally getting home well after 2 am. Tornadoes ripped through North Carolina and there were a lot of stranded people. It was very encouraging that it was all over the news in the airport. I could have been stuck in Ocala at my lovely friend Max's house. She was kind enough to let me stay while I was at Live Oak, she works for Karen O'Connor, and lives on their wonderful farm, so I had it pretty good for 5 days. I paid for it by...

Robin Groves collects her prizes (Joanie Morris/USEF) Ocala, FL - With impending storms looming, the fourth and final day of the Live Oak International presented by US Trust featured a difficult cones phase and clear rounds were hard to find. But the best drivers in the US prevailed and two USEF National Champions were crowned based on their incredible three phase performances. A massive storm held off until the final few drivers, and then the weather deteriorated quickly. Chester Weber and...

Jimmy Fairclough Threads the Needle (Joanie Morris/USEF) Ocala, FL – An exciting day of marathon driving at Live Oak International presented by US Trust showcased some of the very best in the US vying for USEF National Championship honors for both Single Horses and Four-in-Hands. Jimmy Fairclough drove like a man on mission – and his perseverance prevailed. Driving Jane Clark’s team, the New Jersey driver started out confidently in the first hazard and got better and better as he guided his...

Lexington, KY – The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) is pleased to announce that through the generosity of the USET Foundation limited funding will be available for the 2010 Show Jumping Young Rider Tour. The riders selected for the Tour who wish to be considered for funding must submit a grant application. The USEF Show Jumping High Performance Committee will review the grant applications and make recommendations regarding the grant recipients. ENDS Please contact Lizzy Chesson,...

Arriving in Florida is always an adventure. Despite running laps between Lexington and Wellington this year, this was my first trip to Ocala, which of course means flying into Orlando. Which of course meant that I was the only person on my flight and in the airport without Disney World on the brain. Ocala and Lexington are locked in a fierce battle for bragging rights over which one really is the horse capital of the world. There are farms of every possible variety when you drive around this...

Chester Weber Goes for Eight (Joanie Morris/USEF) Ocala, FL, – The Live Oak International sponsored by US Trust kicked off with the FEI dressage on Thursday, and two USEF National Driving Championships bookended the six FEI divisions at the premiere event. Held at Charlotte Weber’s Live Oak Plantation, it is one of the featured events on the US calendar and showcased 40 of the best drivers in the United States. The USEF National Single Horse Championship got the morning started and Leslie...

Photo by Steve Bradley (Dr. Les Carr accepts the equine Hall of Fame trophy for his endurance half-Arabian gelding, Tulip. ) Amid the hoopla of its annual convention last month in Reno, NV, the American Endurance Ride Conference’s (AERC) Dave Rabe was inducted into the nonprofit organization’s Hall of Fame, along with Tulip, the ultra-long distance half-Arabian gelding owned by Dr. Les Carr. Also winning one of endurance’s top prizes, the Pard’ners Award, was Robert Ribley and his endurance...

Photo by Denisha Sproul Photography/USEF Archives Lexington, KY – With more than a thousand high school equestrians already working to earn their varsity letters, and new registrations arriving daily, it’s clear the United States Equestrian Federation’s new High School Equestrian Athlete program is a huge hit across the country. Applications are still being accepted for the 2009-2010 school year, and there’s still plenty of time left for those who would like to apply by the June 1, 2010...

The following shows are the recipients of $800 grants from the American Morgan Horse Association (AMHA) for their 2010 shows: Western New York Morgan Horse Show, North Star Morgan Horse Show, Citrus Cup Regional Morgan Horse Show, Morgan Masterpiece, Mason Dixon Classic Horse Show, and Far West Regional Morgan Horse Show. Ten percent of the net from each year's AMHA Stallion Service Auction is available for the AMHA grant program for financially challenged USEF Morgan competitions. Grant...

The Morgan Horse Club of Southern California is pleased to be celebrating the 50th anniversary of its Class A horse show—the June Classic, held this year, May 28-30, at the Pomona Fairgrounds. This is a Region VII high-point show and features an Opportunity Carriage class, open to all breeds. Show premiums are available online at www.mhcsc.org or by contacting Nancy Franks at (951) 849-7629, [email protected] ; Mary K. Hartman at (951) 737-1294, [email protected] ; or Brenda Kalb at...