Riding Claim to Fame, 12-year-old Reed Kessler won the Small Pony Green championship title with a total score of 983 during the second day of the USEF Pony Finals National Championships. (PhelpsPhotos.com/USEF Archives) Lexington, KY – Despite an ominous black cloud and earth-shaking claps of thunder, three young ladies had a very happy ending to their day. In the 2006 Wild Horsefeathers/USEF National Green Hunter Pony Championship, 14-year-old Kaitlin Campbell cantered away with the...

PhelpsPhotos.com/USEF Archives (On the first day of the USEF Pony Finals National Championships, 14-year-old Amber Henter, of St. Petersburg, FL, was in first place in the medium green pony division with a score of 250.) Lexington, KY – Excited children were all abuzz today at the Kentucky Horse Park with their favorite ponies by their sides, all hoping for an experience at this year’s Pony Finals that they will remember for a lifetime. This is the first year that Pony Finals is observing a...

Lexington, KY - The United States Equestrian Federation® (USEF) is pleased to announce the team headed to Mensport, Hellendoorn, The Netherlands, for the 2006 FEI World Carriage Driving Championships for Drivers with Disabilities. This year's event will be held September 6-10 (the event is staged every two years). This year, the USEF Para-Equestrian High-Performance Committee has been working closely with the United States Driving for the Disabled (USDFD) in preparing for the competition. Team...

Lexington, KY – The United States Equestrian Federation® (USEF) announced today the four horse-and-rider combinations that will compete in Aachen, Germany, in the 2006 FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG). Four ranked alternates were also named. The WEG will take place August 20-September 3, with dressage being held August 22-26. The 2006 WEG U.S. dressage team (listed in alphabetical order) is as follows: •Debbie McDonald of Hailey, ID, riding Brentina, a 15-year-old Hanoverian mare, owned by Mr....

PhelpsPhotos.com (Gold medal Dressage Team Champions from the NAJYRC.) Lexington, VA - Gold medals in dressage, eventing and show jumping were awarded to highlight a successful conclusion of the 2006 CN North American Junior and Young Riders’ Championships (NAJYRC) at the Virginia Horse Center in Lexington, VA. The NAJYRC is the premier equestrian competition in North America for juniors and young riders. Young equestrians come from the United States, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico and the...

Lexington, KY – The United States Equestrian Federation® is now accepting bids for both the 2007 and 2008 USEF Open Reining Championships, and the 2007 and 2008 USEF Youth Reining Championships, which run in conjunction with the USEF Open Reining Championship. The open reining event showcases the most talented U.S. reining athletes, both human and equine, as they compete for a national title. The youth championships offer exciting opportunities for a national title to future international...

Parker, CO—July 22—Karen Cudmore had her good luck charm in the stands during the $60,000 American Grandprix Association (AGA) Grand Prix of Denver presented by Dillard’s and Ariat. It seems whenever friend and judge Dale Pederson is at a show, Cudmore brings home the winning paycheck. The grand prix at the Colorado Horse Park was no exception. Not only did Cudmore finish in first place with Ocelot, she took the yellow ribbon with Southern Pride. Six horses advanced to the jump-off over Jack...

Governor Donald Carcieri signed into law a bill designed to protect and inform Rhode Islanders who ride horses with equestrian instructors. The bill, introduced in the House by Representative Carol Mumford R-Scituate, mandates any person who holds themselves out to be an equestrian professional and taking compensation for lessons must be certified in first aid. It also mandates equestrian facilities to have on premises and on the trailer during events a fully operational first aid kit. The law...

The American Horse Council (AHC) will be holding an issues forum in Austin, TX, to discuss current issues facing the horse industry, such as the National Animal Identification System and its impact on horse owners. This meeting will also address the recent equine viral arteritis (EVA) outbreak, new developments in taxes for horse owners and breeders, the Unwanted Horse Coalition and access to trails. The meeting will conclude with an “Ask the Experts” panel. “The AHC believes it is critical for...

Endurance riders from around the country will face the test of time and terrain when they compete for national titles at the 2006 American Endurance Ride Conference (AERC) National Championship in October. The championship, sponsored by Gulf Coast 4 Star Trailers, will be held October 20-22 in Fort Valley, VA, on the trails of the historic Old Dominion Endurance Ride. The Old Dominion, first held in 1973, is considered by many to be the most prestigious endurance competition in the eastern...