Custom Made and David O'Connor at the 2000 Olympic Games (Kit Houghton) Lexington, Ky. – Custom Made, a legendary U.S. event horse, was laid to rest on October 2 at the age of 34. Custom Made, the 17.1-hand Irish Sport Horse gelding (Bassompierre x Purple Heather/Ben Purple), was foaled in Ireland in 1985 and was imported to the U.S. in 1995 by owner Joseph Zada of Xandarius, LLC, to be a mount for David O’Connor. In their first year of partnership, “Tailor” and...

Lexington, Ky. – The 2019 Paso Fino Horse Association's (PFHA) Grand National Championship Show kicks off on Monday, September 16, at the Georgia National Fairgrounds in Perry, Ga. The Grand National delivers six days of world-class competition featuring the best Paso Fino horses in the nation. From September 16-21, professional, amateur, and youth riders will exhibit these unique, naturally gaited horses, all competing for the glory of winning the title of champion. Last year, the...

Lexington, Ky. – Nearly 950 horses have begun competition at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Ky., for the 16th annual United States Eventing Association (USEA) American Eventing Championships presented by Nutrena Feeds (AEC). Competition runs from Tuesday, August 27, through Sunday, September 1, and the AEC sets the stage for the US Equestrian (USEF) Advanced Horse Trials National Championship. Tamie Smith and Mai Baum, 2018 USEF Advanced Horse Trials National Champions (Shannon...

Lexington, Ky . – US Equestrian has named the following athletes to the NetJets U.S. Jumping Team for FEI Jumping Nations Cup Calgary CSIO5*. The competition is part of the Spruce Meadows ‘Masters’ Tournament taking place in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, September 4-8. The following athletes will represent the NetJets U.S. Jumping Team in the FEI Jumping Nations Cup Calgary CSIO5* under Chef d’Equipe Robert Ridland, listed alphabetically: Sloane Coles (The Plains, Va.)...

Lexington, Ky. – US Equestrian (USEF) is now accepting applications for consideration to participate in the 2020 U.S. Saddle Seat World Cup Team Selection Trials. The selection trials will be held at William Woods University in Fulton, Mo., from December 6-7, 2019. A riders’ meeting/draw will be held the evening of Friday, December 6, and the selection trials will take place on Saturday, December 7, with a team announcement that evening. The World Cup is a bi-annual competition that...

The U.S. Center for SafeSport Youth Athlete Training courses are now live! These valuable resources include courses for children of pre-school age, grades K-2, grades 3-5, middle school, and high school. These free online trainings are designed as an introduction for minor athletes and their parents or other caregivers to understand the importance of positive, welcoming environments in sports, where misconduct like bullying or abuse is less likely to happen, and to know where to report abuse,...

Lexington, Ky. –US Equestrian regrets to announce that McLain Ward (Brewster, N.Y.) has withdrawn Contagious for the Lima 2019 Pan American Games. The 10-year-old Deutches Sportpferd gelding owned by Beechwood Stables LLC., sustained an injury and will be unable to compete at the Games. As a result, Lucy Deslauriers (New York, N.Y.) and Hester, Lisa Deslauriers’s 14-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding, originally named as the traveling reserve, will compete. Richard Spooner (Agua...

Lexington, Ky. – US Equestrian has named the following combinations to the U.S. Endurance Team for the FEI Endurance World Championships for Young Riders & Juniors on September 18 in Pisa, Italy. Mark Dial will serve as chef d’equipe. Kate Baldino (Marietta, Ga.) riding Traction, Melody Blittersdorf’s nine-year-old Arabian gelding Kate Bishop (Raleigh, N.C.) riding LR April Breeze, Lisa Green’s 12-year-old Arabian mare Kimberly Loutzenheiser (LaGrange, Ga.) riding DM...

Lexington, Ky. – Top adult amateur saddle seat equitation riders from around the country will compete for the title of 2019 USEF Saddle Seat Adult Amateur Medal Final champion on Wednesday, July 10, at the historic Lexington Junior League Charity Horse Show. Peggy Alderman (North Clarendon, Vt.), Kristen Cater (Dunbarton, N.H.), and Jim Cherry (Encinitas, Calif.) will serve as judges for the Final, hosted at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Ky. Last year, Victoria Walz was crowned...

Lexington, Ky. – From coast to coast, the country’s best junior hunter riders are preparing to compete for top honors in the 2019 USEF Junior Hunter National Championships. The championships will take place on both the East and West coasts in 3’6” and 3’3” sections, with the riders separated into 15 & under and 16-17 sections, as well as Small Junior Hunter and Large Junior Hunter. Riders will compete in three phases: Classic Round, Under Saddle, and...