Equestrians never forget their first ponies. Woolly or sleek, magnificent or mischievous, they are the teachers who reveal the most fundamental and enduring wisdom about life with horses: that it is joyous, that it is hard work, that it is a partnership which demands compromise but also makes us stronger. These special animals arrive from a remarkable variety of sources—sometimes handed down from siblings, sometimes expensively acquired, often bought cheaply from an auction or an ad or...

Leaders from collegiate and scholastic organizations gathered Friday at US Equestrian’s Annual Meeting to share ideas, discuss marketing and promotional opportunities, and learn more about US Equestrian’s many resources for educational partners. “We wanted to get together to discuss how we can promote participation in equestrian sport, how we can assist the scholastic and collegiate groups in raising awareness of what they do, what their formats are, what the opportunities...

Lexington, Ky. – On a night dedicated to celebrating the horse, US Equestrian is pleased to share that HH Azur, owned by Double H Farm and François Mathy has been voted the 2017 International Horse of the Year and Cuba, owned by John and Stephanie Ingram, LLC, has been voted the 2017 National Horse of the Year. International Horse of the Year HH Azur (Shannon Brinkman Photo) HH Azur (Thunder van de Zuuthoeve x Sion van de Zuuthoeve/Sir Lui) 2006 Belgian Warmblood mare Owners:...

Lexington, Ky. – US Equestrian (USEF) is pleased to announce that Tabitha Bell is the recipient of the 2017 USEF Youth Sportsman’s Award. This award recognizes outstanding youth members for their achievements and identifies potential future leaders in the equine industry. The Arabian Horse Association (AHA) nominated Bell who is actively involved in the Arabian Horse Youth Association (AHYA). Photo Provided by the Arabian Horse Association Bell (Sandy, Utah) has been riding since...

Saugerties, N.Y. – Dressage and jumping competition at the 2017 Adequan/FEI North American Junior and Young Rider Championships presented by Gotham North (NAJYRC) began on Wednesday at HITS-on-the-Hudson, and the rising stars of the sport have been delivering excellent performances. For the USDF North American Junior and Young Rider Dressage Championships of the NAJYRC, the Region 3 Young Rider Team claimed the first gold medal of the Adequan/FEI NAJYRC with a score of 209.684. The Region...

Lexington, Ky. - A field of 18 competitors vying for the 2017 USEF Saddle Seat Adult Amateur Medal Final title kicked off the evening session at the Lexington Junior League Charity Horse Show on Wednesday, July 5. Following the competitive field's display of equitation skills, 28-year-old Reagan Upton was named the 2017 USEF Saddle Seat Adult Amateur Medal Final Champion. She became only the second person to be a two-time champion of the Final and the first ever back-to-back champion. Upton...

There are IHSA shows both for hunt seat and for Western riders, like 1988’s IHSA National Champion and Stock Seat Equitation Individual High Point Rider Meg Rothermich (Miami University of Ohio), shown with coach Ken Copenhaver. (Photo Courtesy Bob Cacchione/IHSA) The Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association ’s National Championships, which take place May 4-7 at the Kentucky Horse Park’s Alltech Arena in Lexington, also will commemorate the IHSA’s 50 th anniversary this...

Lauren Kieffer and Vermiculus (Kasey @ Rare Air Photography) Lauren Kieffer’s return to the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by Land Rover is particularly nostalgic, because her mount this year—Vermiculus—is a full brother to Snooze Alarm, the horse that brought Kieffer to her first Rolex Kentucky back in 2010. Bred in Indiana by Lawson and Jeanne Williams, Snooze and Vermiculus are Anglo-Arabians, by the Arabian stallion Serazim and out of the Thoroughbred mare Wake...

Madeline Backus and P.S. Arianna (Shannon Brinkman Photo) Madeline Backus and P.S. Arianna are first-time competitors this year at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by Land Rover, but their partnership goes back years. “My mom’s farrier, Dennis Ackerman at Pendragon Stud in Colorado, actually bred her,” Backus said of the Anglo-Trakehner mare. “So I’ve known her for her whole life. It’s been quite an adventure.” Backus, whose mother Laura...

Laura Graves and Kasey Perry-Glass snap a selfie before flight. U.S. Dressage riders Laura Graves and Kasey Perry-Glass were among the “flying grooms” accompanying horses as they jetted to the FEI World Cup Final in Omaha, Nebraska. The event will take place at the CenturyLink Center Omaha March 29-April 2; Graves’s mount Verdades and Perry-Glass’s ride Goerklintgaards Dublet both arrived at Omaha’s Eppley Airfield on March 27. The two were on the same three-hour...