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...

North Salem, N.Y. – Mexico’s Mateo de la Mora Ramiro had the ride of his life at the Adequan®/FEI North American Youth Championships on Friday. With a silver medal at stake in the $35,000 USHJA North American Junior Rider Show Jumping Team Championship, de la Mora Ramiro produced a clean second round to help his Mexican teammates to a podium position. The emotion filled team silver medalist sat down for a post competition conversation. What did you think of today’s course...

North Salem, N.Y. – Canadian Samantha Starratt got an early dose of international competition at the 2013 FEI Children’s International Classics Final. She competed with a borrowed horse and helped her Brazilian and Argentinian teammates win the gold medal. The 19-year-old college student from Calgary, Alberta, is one of several rookies who qualified for the 2018 Adequan®/FEI North American Youth Championships (NAYC) presented by Gotham North. She will compete with Akolito, a...

Marilyn Little and RF Scandalous (Photo by: Taylor Pence/US Equestrian) Lexington, Ky. - It was no surprise that after the first day of dressage, reigning champion of the Kentucky Three-Day Event, Michael Jung of Germany and fischerRocana FST were sitting comfortably in first place. However, the second day of dressage did hold some surprises, as American combination Marilyn Little and RF Scandalous took control by turning in a personal best to grab the lead with a 24.8, more than 2 points ahead...

Paris, France – With the FEI World Cup Dressage Final title on the line, Laura Graves and Verdades defended their 2017 second-place finish with a personal record score Saturday evening in the Freestyle to Music in Paris. Graves (Geneva, Fla.) and the 16-year-old KWPN gelding she owns with Curt Maes finished on a score of 89.082 percent, just behind the reigning World Cup Final champion Isabell Werth (GER). Werth and Weihegold OLD scored a 90.657 percent, while Germany’s Jessica von...

Photo by Osteen/Schatzberg Scottsdale, Ariz. – The Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show is an 11-day celebration of tradition and history, welcoming over 2,200 Arabian and Half-Arabian horses registered with the Arabian Horse Association to West World in Scottsdale, Ariz. This year marks the 63 rd anniversary for the largest Arabian horse show in the world. From February 15 - 25, 2018, the competition hosted a wide array of classes across six bustling show rings, from native costume to working...

Dear Fellow Members, We just finished our Annual Meeting in Lexington, Kentucky where we reported on the great results of the first year of our Strategic Plan. I was happy to report that we grew membership for the first time in years, increasing almost 30% to over 105,000 members. We also reported strong financial results, growing financial reserves, 23 signed and/or re-signed sponsors, new initiatives launched to strengthen the developmental pathway for horses and riders, increased access to...

Shelburne, Vt. — The best of the best in the Morgan breed was celebrated at the 2017 edition of the Grand National & World Championship Morgan Horse Show®, held October 7-14. Since 1973, this show has represented the pinnacle of achievement in the Morgan horse world . More than 1,000 of the world's finest Morgan horses from across the United States and Canada met in Oklahoma City, Okla., to compete in over 300 classes for $400,000-plus in prize money. Photo by Howard...

Mill Spring, N.C. - Tickets for the FEI World Equestrian Games™ Tryon 2018 (WEG) are now on sale. Set for September 11 through September 23 in the scenic Carolinas region of the United States, spectators can choose from a variety of ticket types to experience the world's largest equestrian championship. With all competitions happening on site at Tryon International Equestrian Center (TIEC) in Mill Spring, N.C., attendees can come for the day, a week, or the entire Games. Tickets are...

Barcelona, Spain - The Hermès U.S. Show Jumping Team finished strong on Saturday evening at the FEI Nations Cup Jumping Final at CSIO5* Barcelona, claiming second over Belgium. After technical issues with one of the stadium lights that caused nearly a two-hour delay in competition start time, the U.S. team of Lauren Hough, Laura Kraut, Beezie Madden, and McLain Ward proved their experience and fortitude, finishing on a mere four faults. The U.S. team took home third in 2016, only to...