During the General Session of US Equestrian’s 2026 annual meeting, the Federation’s leadership evaluated where the organization is relative to its long-term goals, and what work still lies ahead. The session was held as part of a three-day series of educational events during the US Equestrian’s 2026 Annual Meeting at the Omni Hotel in Louisville, Ky. For groups like US Equestrian, a strategic plan is crucial to illustrating a long-term, big-picture vision. The...

Louisville, Ky. - US Equestrian recognized multiple outstanding equestrians during the 2025 Pegasus Awards Dinner at the USEF Annual Meeting in Louisville, Ky., on Jan. 15. Among the honorees were 2025 International Equestrian of the Year Boyd Martin and 2025 National Equestrian of the Year Daniel Geitner. Martin and Geitner were nominated as Equestrians of Honor and selected by US Equestrian members voting in the month of December. 2025 International Equestrian of the Year – Boyd Martin...

Lexington, Ky. – US Equestrian offers annual combined driving grants designed to strengthen the pipeline of opportunities within the U.S. driving community by supporting licensed competitions, developing organizers, and providing education and experience for current or aspiring licensed officials. The application deadline for the 2026 USEF Combined Driving Grants for Competitions and Licensed Officials is January 1, 2026. 2026 USEF Competition Grant for Combined Driving Grants may be...

Lexington, Ky. - US Equestrian is pleased to announce the application opening dates and deadlines for USEF European Tours and dressage competitions for 2026. Applications can be found on the athlete dashboard . U.S. Dressage Festival of Champions Application Opens: Currently Open Early Deadline: May 14, 2026 Late Deadline: June 18, 2026 FEI Dressage World Championships Application Opens: Currently Open Early Deadline: March 2, 2026 Late Deadline: March 9, 2026 USEF Grand Prix Dressage National...

Lexington, Ky. – US Equestrian is pleased to announce the 2025 Horse of the Year and Equestrian of the Year nominees. The International and National Horses of the Year will be announced at the 2025 SmartPak/USEF Horse of the Year Awards Dinner on Saturday, Jan. 17, and the International and National Equestrians of the Year will be announced at the 2025 Pegasus Awards Dinner on Thursday, Jan. 14, at the 2026 US Equestrian Annual Meeting in Louisville, Ky. Horses of Honor and Equestrians of...

Lexington, Ky. - The 2025 USEF Dressage Training Series came to a conclusion in October of this year, delivering comprehensive educational opportunities for dressage athletes of all levels across both coasts. Building on the success of the 2024 Pathway Program sessions, this year’s series featured expanded participation, new learning components, and deeper engagement with top professionals across all facets of the sport. This year, U.S. dressage athletes competing at all levels of the...

Lexington, Ky – US Equestrian is pleased to announce a new partnership with 3 Graces Dressage, welcoming them as an Official Sponsor of US Equestrian and the U.S. Dressage Festival of Champions. 3 Graces Dressage will also serve as an Official Sponsor of the USEF Dressage Grand Prix National Championship, and the 2026 USEF Annual Meeting. Located in the heart of Wellington, Florida, 3 Graces Dressage’s sleek European inspired facility is the home base for dressage rider, Rebecca...

In 2023, the Federation appointed a Hunter and Hunter/Jumping Seat Equitation Judges Task Force, which was tasked with evaluating, analyzing, and improving the current hunter and hunter/jumping seat equitation judging system. Over the last two years, the Task Force, in collaboration with USHJA, has evaluated various concerns regarding judging and reviewed processes related to education, licensing, and judging systems. Through this process, we identified a need to evaluate and improve the...

Lexington, Ky. - US Equestrian is pleased to announce the dates and locations of the 2026 Vaulting Observation Events ahead of the 2026 FEI Vaulting World Championships being held in Aachen, Germany on August 11-16, 2026. List of Observation Events: Any CVI held outside of the U.S. during the Selection Period (March 31 to June 1, 2026) Tryon CVI (April 9-10, 2026) Piedmont Spring Fest (April 11-12, 2026) Vault N' Texas (April 17-19, 2026) Oak Hills Classic (May 8-10, 2026) Pacific Cup (May...

Lexington, Ky. - Earlier this fall, US Equestrian released a series of Horse Welfare Guidelines to members, including those based on the familiar concept of a stoplight guidance recently published by USEF. In addition to this work, the USEF Dressage Equine Ethics and Wellbeing Task Force led by Betsy Juliano and Lisa Gorretta, has been meeting regularly to discuss changes needed nationally within the discipline of dressage. As a result of the Task Force discussions Riding Standard Guidelines...