Lexington, KY— In the newly created 2008 United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) National Developing Horse Dressage Championship sponsored by the Dutta Corporation and Performance Sales International, Guenter Seidel and U II had a strong showing Sunday to win the championship with a total score of 70.873. Similar to the Young Horse championship, the competitors faced high winds which made their rides difficult and a spooky environment for the horses. Seidel felt he was lucky to draw an...

International dressage trainer Susan Dutta has stayed busy over the summer accumulating many blue ribbons during the hot Florida summer. In an effort to stay in top form before Dressage at Devon, Dutta has competed at the Summer Sizzler I and the Summer Sizzler II held in Newberry, FL. Golden Choice DC, Currency DC, and Manette DC have all thrived in the competition arena this summer with Dutta, showing that they are ready for the difficult tests that lay ahead. At the Summer Sizzler I in July,...

Lexington, KY - Two of the top U.S. drivers are taking on some of the world’s best at the World Equestrian Festival CHIO Aachen in Aachen, Germany as part of their important preparation for the 2008 World Driving Championships. After the dressage, U.S. drivers Chester Weber and Tucker Johnson are sitting comfortably in first and third. Weber, the current USEF National Champion, bested a star studded field of 25 four-in-hands to go into the lead after the dressage on a score of 36.48. Driving...

The week’s final spotlight shown on the children-adult jumpers as 47 horses took center stage with hopes of landing the starring role in Classic Company-sponsored $15,000 Jumper Classic. Carri Carse aboard her mount Letterman had the final call back and left the Georgia Horse Park all smiles. On Saturday, Derek Petersen of Archer, FL, captured his second Outback Steakhouse-Horses Helping Horses Grand Prix aboard Jordan Coyne’s Larazo, delivering an exciting conclusion to a weekend of giving at...

Lexington, KY - The Markel/USEF Young Horse Dressage Selection Trials concluded the 2008 qualifying season with competitions held across the country in Illinois, California and North Carolina to select the U.S. representatives for the 2008 FEI World Breeding Championships to be held in Verden, Germany, July 31 – August 3, 2008. The first Markel/USEF Young Horse Dressage Selection Trial was held at CDI 3*/Y/J Wayne & Dressage at Lamplight in Wayne, IL, May 16 – 18, 2008. Champion Five-Year-Old...

The Equestrian Land Conservation Resource (ELCR) is pleased to welcome four new members to its Equestrian Partners program. The diversity of these organizations demonstrates that all horse enthusiasts, despite their geographic location, breed preference or preferred discipline, are engaging in the most critical issue facing horsemen across the country—saving land for horses and horse-related activity. The Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA) is a national organization founded for the...

The USEF Executive Committee met on Monday, May 19, 2008 and approved the following rule changes for immediate implementation. These rule changes were submitted by the USEF Eventing Technical Committee with the support of the USEA Eventing Standards Task Force. EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY the first fall of competitor, at obstacles, on the Cross-Country course will result in Elimination. 1) EV141.1 (b) Cross-Country Scoring b. Falls - (1) First fall of competitor 65 penalties Elimination (2) First...

At the Kentucky International Equine Summit Olympic Gold medalist David O’Connor urged the disparate elements of America’s horse industry to work in concert to improvement promotion in the sport. He said that the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG) gives America’s horse community a unique opportunity to reach a large segment of the public. The WEG is to be held in September in Lexington, Ky. He made his remarks on Tuesday at the Kentucky International Equine Summit, sponsored jointly...

29 April 2008 Dear Members of the Equestrian Community, This past weekend at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day, Laine Ashker suffered a serious fall during the cross-country stage of the competition. She is currently in critical condition at the University of Kentucky hospital in Lexington. Laine’s horse and another involved in a separate accident had to be euthanized. These accidents come just a month after Darren Chiacchia, an Olympic rider, had a serious fall at an event in Tallahassee, Florida....

Lexington, KY - The 2008 Rolex FEI World Cup Final boasts another strong international field of show jumpers. The U.S. horses shipped to Goteborg, Sweden, on April 18 to take on the world’s best. The Rolex FEI World Cup Final features a unique format of three rounds of jumping. Goteborg hosted the inaugural World Cup Final 30 years ago. Seventeen nations will be represented in the Final, to be held April 24-27, 2008. East Coast League winner Kent Farrington has been on in serious form with Up...