Starting in 2007, the American Morgan Horse Association’s (AMHA) Youth Member of the Year award will now be called the AMHA Annual Youth Achievement Award, as decided by the AMHA Board of Directors at their May meeting. The award, which recognizes a youth who demonstrates outstanding achievement and dedication to the Morgan breed , is determined by a point system. In 2006, Caitlin Novotny of Oklahoma City received the first AMHA Youth Member of the Year award. AMHA youth members may earn points...

The newly created FEI Safety Sub-Committee held it first meeting in London on June 18, 2007. The committee is chaired by international rider and course designer David O’Connor (USA). Members include Chris Bartle, international rider and trainer of the German National Eventing Team; Laurent Bousquet, international rider and chairman of the French National Federation Safety Commission and trainer of the Belgium National Eventing Team; Yogi Briesner, trainer of the British National Eventing Team;...

Buying a horse is a big challenge. Choosing a mount that doesn't fit your needs, skill level or intended use can be painful emotionally, financially and even physically. To give would-be horse owners information that will enable them to make decisions that will lead to years of equine enjoyment, Michigan State University's (MSU's) My Horse University has launched a new online course called "Horse Selection and Evaluation." In this self-paced course, participants will discover a wealth of...

Lexington, KY - There were USEF funded showjumpers at three different European horse shows over the weekend of June 1-3 and strong performances were turned in at each venue. The highlight of the weekend was US riders winning classes in two different countries on Saturday. At the CSIO in St. Gallen, Switzerland, May 31-June 3, the US Team was third in the Samsung Super League Nation’s Cup on Friday. The next day at St. Gallen Richard Spooner and Ace jumped their way to top honors in the LGT...

The inaugural USEF National Developing Horse Dressage Championship (for seven- to nine-year-old horses at the Prix St. George level) will be held in Lexington, KY, September 14–16, 2007. This championship is sponsored by the Dutta Corporation and Performance Sales International. The qualifying period ends on August 20, and the final qualifying competitions for June, July and August 2007 have now been announced. A complete list of these designated competitions is available at www.usef....

The Potomac Valley Dressage Association will host its fourth annual Ride for Life recognized dressage horse show, a fund raiser for the Johns Hopkins Breast Cancer Center in Baltimore, MD. The show will be held on June 30-July 1 at the Prince Georges Equestrian Center in Upper Marlboro, MD. The show includes a dancing horse competition and exhibition with FEI riders including Bent Jensen, former Olympian. Competitors collect donations and get sponsors for the show, and in return compete for...

Daniel Geitner, of Aiken, South Carolina’s DFG Stables, dominated GALA’s January Jazz II competition in Folsom LA, last week. The hunter champion and prominent trainer piloted his mount, Trading Places, to top honors in both the opening $5,000 Welcome Stake and the closing $25,000 Grand Prix on January 27. In the days following the Welcome, the weather in Folsom turned rainy and cold. Geitner, nevertheless, turned up the heat for the Saturday Prix, steering Places, an eight-year-old Argentine...

The U.S. dressage team won a Team Bronze medal. (Bob Langrish) Aachen, Germany – Day two of grand prix didn’t give any of the remaining 43 riders much of an advantage when it came to weather, but it did not seem to affect the Americans, the Dutch, the Germans or the Danes. The crowd of 32,000 definitely got their money’s worth today witnessing the best piaffes, passages, pirouettes and transitions in the world. Because of the caliber of today’s riders, the photographers...

Lexington, KY – The United States Equestrian Federation® is now accepting bids for both the 2007 and 2008 USEF Open Reining Championships, and the 2007 and 2008 USEF Youth Reining Championships, which run in conjunction with the USEF Open Reining Championship. The open reining event showcases the most talented U.S. reining athletes, both human and equine, as they compete for a national title. The youth championships offer exciting opportunities for a national title to future international...

Lexington, KY – The United States Equestrian Federation® is now accepting bids for the 2008 FEI Reining Masters Final. This FEI event showcases the most talented reining athletes, both human and equine, from each country. This prestigious event will offer $100,000 added - $75,000 for the open competition and $25,000 to the restricted competition. Interested bidders must submit their bid by the end of business, 5:00 p.m. EDT, Friday, August 18, 2006. For further information and to request a bid...