USEF President and 2000 Olympic Gold Medalist David O’Connor was well received as the guest of honor at the annual Arabian Horse Youth Association Convention in Albuquerque, July 22 and 23. As keynote speaker, O’Connor both educated and inspired in his usual style, telling young equestrians, “If you are really good at what you do, the winning will follow.” The pursuit of a true equestrian, he said, is one of excellence—not just a pursuit of awards. He also reminded youth delegates to “make your...

Lexington, KY – Four United States dressage riders have been awarded USEF Dressage European Competition and Training Grants to travel to Europe as they prepare for the 2006 World Equestrian Games in Aachen, Germany. These grants have been made possible through funding from the United States Olympic Committee. The four riders and their horses are as follows: Leslie Morse of Beverly Hills, California, and Kingston (Dutch Warmblood stallion, owned by Leslie Morse) Steffan Peters of San...

The 2005 American Shetland Pony National Championship Congress show is set to kick-off August 3-6 at the Gordyville Arena in Gifford, IL. Last year's Shetland Pony Congress show drew record participation with over 500 entries from all over the United States. "We were pleased by the increased entries last year," said ASPC Executive Director Zona Schneider. "Shetland ponies are very versatile and compete in a variety of open competitions, so it is especially gratifying when we can draw a large...

The multi-U.S. National Champion Andalusian stallion, Davido MC, died on May 2, 2005, of an aortic aneurism, while breeding a mare at Selwood Park Stable, in Elkhorn, WI. Davido MC was owned by Gareth A. Selwood for 12 of the horse's 15 years and was bred by Music City Andalusians of Nashville, TN. He was sired by the imported 2000 USEF Leading Andalusian Sire, Ofendido VII, and out of the imported Poseido V daughter, Huerfana. Davido MC qualified for and showed at a record 11 consecutive...

The stars, both equestrian and celebrity, were out at the 2005 Lake Placid and I Love New York Horse Shows. Among the celebrities on hand were rock stars Bruce Springsteen and Patti Scialfa, former National Football League star and current television sportscaster Ahmad Rashad, and CNN anchor Lou Dobbs to name just a few. The top stars of the equestrian competition were Kent Farrington of Southport, CT, who won the $60,000 Budweiser Grandprix of Lake Placid CSI** for the Whitney Perpetual...

For the second time, Daniel Straumann and his team organized the World Reining Trophy (WRT) at the HorseAcademy facility in Mooslargue, France. There was a total purse of more than $100,000. Shawn Flarida called the show "one of the best reining events of the world"–-and this was before his success in the Open. Judges were Bob Mayhew, of Great Britain; Sylvia Katschker, of Austria, and Jörg Bös, of Germany. Altogether 157 horses had been nominated--many of them from France. And it turned out to...

Following the FEI European Reining Championships held in Manerbio, Italy, last May, preparations are under way for the second finals edition of the $100,000 FEI World Reining Masters Series, presented by the Arcese Group, which will be held on September 22-25, 2005. The finals of the prestigious competition, which were held in Oklahoma City during the National Reining Horse Association Futurity last year, will be hosted at the beautiful Palasturla facility located in Manerbio, Italy. “We are...

Courtesy www.london2012.com (Historic Greenwich Park will host the equestrian events in 2012.) International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge has announced that London will host the 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. The news was greeted with huge cheers as thousands of people packed into Trafalgar Square to watch the result live on giant video screens. Heather Small kick-started the party with a live performance of the bid anthem "Proud," backed by singers from London community...

USDF is pleased to announce that the Great American Insurance Group/USDF Regional Championship program has reached a new record for the amount of prize money available for 2005. This year's prize money fund totals over $116,000. This fund, which is made up of qualifying ride fees paid by competitors, enables USDF to distribute prize money to all champions and reserve champions in as many as 279 championship classes in all of USDF's nine regions. These championship classes provide opportunities...

Three days of seminars, one-on-one consultations and networking opportunities for equine business managers, stable owners, trainers, coaches and instructors are right around the corner. The National Riding Instructors Convention takes place October 20-23, 2005, in Orlando, FL, and the American Riding Instructors Association (ARIA) has announced the line-up of major speakers. This year’s keynote speaker is Susan Harris, best known for her work as a Senior Centered Riding instructor and...