In response to the tragic earthquake, which rocked Haiti last month, the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) is inviting the equestrian community to gather financial support. Funds collected will be sent to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Pan American Sports Organization (PASO) to assist both organizations in their efforts towards the rebuilding of the sports movement and local sports installations in Haiti once local conditions permit. If you wish to partake in this...

Kim Severson Takes Her Expertise South of the Border (Mike McNally) Lexington, KY – The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) will continue to lead a joint development program with the FEI in Central and South America. The USEF made a commitment to supply coaches from the USA and Canada to FEI regional Groups IV and V for 2010 and 2011 after a very successful pilot year in 2009. The objective of this program is to increase the participation in regional games in the area going forward....

Margie Engle, one of the winningest grand prix riders in the history of the sport, recently added another accolade to her long list of accomplishments. The Olympic and Pan American Games veteran reached the $1 Million Club of the United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) Rider Recognition Program sponsored by World Equestrian Brands. The program was created in 2005 to track the overall lifetime money earnings of professional hunter and jumper riders. Each year, total monies won are added...

Lexington, KY – For the third consecutive year, GumBits will continue their support of the 2009 Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Dressage Festival of Championships. GumBits has been a dedicated sponsor of the sport of Dressage, having partnered with the USEF on several occasions including the 2008 Markel/USEF Young Horse Dressage Championship, as well as the 2008 Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Dressage Festival of Championships, which determined the Olympic Dressage team. This year’s Festival of...

International competitors from several nations hoping to ride at the FEI World Cup Final in dressage in Las Vegas next month get their last chance at the WEF Dressage Classic CDI-W at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) on Saturday night, March 14. The Grand Prix Musical Freestyle will start at 7 p.m. under lights in PBIEC's centerpiece International Arena as part of the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival. Tables of six in the International Club can be reserved for $600 or $100...

The admired stallion Hickstead, winner of Individual Gold and Team Silver medals at the 2008 Olympic Games under Canada’s Eric Lamaze, has been approved for breeding based on performance by the Canadian Warmblood Horse Breeders Association (CWHBA), the American Holsteiner Horse Association (AHHA), and the KWPN of North America breed associations. In addition to his performance at the 2008 Olympic Games, Hickstead’s long list of accomplishments include winning the richest event in show jumping,...

Lexington, KY - The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) Executive Committee approved the specifications for the Eventing Watch List on November 17, 2008. Born out of discussions at the USEF/USEA Safety Summit in June, the goal of the Watch List is to notify riders at USEF licensed and USEF endorsed Eventing competitions that their riding is potentially dangerous. The Watch List is a list of horse/rider combinations that could be regarded as displaying a pattern of potentially dangerous...

The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) would like to extend thanks and gratitude to the Eventing Selectors who have served the US Eventing program from 2005-2009. Chairman Peter Green, Bea DiGrazia, Ann Getchell, Ann Taylor, and Mark Weissbecker have selected three championship teams. They chose the horse/rider combinations that made up the fourth placed team and earned an individual bronze at the 2006 World Equestrian Games. The following year they selected the team that went to Rio de...

Lexington, KY – US Eventing Chef d’Equipe and Technical Advisor, Captain Mark Phillips and the USEF have renewed the contract for Mark Phillips to serve in this capacity through 2012. In his 16 years in tenure as the Chef d’Equipe and coach of the US Eventing Team, Capt. Phillips has never taken a team to an Olympic, World or Pan American Games without bringing home a medal. His tenure has been highlighted by a Team Gold medal at the 2002 World Equestrian Games and David O’Connor’s Individual...

Lexington, KY – A mutual decision has been made not to renew the contract of USEF National Dressage Coach Klaus Balkenhol which expires at the end of 2008. The decision between Balkenhol and the USEF’s High Performance Dressage Committee means that his role as Chef d’Equipe, National Dressage Coach and Technical Advisor to the Committee shall be concluded according to the terms of the existing contract on December 31, 2008. In recognition of Balkenhol’s excellent service to the USEF over the...