Monica Christian of Brookville, OH, has been selected as the 2005 Arabian Horse Association (AHA) Youth of the Year by AHA out of a field of 17 nominees. The high school senior from Region 14 also serves as the Arabian Horse Youth Association (AHYA) Treasurer, a position she was elected to at the annual AHYA Convention in July of 2005. AHA honors one outstanding youth member annually with this award, which is based on an individual’s achievements and contributions to the Arabian horse industry,...

Governor Ernie Fletcher and United States Equestrian Federation President David O'Connor answered questions about the 2010 FEI World Equestrian Games after the announcement was made that Kentucky had won the bid. (Marc Manning) First Time Outside of Europe, the United States Will Host World’s Largest Equestrian Competition at Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky LEXINGTON, KY – For the first time, the FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG) will be held outside of Europe in 2010,...

Lexington, KY – Many say that knowledge is power, and if this is true then the opportunity being afforded to several USEF youth will certainly provide a “one-up” on the competition – outside of the competition ring. A new internship award entitled the “USEF Youth Sportsman’s Charter Award” has been announced and already there is a stir of excitement surrounding the inaugural honor. Designed to educate youth and develop leaders in the equine industry...

Craig Schmersal had four horses to show at the Southwest Reining Horse Association (SWRHA) Futurity and Horse Show in Ardmore, OK, in October. He had Commanders Nic and Im Genuinely Smart for Open and Novice Horse Open competition. He had two three-year-olds for the SWRHA Futurity, Wrangle Whiz and Conquistadors Star. All four horses earned NRHA paychecks. After the show, Schmersal, his wife Ginger and their sons Chris and Nick drove to their new home and training facility in Overbrook, OK,...

Local Weekend kicked off a week of Washington International Horse Show (WIHS) activities as riders competed at the Prince George Equestrian Center in Upper Marlboro, MD. Local Weekend, sponsored by The Tack Box, Inc., of Middleburg, VA, was a local horse show that allowed riders to qualify for local day finals at the WIHS. The WIHS began at the MCI Center on Tuesday, October 25, and continues through Sunday, October 30, 2005. The top six riders in each Pony Hunter, Children’s Hunter, and Adult...

The first American Saddlebred Horse Association (ASHA) regional champions were named from the Northeastern regions made up of USEF Regions 11 and 12 at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show in Harrisburg, PA, October 19-October 22. In the open divisions, Whimsicality and Michael Richardson won the Five-Gaited Regional Championship, I’m Sky High and Francis A. Garone won the three-gaited championship and Definitely Dianna and Kaye Bowles Durnell won the fine harness championship. In the amateur...

Las Vegas, NV – With solidly executed rides that can be described as nothing less than perfectly precise, it was Brazil’s show-jumping super-star, Rodrigo Pessoa who would stake his claim in the spotlight at the inaugural Las Vegas World Invitational at Las Vegas’ Thomas and Mack Arena, October 15. Out of a field of 25 of the world’s best, the 32-year-old Pessoa was one of only six riders to make it to the final jump-off in the most anticipated class of the weekend, the...

Directors of the American Saddlebred Horse Association (ASHA) and the American Saddlebred Registry, along with invited guests, are scheduled to gather, beginning Sunday evening, October 9, in French Lick, IN, to begin a three-day conference and retreat to address strategic planning for the breed and its governing organizations. The formal October meetings of both boards will conclude the session on Wednesday morning. Alan F. Balch, Executive Secretary/Registrar of the organizations, said key...

The equine industry’s work on behalf of unwanted horses continued to gain momentum this week as representatives from twenty organizations met to advance the efforts that began at the nation’s first Unwanted Horse Summit in Washington, DC, in April. Gathering on September 21 at the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) headquarters in Schaumburg, IL, the group focused on solidifying its mission and building a long-term organizational structure. The important roles of education and owner...

Sponsored by Collecting Gaits Farm, the Dutta Corporation, and Performance Sales International Lexington, KY – The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) is pleased to announce the top 12 qualified horse/rider combinations for the 2005 USEF Junior Dressage Team Championship, scheduled to take place September 27-October 2, 2005, and hosted by Dressage at Devon & CDI 3*/Y in Devon, Pennsylvania ( www.dressageatdevon.org ). This event, now in its ninth year, will showcase some of the most...