Lexington, Ky. – The US Equestrian Board of Directors has unanimously elected Tom O’Mara as the organization’s new president with his term beginning in January 2021. The election took place as part of the Mid-Year BOD Meeting on June 22 and 23, which was held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. O’Mara will take office at the 2021 US Equestrian Annual Meeting, currently scheduled for January 12-17, in Austin, Texas. O’Mara has been a member of the Board of...

Lilly Ward, daughter of two-time Olympic show jumping team gold medalist McLain Ward, launched her own show career in May in an Old Salem Farm Spring Horse Show leadline class with dad and mom Lauren. Lilly may be heading down the road to stardom behind her show jumper father McLain. Now two, she's already gotten the show itch. With the help of dad and mom, Lilly tacked up her miniature horse Daisy for her first class on May 21 in North Salem, N.Y. While the family was in Wellington,...

Steffen Peters & Legolas 92 (Terri Miller) San Juan Capistrano, Calif. - Steffen Peters successfully punched his ticket to return to the site of his 2009 World Cup glory by winning the CDI-W Grand Prix Freestyle with Legolas 92 in an exciting conclusion to California Dreaming Productions' Capistrano Dressage International CDI-W/Y/J/U-25, held March 19 - 22 in San Juan Capistrano, Cal. Peters' new personal-best score of 80.925% aboard Four Winds Farm's Westphalian gelding...

Devon, Pa. - Ashley Holzer and her bay mare, Tiva Nana, winner of Friday’s Grand Prix Qualifier, thrilled the crowd with their freestyle dressage performance that earned a score of 76.125. Their movements were challenging. For instance, they moved from canter to piaffe to passage without missing a beat of the epic, orchestral music. Apparently Ashley had made a last minute decision to enter the freestyle competition. She says that the electric atmosphere at Devon worried her mare a bit...

Chris Hickey on Witness Hilltop (Hoof Print Images) Devon, PA – Much of the concluding day at Dressage at Devon was composed of Freestyle classes – from the FEI Junior Freestyle to the FEI Intermediare Freestyle CDI W. The afternoon also featured the FEI Olympic Grand Prix Special CDI W. Up and Coming Talent Alexandra Reid, a 20 year-old Canadian, and her mount V.I.P (Rousseau x Nastrade) swept the Young Rider classes this year with winning scores for the FEI Young Rider Individual...

Dale Dedrick (Ann Arbor, MI) rode her Bonifatious to a score of 64.619% in the Grade II Individual Test. Here are her thoughts; On her improvement over the Team Test: “It was a much more forward and obedient test; we still had a lot of Erik’s, ‘Oh, no what’s happening now?’. But I was much more prepared for it today, I knew he was going to pull and I was much more ready to attack the minute he tried that and I said, ‘no, no get in there, get in there, get...

Aurora, CO - Darker N Bey (NV Beau Bey x Spot N The Dark) and Leprachaun SCR (Pachole x Bekkah Ambrielle) were both recently recognized with Ambassador Awards for outstanding achievement in representing the Arabian horse community to the general public. The two geldings achieved unique accomplishments that showcased the breed outside the show ring. Darker N Bey “Darker” connects with children and senior citizens at camps, horse shows, and charity events, but perhaps relates best to...

Augusta, KS Meet Jjs Summer Breeze, who holds the Guinness Book of World Records title for horse with the longest tail. Editor Stephanie Doyle “interviewed” Summer (via her owner, Crystal Socha). Summer is a registered American Paint Horse and also is registered with the Pinto Horse Association of America. Just how long is your tail? Currently my tail is 13’6” long. When it was officially measured for the Guinness Book it was 12’6”. What’s your favorite thing about your tail? My favorite thing...

New AQHA executive director of shows Patti Carter-Pratt (Photo courtesy AQHA) As part of an effort to foster and guide the American Quarter Horse show industry in a direction that will ensure its continued success and longevity, the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) is excited to announce that Patti Carter-Pratt of St. George, Ontario, has been named to the new position of AQHA executive director of shows. "When I was tapped to manage and oversee AQHA's multifaceted competition and...

The Arabian Horse Association (AHA) named Kelsey Kimbler of Aberdeen, SD the 2010 AHA Youth of the Year. Kimbler was presented with the Youth of the Year perpetual trophy at the 2010 AHA Annual Convention on Nov. 20 in Orlando, FL. A quote by Randy Pausch is one of Kimbler's favorites, "The brick walls are not there to keep us out, they are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something." And shown us, she has. Kimbler's achievements and contributions to the Arabian horse...