Lexington, KY – There is still time to contact your affiliate and submit a nomination for the USEF Youth Council and the USEF Youth Sportsman’s Charter Award. The deadline for USEF to receive nominations from the affiliates for the Youth Council is October 16, 2006, and the deadline for the USEF to receive nominations from the affiliates for the Youth Sportsman’s Charter Award is October 31, 2006. Both programs require that nominations be received by USEF from the USEF-recognized association....

Lexington, KY - On December 2, 2005, the United States Equestrian Federation® (USEF) announced the debut of the USEF Youth Sportsman’s Charter Award. This new program is designed for junior members who are current members of both the USEF and their recognized national affiliate. The youth candidates are to demonstrate an ongoing commitment and dedication to the USEF and their affiliate through the promotion of the horse. This person is to serve as a role model for their peers. The...

Marc Manning (Darren Chiacchia and Windfall II) Call it a day! The dressage phase of the 2006 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by Farnam ended with a second day of unprecedented beautiful weather and sun-kissed crowds who were witness to two days of the expert dressage tests. And with American riders siting in seven of the top 10 placings, it was a particular triumph for the U.S. eventing world. 2004 Modified CCI**** Rolex Kentucky Champion Darren Chiacchia and his black Trakehner...

Georgetown College President William H. Crouch, Jr., and Kentucky Horse Park Executive Director John Nicholson cut the ceremonial ribbon to officially open the Equine Scholars Center, which will serve as the central offices for Georgetown College’s Equine Scholars Program. The ceremony also honored Larry Smith, who recently retired as the volunteer executive director, for all of the time and hard work he contributed to make the program a success. The program, which pairs students’ academic...

Aachen, Germany - Aug. 25 – The United States show jumping team claimed a victory and a fourth place finish Thursday on the eve of the Samsung Super League Nations Cup competition at the World Equestrian Festival. Jeffrey Welles, of Ridgefield, CT, piloted his nine-year-old Holsteiner gelding, Sampras, to victory in the Youngsters Cup, while Laura Kraut of Oconomowoc, WI, finished fourth on the Dutch Warmblood gelding, Anthem, in the Preis von Nordrhein-Westfalen. Welles and Sampras finished in...

Britain has been experiencing a heat wave in recent weeks, but the temperature is set to rise even further next week when the 2005 Samsung Super League series resumes at Hickstead on Friday, July 29. It's been a fascinating season so far, with the Americans dominating at the opening leg in La Baule and the British showing their class in Rome. The double Super League champions from France headed the line-up in St. Gallen, and then the Swiss swept to victory in Rotterdam before the series took a...

Courtesy of Karina Benish (Karina and Hawkeye) He was the ugliest male I had ever seen in my life. He had a bloody wound on his nose, hair six inches long on his chest, and he weighed about 700-800 pounds—400 shy of his best weight. His name was Hawkeye, and he was my partner for more than 14 years. Hawkeye was a mustang horse, and it was he who taught me what it is to trust. Horses, in my opinion, given good care and a little attention, are high up in Maslow’s hierarchy. Since...

USEF Honors its Stars of 2004 at Athletes’ Luncheon and Pegasus Awards Dinner Louisville, KY —Friday proved to be a day of widespread celebration at the 2005 USEF Annual Meeting as two special events brought audiences to their feet with thunderous applause and accolades for athletes and honorees. During the Friday Recognition Luncheon in honor of Athletes and Owners, the United States Equestrian Team (USET) Foundation presented the coveted Whitney Stone Memorial Cup to one of the...

One step out of the ring, internationally renowned equestrian Lynn Seidemann and Phoenix B knew they had put on a good show. Slated to ride second to last in the line-up, the pair pulled out all the stops to wow the judges with a spectacular performance Thursday. Make that a Silver medal-winning performance that surprised even Lynn. “It was a good day,” Lynn said modestly after the news started to filter back through the time zones into the States. With a Silver medal in tow and a...

It was a difficult evening for the United States Team as an unusual equipment failure in the middle of his final round, a broken bit, caused McLain Ward of Brewster, NY to retire from the competition for the individual medals. Then, in a jump-off for the silver and bronze medals Chris Kappler of Pittstown, NJ was pitted against Brazilian rider Rodrigo Pessoa and his Baloubet du Rouet when he felt his horse, Royal Kaliber, take a bad step. He immediately stopped and dismounted, ending his bid...