Doug Payne, acclaimed rider and board member of the Professional Riders Organization, won top honors at the Millbrook Horse Trials this past weekend in New York. Payne's placings included three wins. "To date, I have not had an event which went so smoothly," Payne said. "And I can't say enough about the horses this weekend." Payne competed with eight horses in six divisions. "I'm excited that several of these horses will be competing for years to come," Payne continued. "Hopefully, their...

The USEF Education Department has established a weekly blog on ClubEquestrian.com to share information with members. “Equine U” provides interesting and helpful information about the Federation and also anything relating to horse ownership, competing at all levels and all things equestrian. USEF will post articles from various guest writers as well as from staff's own experiences at competitions, clinics, and seminars. Check it out at www.clubequestrian.com/blogs/equineu/default.aspx . In...

Marilyn E. Smith passed away on Friday, August 7. Smith was born May 14, 1939, in Fort Wayne, IN. For the past six years, she was the office manager at Hamilton Family Medical Center in Hamilton, IN Smith was a graduate of Stephens College in Columbia, MO, and Indiana University, and had a Master's Degree in Education. She taught second grade at Slocum Elementary School. Smith had been President of the Junior Division of the Fort Wayne Women's Club, and was the current president of the Phi Mu...

On August 1, the Youth National Arabian and Half-Arabian Championship Horse Show came to an end after eight days of top-level horse show competition, a shopping expo and the Arabian Horse Youth Association (AHYA) Annual Convention. This was the show’s 17th year in Albuquerque and is estimated to bring about $10.2 million to the city. The largest class, Arabian Hunter Pleasure Junior to Ride, age 14-17, hosted 79 horses and was won by Kool Enuff, owned and ridden by Kirsten McKillop of Alamo, CA....

Lexington, KY – After nearly four months of top competition between the best show jumping nations in the world, the title of Meydan FEI Nations Cup Champion came down to the final round of the final leg at the Dublin International Horse Show in Dublin, Ire. With the US jumpers holding their own throughout the duration of the tour, they ended up barely beaten for the top spot in the standings by France. The two countries tied for fourth on 20 faults a piece in the final, which left France with a...

Ailish Cunniffe is crowned Equisport Insurance/USEF Pony Medal Championship Final winner. (USEF Archive/Randi Muster) Lexington, KY—By midday Sunday, the Kentucky Horse Park began to look vacant. Ponies were unbraided and cooled, loaded trailers rumbled toward home and the usually lively vendor row was filled with merchants striking their tents and packing their wares. After four days of fierce competition in the Pony Hunters and Jumpers, the whirlwind that is the 2009 USEF Pony Finals...

Jumper champions Sydney Shulman and Set Sail (USEF Archives/Randi Muster) Lexington, KY—It was a day of champions at the 2009 USEF Pony Finals as ribbons and top honors were handed out in the Regular Pony Hunters as well as the Individual Jumper Finals at the Kentucky Horse Park on a sun-drenched day where the competition was as hot as the weather. Beginning early in the day was the Medium Pony Hunters where there was no shortage of graceful rides and impressive rounds from the ponies....

Team Gold medalists—Zone 8—from the Team Jumper competition. (USEF Archive/Randi Muster) Lexington, KY —Last night the joint was, as they say, jumpin’. Day three of the five-day USEF Pony Finals National Championships kicked off this morning with Phase I for the Regular Pony Hunters (model and under saddle), moved on to the Small Pony over fences class, and segued by sunset into the rousing 2009 USEF National Pony Jumper Team Championship. This year’s Small Pony Hunter title...

The Morgan Open High-Point Award is sponsored by the American Morgan Horse Association (AMHA) and is available to open equestrian competitions around the country. Currently more than 150 events will be offering the award to competitors exhibiting with a registered Morgan. Okan Crescent (Equinox Beaubrook x Okan Li'l Darling) won high-point Morgan at the Beavercreek CDE with Don Curtis at the reins. Don and his wife, Mary, of Oroville, WA, own this beautiful bay mare. The event was held in...

Small equines from all across the nation turned out in a big way for the 121st Shetland Pony Congress Show, resulting in the largest competition in five years. The versatile Shetland Ponies competed at the Crossroads Arena in Cloverdale, IN, for national championship titles in classes such as driving, halter, jumping, youth and costume classes while owners competed for “best groomed” pony and youth members wrote essays hoping to win a Shetland Pony of their own. “Congress was a great...