View of the show jumping course at the 2003 World Cup Finals. (Jan Gyllensten) Some of the world’s best riders and horses are placing their bets on Las Vegas this year, eager to see if their scores from earlier qualifying competitions will be enough to earn a ticket to the entertainment capital of the world in April. If they make the final cut, they’ll join the ranks of dozens of world-class athletes, each hoping their skill, combined with Lady Luck, will earn the coveted title of...

USEF President and Pegasus Awards Dinner emcee David O'Connor presents the Equestrian of the Year Trophy to the 2004 winner Kim Severson. (Dr. Mike Tomlinson) 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 the national, international and Olympic-level athletes that were saluted for their competitive efforts and hard work in 2004. In addition, those honored during...

The city of Tampa, FL, will once again play host to the final weeks of the Winter Equestrian Festival, beginning March 23, 2005 at the Bob Thomas Equestrian Center at the Florida State Fairgrounds, I. 4 and Orient Road in Tampa. The festival, the nation’s oldest and largest equestrian extravaganza, is celebrating its 33rd season of equestrian excellence. The 2005 Winter Equestrian Festival kicks off in Wellington, FL, on January 26, at the Palm Beach Polo Equestrian Club and will conclude with...

One of the most prestigious events known to Hunter Seat Equitation, the 2004 USEF/Pessoa National Hunter Seat Medal Finals promises to be the best yet, thanks in part to the continued sponsorship of Pessoa. Continuing in fine tradition, this year’s Finals will take place at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show on Sunday, October 17. Holding the coveted Adrian Van Sinderen Memorial Trophy at bay until the winning rider can claim it, the Hunter Seat Medal Finals marks a right-of-passage for...

Royal Kaliber, the stallion that took Chris Kappler to the Olympic team silver and individual bronze medals at the 2004 Olympic Games, is stable as he continues to recover from colic surgery performed in the Netherlands on Monday, September 27th. Dr. Jack Snyder, the veterinarian who performed the surgery, reports that Royal Kaliber is eating, sleeping and drinking normally for this stage of recovery. “Although there is still much concern and he is not out of the woods yet, all of Roy’s...

The United States Equestrian Team (USET) Foundation has announced the cancellation of its Fifth Annual Golf Outing scheduled for Monday, October 4. The Golf Outing, sponsored by Paul Miller, Inc., was to be held at the Hamilton Farm Golf Club located on the same property as the USET Foundation Headquarters and Olympic Training Center in Gladstone, NJ. The cancellation was necessitated by scheduling difficulties. “We are sorry to have to cancel this year’s Golf Outing, but unfortunately it can’t...

Lexington, KY – July 21, 2004 -- The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) is now accepting bids to host the 2005 USEF Open Reining Championship. This prestigious event has been in existence since 1999 and has featured some of the best reiners in the country. In 2002, the Open Reining Championship was used as the Final Selection Trial for the World Equestrian Games in Jerez, Spain. The resulting team made history by capturing the Team Gold medal and the Individual Gold and Silver medals....

Lexington, KY – The United States Equestrian Federation today announced that due to a veterinary issue Kim Severson has withdrawn He’s Got Rhythm from the short list of 2004 Olympic Team candidates. After meeting today, Captain Mark Phillips, the Selectors and the Veterinary Panel selected Kim Severson and Maguire to replace He’s Got Rhythm on the Short List. The list represents the Nominated Entry for the 2004 Olympic Games Eventing Competition. Alphabetically by rider the short list is as...

Todd Crawford and his mount Matt Dillon Dun It, owned by 3 Peaks Ranch, Bend Oregon, won the $75,000 Bayer/USEF Open Reining Championship during International Day at the 2004 NRHA Derby with a score of 228.5. This win raises Matt Dillion Dun It’s lifetime earnings to $94,636.56. Todd Sommers aboard Remin Whiz, owned by Lucy Van Swearingen, was crowned reserve champion with a score of 226. Tom McCutcheon, a member of the 2002 World Equestrian Games Gold Medal Reining Team, rode Brad Hattig’s...

The 2004 Athlete Summit will be held at 4 PM in the VIP Tent at the Showpark Ranch and Coast Horse Show, Del Mar, California, on Wednesday, May 12, 2004. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the 2005/08 Show Jumping High Performance Plan (HPP), which the U. S. Equestrian Federation must submit to the U.S. Olympic Committee by the end of this summer. This is the athletes’ opportunity to have meaningful input into discussions on this topic. The HPP is a strategic plan for winning medals at...