Lexington, KY - Eight teams from around the world are preparing to represent their countries and regions at the WEF Wellington Dressage Nations Cup CDIO3* presented by Stillpoint Farm in Wellington, FL this week and challenge for the $35,000 FEI Nations Cup title. The United States, Canada, Australia, Latin America and Europe will all be represented in small tour competition. Comprising the United States team are four riders in the midst of very good 2012 seasons. Chris Hickey will ride Hilltop...

The FEI has today given final sign-off on the footing that will be used for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Equestrian Events at Greenwich Park. The London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) conducted footing tests at a site near Preston in the north of England on 20 and 21 December 2011. The mix for the footing is now composed of non-waxed sand, felt and fibre. Testing of the new footing concluded on 21 December when international riders Geoff Billington...

San Antonio, TX - A record number of attendees gathered in San Antonio, TX, for the sixth annual United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) Annual Meeting, presented by the Texas Hunter Jumper Association. There they discussed a number of issues, including standardizing zone children’s and adult specifications, a revamped amateur definition and whether or not money won in derbies and classics should be counted toward Horse of the Year Awards. The 346 attendees traveled to the Westin La...

Robin Groves collects her prizes (Joanie Morris/USEF) Ocala, FL - With impending storms looming, the fourth and final day of the Live Oak International presented by US Trust featured a difficult cones phase and clear rounds were hard to find. But the best drivers in the US prevailed and two USEF National Champions were crowned based on their incredible three phase performances. A massive storm held off until the final few drivers, and then the weather deteriorated quickly. Chester Weber and...

John French entered last week’s $10,000 Devoucoux Hunter Derby as a heavy favorite, and during the popular two-round classic, he showed exactly why when he captured the top two places in the class to conclude a fabulous week during Desert Circuit V at the HITS Desert Horse Park, in Thermal, CA. French, from Gilroy, CA, took the top placing aboard Lisa Martinez-Bates' Brego and was also second aboard Yellow Dog, LLC's Crown Affair en route to collecting $5,000 in prize money for the afternoon....

Melissa Jackson and Wellington Capture Grand Prix Win Sponsored By the Sanctuary Equine Sports Therapy & Rehabilitation Center Melissa Jackson and her 12-year-old Hanoverian, Wellington, captured the win in the Grand Prix at the Wellington Classic Dressage’s Autumn Challenge of Champions show, held in conjunction with the United States Dressage Federation (USDF) Region 3 Dressage Championships. The Grand Prix was sponsored by The Sanctuary Equine Sports Therapy & Rehabilitation Center, and...

Sydney Moriarty is a lifelong hunter/jumper rider and a second-year medical student at the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine. In 2021, she graduated with a B.S. in Clinical Neuroscience from Virginia Tech, where she worked at the Helmet Lab assisting on the Equestrian STAR helmet rating project . Moriarty gave a presentation on the history, future, and current research around equestrian helmets, body protectors, and air vests. Here are five key takeaways from her presentation: 1....

Blacksburg, Va. – On Dec. 7, the Virginia Tech Helmet Lab released the results of its first-ever rating of equestrian helmets. Over the past two years, Virginia Tech researchers analyzed over 100 videos of riders falling off horses, precisely measured the hardness of the sand, dirt, grass, and synthetic surfaces underfoot at equestrian events, and dragged dummy heads and other equipment — and boxes and boxes of helmets — out to Virginia Tech’s equestrian facilities to...

Lexington, Ky. – US Equestrian is pleased to announce that it has awarded more than $60,000 in USEF Opportunity Fund grants to seven USEF Community Outreach Organizations in the fund’s inaugural year. The 2022 USEF Opportunity Fund grants will support a range of projects, from expanding programming and purchasing safety equipment to infrastructure improvements and business operations support. Grantees are listed below in alphabetical order: City to Saddle – Mesa Farm (Rutland,...

Mill Spring, N.C. - The U.S. Dressage athletes are strong contenders for medals at this year’s FEI World Equestrian Games™ Tryon 2018. Technical Advisor and Chef d’Equipe Robert Dover, U.S. athlete Laura Graves, and her coach, Debbie McDonald share their philosophies and the importance of a positive mindset, care for the horses’ mental states, and envisioning a goal when competing and preparing for major events. During competition, six-time Olympian, Technical Advisor,...