The Equine Facilitated Mental Health Association (EFMHA) and NARHA (which was created in 1969 as the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association) are excited to announce that a full integration of vision, membership and programs has begun. The integration is intended to: • Embrace, more fully, NARHA and EFMHA missions • More efficiently steward EFMHA and NARHA resources • Ensure inclusion After years of leading the way through innovation and organization of leadership in the fields of...

In a major new initiative, the American Hanoverian Society (AHS) is pleased to announce a new foal life recording partnership with the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF). The USEF, which serves as the National Governing Body for Equestrian Sport in the U.S., licenses equestrian competitions of all levels across the United States each year and maintains the points and standings for the annual USEF Horse of the Year (HOTY) Awards in its comprehensive database. Through cooperative efforts...

Effective December 1, 2009, English Pleasure will now be a recognized division with the United States Equestrian Federation. The new division rules can be found on the USEF website at www.usef.org/documents/rules/ruleChanges/2010/RE12109.pdf . This means that you have the opportunity to offer "rated" English Pleasure classes to your exhibitors. The Federation is excited to add this division to encourage and reward yet another venue of equestrian sport. The English Pleasure division has three...

(Lexington, KY)— The Markel/United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) Young Horse Dressage Selection Trials concluded the 2009 qualifying season with competitions held across the country in Illinois, California and North Carolina to select the U.S. representatives for the 2009 FEI World Breeding Championships to be held in Verden, Germany, August 5–9, 2009. The first Markel/USEF Young Horse Dressage Selection Trial was held at CDI 3*/Y/J Wayne & Dressage at Lamplight in Wayne, IL, May 15–17,...

The 2008/2009 ASG Software Solutions/United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) International Hunter Derby Qualifying Series was brought to a close this past weekend at the Devon Horse Show in Devon, PA, and the Memorial Day Classic in Burbank, CA. The 18-month series will culminate at the Hunter Derby Finals on August 21-22, 2009, at the Kentucky Horse Park. The top 75 horses based on earnings will be invited to Lexington to compete for an unprecedented $100,000 in prize money. Forty-five...

The American Saddlebred Horse Association (ASHA) has announced that updated guidelines for the 2009 Regional Championships are now available online at www.asha.net/RegChamp09Guide . The ASHA Regional Championships are a part of the association’s ongoing effort to improve public education about the breed, as well as to increase competitive opportunities for all levels throughout the nation. Eleven regional championship competitions are scheduled throughout the country in 2009. In the West, they...

Wilhelm Genn became the first rider to reach the World Equestrian Brands/United States Hunter Jumper Association’s (USHJA) Rider Recognition Program’s elite $1 Million Club after a successful campaign at the Lake St. Louis Hunter Jumper Show, April 1-5, 2009. Genn rode Happy Z, Chantal and Loredo, to third-, fourth- and sixth-place finishes in the $25,000 Grand Prix, to push him over the $1-million mark. “It’s a great program that World Equestrian Brands sponsors,” Genn said of the USHJA Rider...

Stacy Parvey-Larsson, owner of Hidden Acres Dressage in Ocala, FL, rode away with the FEI High Point title at the recent Dressage on the First Coast show in Jacksonville, FL, aboard the beautiful black Trakehner gelding High and Mighty. Parvey-Larsson earned a high score of 79.211% in the Intermediare I class, which was sponsored by The Oaks of Lake City Equestrian Center. “Aileen Daly recently purchased High and Mighty, and I am very grateful to have been able to show him throughout the winter...

Brentina, the only U.S. dressage horse to win the FEI World Cup Finals, will appear at the 2009 Rolex FEI World Cup™ Finals for her official retirement ceremony. Brentina's retirement ceremony will take place on Friday afternoon, April 17. Once again hosted by Las Vegas Events (LVE), the Rolex FEI World Cup™ Finals, April 15-19, at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, will bring spectators edge-of-their-seat entertainment as they watch riders compete for the title of FEI World Cup champion in...

The Kentucky State Fair World’s Championship Horse Show has announced the changes to its Qualifying Requirements for 2009. The significant changes pertaining to show pleasure, country pleasure, and park are as follows: 1. A trainer or any member of his family may not show a customer’s show pleasure or country pleasure horse in order to qualify it for the Kentucky State Fair World’s Championship Horse Show. 2. All ribbon winners in classes of six or more entries will receive the following points...