Michael Matz and Kentucky Derby 132 Winner Barbaro (Anne M. Eberhardt ) Lexington, KY – Imagine having an Olympic Silver medal of your very own. Imagine winning the greatest horse race in the world - the Kentucky Derby. To achieve either is a milestone in any horse lover’s life. To do both is almost unthinkable. That is unless you are Michael Matz, who has created his own exclusive club. And it has exactly one member. The 132nd Kentucky Derby was an exceptional day for this former...

Lexington, KY - Shawn Flarida and Rowdy Yankee took Gold in the Adequan/USEF Open Reining Championship Qualifier at the National Reining Breeders Classic (NRBC) in Katy, TX, on April 21, 2006. The pair marked a 226.5 to win the qualifier as well as the NRBC’s $25,000 Added Open on Friday evening. Rowdy Yankee is a 12-year-old Quarter Horse stallion owned and bred by Keith Crawford. He was the 1997 National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) Non-Pro Futurity Champion and the 1998 NRBC Non-Pro...

Lexington, KY – The show jumping riders representing the United States at the 2006 FEI World Cup Final are now official. The United States is permitted to send 10 riders, seven from the East Coast League and three from the West Coast League, to compete in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, April 26–30. The USEF announced today that the horse and rider combinations are as follows: From the East Coast League: 1.Margie Goldstein-Engle - two horses: Hidden Creek Alibi, Holsteiner gelding, age 12, owned by...

Lexington, KY - Mike McEntire won the 18th Annual Gordyville Breeders Cup aboard Robert LaPorta’s stallion Mr. Boomerjac. The championship, held in Gifford, IL on March 18, was the second of three qualifiers for the Adequan/USEF Open Reining Championships. With a score of 227.5, McEntire took the Gold medal over a field of 15 entries. Steve Schwartzenberger aboard Linda Wise’s stallion, Country Bay Berry, took the Silver. Shawn Flarida and Keith Crawford’s stallion, Rowdy Yankee, received the...

Lexington, KY –The United States Equestrian Federation® has partnered with U.S. Bank to offer members a new way to support USEF equestrian teams in their quest to compete in international competition, including the 2006 FEI World Equestrian Games, with the new United States Equestrian Federation Visa® Platinum Card from U.S. Bank. “When our members sign up for a new card under the USEF—U.S. Bank credit card partnership, they can rest assured our USEF equestrian athletes will benefit...

Lexington, KY – Sonja Keating has been named as Associate General Counsel for the USEF. She was previously associated with the Lexington office of the Cincinnati-based law firm of Dinsmore & Shohl, LLP, where she practiced in the litigation department. A native of Lexington, Keating attended Transylvania University for her undergraduate degree and then obtained her J.D. from the University of Kentucky College of Law in 1996. Keating will work closely with Julie Goodman, General Counsel and...

Sixty years ago, Farnam Companies, Inc., was a diamond in the rough--a name that was introduced as a small mail-order operation in the Midwest. Since 1946, the Farnam brand has become a premier provider of animal health care and nutritional products. In fact, the Farnam name is as ubiquitous in the equine industry as NIKE® is in the sports world. To celebrate 60 years of sharing its passion for animals with its customers, Farnam is holding a Customer Appreciation Sweepstakes to award several...

Lexington, KY - The Florida Classic horse show in Wellington will host a qualifier for the 2006 FEI Children’s International Jumping Final this Saturday and Sunday, February 18 and 19. Please note that, unlike the past two years, the 2006 Children’s Final will NOT be held in the U.S. What this means is that U.S. riders are considered “foreign” and will be invited according to the FEI Children’s International Jumping Competition rules using the worldwide standings listed on the FEI’s web site at...

Kentucky Horse Park (KHP) Commission Chair Tandy Patrick and 2010 FEI World Equestrian Games Chairman Jim Host will attend the ASHA Annual Luncheon at the American Saddlebred Horse Association’s (ASHA) Saddlebred Summit Saturday, February 18, at noon. Patrick and Host have both been playing key roles in the progress of the 2010 World Equestrian Games. Patrick, who is also a member of ASHA, traveled to Bahrain as a member of the Kentucky delegation to make the Kentucky Horse Park’s final...

The 2005 National Pleasure Horse Award winners have been named in eight divisions, all of which are based on a high-point scoring system. All registered American Saddlebreds are eligible for these awards without payment of additional fees. The National Pleasure Horse Awards are based on a formula that favors horses that are consistent winners across the country. The system, which crowns eight champions, is based on the USEF rating of the show and the number of entries in the class. The complete...