The USEF is supportive of the rule change allowing certain non-steroidal medications included on the “Progressive List” passed at the FEI General Assembly in Copenhagen earlier this month. The list includes medications that would be allowed in FEI competitions and which are already permitted in USEF competitions. These medications are not considered by WADA to be performance enhancing in human athletes and because of this distinction, they are not prohibited. While it is the human athlete that...

The Old Dominion Horse Show in Manakin Sabot, VA, was the site for the inaugural competition for ponies nominated to the North American Pony Futurity (NAPF) Registry incentive program. A parade of lovely young ponies competed in hand, divided by ages and genders. USEF “R” Hunter Breeding judges Joe Dotoli (of Vermont) and Beth Neilsen (of Colorado) evaluated the youngsters at the walk and trot prior to standing for conformation. Amateur and pro handlers were equally represented with Tim Foster...

The Buffalo Therapeutic Riding Center hosted a very successful teaching clinic recently with George H. Morris, world-renowned trainer, rider, and U.S. Show Jumping Chef d'Equipe. The clinic was also a United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) Trainer's Symposium. The clinic, held November 6-8, 2009, was scheduled and organized by Susie Schoellkopf, Executive Director of the Buffalo Therapeutic Riding Center and head trainer of SBS Farms, Inc., at the Buffalo Equestrian Center. The clinic...

As the United States Equestrian Team (USET) Foundation Holiday Fundraiser draws closer, many exciting performances have been announced for the feature event. SUCCEED® and Wellington Classic Dressage will be hosting the Holiday Gala Fundraiser, December 11-12, 2009, to benefit the USET Foundation. The venue for the fundraiser will be the Jim Brandon Equestrian Center in Wellington, FL. The two nights of exciting performances will include Pony Club Mounted Games featuring Gina Miles, Cathy...

Registration is now open for one of the finest annual training opportunities in the U.S. for first responders, emergency medical technicians, veterinarians, firefighters, and other emergency/rescue personnel—the Technical Large-Animal Emergency Rescue (LAR) Training provided cooperatively by USRider and Eastern Kentucky University (EKU). Two rescue training seminars have been scheduled for March 2010. The first course, scheduled for March 22-24, 2010, is open to the public, with emphasis...

The sixth annual United Professional Horsemen's Association (UPHA) Classics Incentive Sale will be held in conjunction with the UPHA American Royal National Championship Horse Show at Kansas City, Missouri’s Hale Arena, on Friday, November 20, at 9 a.m. The purpose of this sale is to raise incentive money to be paid back on the local and national levels in the UPHA Classics program, offering breeders a viable marketplace for their two-year-olds. Two-year-olds purchased through the 2009 sale...

The American Paint Horse Association’s (APHA) annual convention and membership meeting concluded recently in Colorado Springs, CO, where 107 leaders of the association met to elect the group’s executive committee, decide on rule change proposals and work within committees to continue to advance the popular horse breed organization. APHA’s newly elected executive committee now includes: • President Linda Vance, Winlock, WA • President-elect Dr. Travis Titlow, Lincoln, CA • Vice President Scot...

Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA), in support of the University of Kentucky Saddle Up Safely campaign, is waiving its fees for the CHA Instructor Certification Clinic at the Kentucky Horse Park, scheduled for November 19-23, 2009, resulting in a significant reduction in the overall price. The UK HealthCare initiative to promote rider safety was launched in October, and is a five-year program to reduce the number of rider injuries. CHA Riding Instructor Certification is a five-day process...

The Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA) honored top individuals, horses and organizations at the annual awards banquet held at the International Conference in Fort Collins, CO, at Colorado State University on October 10. Clinic Instructor of the Year Clinic instructors are the CHA Master Level Instructors that are clinic staff and certify instructors for CHA throughout North America. At the end of each clinic, participants write evaluations of the clinic staff. It is from these evaluations...

Lexington, KY - "Safety" is one of the most important words in the equestrian vocabulary. And to that point, the combined efforts of University of Kentucky HealthCare, the university’s College of Agriculture, Kentucky Horse Park organizations and other businesses have kicked off an education awareness campaign entitled "Saddle Up Safely." The announcement was made at the Kentucky Horse Park today, and dignitaries and equestrians were on hand to take part and promote the importance of safe...