Michael Desiderio from Chester, NJ, won the Arabian Horse Association (AHA) 2005 MD Barns High-Point Amateur Award by earning 594.5 points in the Amateur Achievement Awards program. The 15-year-old competed in both amateur and open classes, including working hunter, working hunter under saddle, hunter hack and hunter seat equitation not to jump and over obstacles. His younger brother, Anthony, was also among the Top Ten with 301 points. Desiderio earned 10 championships, two reserves and six...

Courtesy Animal Planet (Brianne Goutal was the eventual winner of the 2005 ASPCA Maclay Finals.) Lexington, KY – The United States Equestrian Federation® has welcomed a new audience of horse lovers thanks to the recent success of Animal Planet’s new six-week series, Horse Power–Road to the Maclay . More than six million unique viewers of all ages tuned in to Animal Planet to watch the series which began February 1. More than 9 million unique viewers tuned into the three...

Lexington, KY – The United States Equestrian Federation® has finalized the list of breed events that will receive outreach grants through the new program announced in January. A total of $125,000 has been budgeted in 2006 for grants to financially challenged breed competitions which meet the grant requirements and are approved by the USEF. This program operates on a first-come, first-served basis. The maximum grant is $1,000. Each grant request was evaluated based on when it was received and on...

The 2006 American Saddlebred Registry Grand National show schedule has been released with 37 shows offering 57 classes with added prize money. The 2006 Grand National show schedule can be found on the prize program's website at www.saddlebred.com/prize-grand-national . A number of owners have received the schedule, but it is important to note that the St. Louis National Charity Horse Show has since added a Three-Gaited Amateur Championship Grand National class for its September show. The Grand...

Lexington, KY – The United States Equestrian Federation, Inc. is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Scott Hassler as the National Young Horse Dressage Coach, as part of the highly successful Markel/USEF Young Horse Dressage Program. The establishment of this coaching position is an illustration of the Federation’s continuing initiatives to support and emphasize structured development of future FEI-level dressage horses and riders. Hassler is the Training Director at the...

(Gladstone, NJ) – Stand-out coaches George Morris and Kim Severson will share recognition as United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) 2005 Coaches of the Year, as part of the Coaching Recognition Program, developed by the United States Olympic Committee (USOC). Both will go on to become candidates for the USOC 2005 Coach of the Year. Selected for the tremendous strides he made in his first year of leading U.S. Show Jumping athletes, George Morris has received the 2005 USEF National...

The 2006 National Youth Horse Leader’s Symposium will take place February 3-5, 2006, in Gainesville, FL, offering a diverse group of talented and knowledgeable presenters on four different tracks: youth development, successful programs, tools and games and industry issues. The 29th annual symposium will have something for everyone involved in the youth horse industy. Randel Raub, PhD, of Land O’Lakes Purina, will share his knowledge about quality ingredients in feed as well as offer a keynote...

The USEF Dressage Committee has proposed expansions to the USEF/Markel Young Horse Dressage Program, including the possible appointment of a USEF National Young Horse Dressage Coach for 2006. Therefore, the Committee is seeking qualified candidates to fill this position. The primary responsibilities for this coach will be to increase awareness and visibility of USEF/Markel Young Horse Dressage Program; further the education of riders, trainers and owners and the importance of proper development...

Delaware State University (DSU) is adding a new women’s sports that will play a major role in making its sports gender equity shortcomings a thing of the past, and at the same time establish a distinct athletics program that will set it apart not only from every school in the MEAC and the state, but in the entire Mid-Atlantic Region. The University will take advantage of the resources and partnerships of its College of Agriculture and Related Sciences and establish a Women’s Equestrian Team,...

Equestrian Entertainment Partners (EEP) announced the broadcast schedule for its original programming, "Inside Horse Sports," featuring a special presentation of the 2005 Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials, at 3 p.m. EST on Friday, November 25, and a five-part mini-series, "Eventing: The Ultimate Horse Sport," airing on consecutive Fridays starting December 2 on RFD-TV. The programming is sponsored in part by World Equestrian Brands, Dover Saddlery, Purina, Taittinger and the United States...