The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) and the United States Dressage Federation (USDF) are pleased to announce official qualifying competitions for the 2008 CN North American Junior and Young Riders’ Championships presented by Gotham North and UlcerGard and 2008 Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF National Dressage Championships for the Junior, Young Rider and Young Adult “Brentina Cup” divisions. A complete list of these designated qualifying competitions is now available at www.usef.org and...

Lexington, KY— A last minute decision to enter the class paid off for first-time USEF Saddle Seat Adult Amateur Medal Finalist Michelle Krentz as she swept the class with a unanimous decision from the judges and went home with the title. Krentz beat six other finalists in the 71st Lexington Junior League Horse Show at the famous The Red Mile racetrack. Even though Krentz has not been regularly riding her 17-year-old mare, CH Louisville Lass, the chemistry was right between them. “Since I’ve...

A record number of almost 130 horses have been nominated so far to compete in the 2007 Markel/USEF National Young Horse Dressage Championships, presented by Collecting Gaits Farm, which will be held at the Kentucky Horse Park, September 14–16 in Lexington, KY. The nomination list (to date) is now posted on the Markel/USEF Young Horse Dressage Program web page at www.usef.org/_IFrames/breedsDisciplines/discipline/allDressage/2004yhProgram.aspx . The inaugural USEF National Developing Horse...

The United States Dressage Federation (USDF) announced that competitors now have access to a rider score check for the 2007 competition year, available on the USDF website. This new feature allows individuals to track all scores earned during the current competition year, no matter the number of different horses ridden. A reference tool for members, this score check is also an acceptable form of score verification that can be submitted with the USDF Rider Award Report Form when applying for the...

The American Horse Council’s 2007 National Issues Forum in Washington, DC, was a huge success and featured dozens of respected speakers on important issues and opportunities to meet and mingle with federal legislators and regulators. More than 150 people gathered at the L’Enfant Plaza Hotel from June 17-19, participating in American Horse Council (AHC) committee meetings, attending panels on different topics and socializing with other attendees and Congressional staffers. “With so many federal...

The newly created FEI Safety Sub-Committee held it first meeting in London on June 18, 2007. The committee is chaired by international rider and course designer David O’Connor (USA). Members include Chris Bartle, international rider and trainer of the German National Eventing Team; Laurent Bousquet, international rider and chairman of the French National Federation Safety Commission and trainer of the Belgium National Eventing Team; Yogi Briesner, trainer of the British National Eventing Team;...

The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) Foundation will be hosting a Lameness Research Meeting and Panel on August 1, 2007, at the Fort Collins Marriott in Fort Collins, CO. This special research meeting is being supported through donations by two major industry partners, Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc., and IDEXX Laboratories, Inc., as well as three partner equine foundations: American Quarter Horse Association Foundation, Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation and Morris...

The American Saddlebred Museum was awarded a Silver Telly at the 28th Annual Telly Awards for its film Out of The Shadows . The 30-minute film, which features black horsemen from the late 1800s through the 1970s, was chosen among 15,000 entries for the highest prize offered by the Telly Awards. The Tellys honor outstanding local, regional and cable TV commercials and programs, as well as video and film productions. Out Of The Shadows competed in the Non-Broadcast Category. Produced by Museum...

David O'Connor accepting the 2007 Equine Industry Vision Award. (Diana DeRosa ) Albuquerque, NM— When it comes to promoting innovation and showing vision in the equestrian world, there are few people who are as adept at it as the United States Equestrian Federation’s own president, David O’Connor. And for his years of excellence as an equestrian athlete and his service to not only the Federation, but the equine industry as a whole, O’Connor was presented with the 2007...

US Representatives Named for FEI/WBFSH World Breeding Championship for Young Horses in Dressage Lexington, KY -The United States Equestrian Federation is pleased to announce the US representatives to the FEI/WBFSH World Breeding Championship for Young Horses in Dressage, to be held August 2 – 5, 2007 in Verden, Germany. The results of all three Markel/USEF Young Horse Dressage Selection Trials were tallied and horses from each age group (Five- and Six-Year-Olds) with an average score of at...