Calgary, Alberta, Canada - Two-time Olympic Gold medalist McLain Ward (USA) bested an international entry of 52 to score his first victory of the Spruce Meadows “Canada One” Tournament in the WESTJET Cup. Riding his 10-year-old Dutch gelding, Pjotter, Ward piloted two clear rounds, with a blazing trip around the jump-off course of 42.52 seconds to defeat American teammate Mario Deslauriers. Fourteen horse/rider combinations had advanced to the jump-off over the technically demanding...

Two Champions "Three-Peat" as Breed Show Wraps Up When individual breed classes took center stage on day three of Dressage at Devon 2009, two horses who had dominated the news in the prestigious show's first two days continued to grab headlines. Perfect Qredit, a yearling colt by Quaterback, added an 83.80% win in the Oldenburg (GOV) division to his Grand Championship, Young Horse Championship, Colt Championship, and Yearling Colts and Geldings title for owner Michelle Coursin, an air-traffic...

Lexington, Ky. – US Equestrian is pleased to announce the return of Debbie McDonald to the U.S. Dressage Program in the role of Technical Advisor to lead and oversee training preparation for Elite combinations through the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. McDonald served as Technical Advisor for the U.S. Dressage Program from 2019 through 2021, culminating with a historic silver medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. McDonald’s responsibilities will be designated specifically to training...

Lexington, Ky. – The qualification periods for two US Equestrian para dressage opportunities are open for interested applicants. The USEF Para Dressage Athlete of Honor Awards Program and the USEF Para Dressage National Championship at the U.S. Dressage Festival of Champions are key opportunities for para dressage athletes in 2023. The USEF Para Dressage Athlete of Honor Awards Program is a new program that celebrates excellence and strives to develop a solid foundation for future success...

Lexington, Ky. – Participants in the US Equestrian (USEF) Emerging Athlete Eventing 25 Program (E25) and the Eventing 18 Program (E18) completed their winter training sessions last month. The Emerging Athlete Lists are the first step in the athlete pathway as developed in the 2019 Strategic Plan . The program aims to provide basic skills necessary for future team athletes and athletes focused on reaching Elite status. Over the course of intensive three-day training sessions, the groups...

The American Morgan Horse Association (AMHA) has created a new program for shows with Morgan classes called the Star Rating Program, which is a way to encourage horse owners to compete on all levels and for smaller shows to expose others to the breed. The program, which is in its inaugural year, was designed with two goals in mind: to educate and increase awareness of all types and levels of competitions that promote the breed, and to provide a tool to help horse owners identify competitions...

Photo by Denisha Sproul Photography/USEF Archives Lexington, KY – With more than a thousand high school equestrians already working to earn their varsity letters, and new registrations arriving daily, it’s clear the United States Equestrian Federation’s new High School Equestrian Athlete program is a huge hit across the country. Applications are still being accepted for the 2009-2010 school year, and there’s still plenty of time left for those who would like to apply by the June 1, 2010...

Photo by Whitney Allen (Carly Anthony and Ricky Neal) Carly Anthony, 19 of Redmond, WA, and Richard “Ricky” Neal, 17 of Pasadena, CA, were named the inaugural winners of the United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) Emerging Athletes Program National Training Session. For their amazing accomplishments, Carly and Ricky will each receive 30 days of advanced training with a high-performance athlete, as well as $1,500 in gift certificates from Dover Saddlery to purchase show clothes. When...

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...

The United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA), Inc., is pleased to announce that the dates of the 2009 USHJA Emerging Athletes Program Level I Training Sessions, as well as the application process, are now available on the USHJA website at www.ushja.org . Level I Training Sessions will be offered in Zones 1-10 beginning in April. The mission of the Emerging Athletes Program is to develop and implement a system of identifying and nurturing talented young riders by providing them with the...