Lexington, KY —Without further ado, the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) is pleased to unveil the new and improved 2005 Rule Book, designed to help set the tone for the coming competition year with not only a brand new look, but also complete with easy-to-understand modifications. This latest edition represents the first stage of a massive reorganization project, led by the Ad Hoc Rules Reorganization Committee. The central goal of this project is to provide the best customer...

The United States Equestrian Team (USET) Foundation officially announced that it has retained GráficaGroup as its Public Relations Agency of Record. The USET Foundation, based in Gladstone, New Jersey, supports American equestrian athletes competing in national and international competitions, including the World Equestrian Games, the Pan American Games, and the Olympics. Gráfica ( www.grafica.com ) is a nationally ranked, full-service, fully integrated advertising and public relations agency...

Syracuse, NY —David Raposa bested a field of 2004 Olympic athletes and fellow international riders to claim the highest score for the United States at the $75,000 Budweiser World Cup of Syracuse over the weekend. Coming in second place overall, atop Audi’s Fanny de la Tour, (Bay Selle Francais mare; Trias Du Gue—Alicia De La Tour; Shalamar Farm) Raposa jumped double clear rounds to secure his title. His jump-off round clocked in at a mere 31.21 seconds, less than two-tenths of...

Flashpoint Photography (Joie Gatlin and SunCal''s King) Joie Gatlin of San Juan Capistrano, CA, riding SunCal’s King, owned by Canyon Capital Insurance, won the $25,000 Open Jumper at the evening session of the Metropolitan National Horse Show Wednesday night in New York City. Gatlin topped a roster of 12 horses and earned $7,500. The Table II.2b class required riders to clear the Linda Allen-designed course of 11 jumps in order to move on immediately to the eight-obstacle jump-off. Six...

Reminder: Salicylates (Aspirin) The 2004 FEI General Assembly agreed to change the threshold for salicylates in line with the proposals submitted by the Veterinary Committee. The previous thresholds for salicylates were 750 ug/ml in urine and 6.5 ug/ml in plasma. Experiences in testing have indicated that abuse of salicylates was possible by administration of low doses without exceeding the threshold. An extensive study on 650 samples for the salicylate content and a subsequent bio-statistical...

Show jumping action got underway on September 22 at the five-day "A"-rated Los Angeles International Jumping Festival (September 22-26, 2004) at the world class Los Angeles Equestrian Center. The $40,000 Grand Prix of Los Angeles, set for 7 p.m. Saturday night, looks to be an exciting class. Last night, 21 horses and riders competed in the $5,000 Welcome Stake. Typically, the grand prix riders use this class as preparation for the grand prix. Olympian Mark Watring piloted his Olympic mount,...

Del Mar, CA – This weekend in Del Mar may have seemed a bit more like the last leg of the Triple Crown, instead of the Finals of the U.S. Olympic Team Show Jumping Trials as American jumpers vied for a spot on the team headed to the 2004 Athens Olympics in August. Beezie Madden, who some might label as the jumping world’s Smarty Jones (the lead racehorse in the running for a Triple Crown victory), is America's highest ranked jumper on the international computer list. Madden showed up on the...

The Committee on Selections of the United States Equestrian Federation, Inc., has approved the unanimous recommendation of the Show Jumping Selectors, and of the Show Jumping High Performance Committee, to name Chris Kappler to the “Short List” for the 2004 Olympic Equestrian Team. According to the USEF Show Jumping Athlete Selection Procedures, it is possible for one or two horse/rider combinations to be named to the Short List by the selectors without competing in the Olympic Selection Trials....

Harrisburg, Pa. – The Dover Saddlery/USEF Hunter Seat Medal Final was the premier class on Sunday at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show. A total of 208 junior competitors competed in the first round over Alan Lohman’s course in front of judges Jack Towell and Timmy Kees. The top 25 athletes returned for the second round over a new course, with the top six returning for final testing. Carlee McCutcheon clinched the win and the Adrian Van Sinderen Trophy with a fabulous round on...

Lexington, Ky. – Two athlete-and-horse combinations participated the U.S. Dressage European U25 Tour this spring and summer and scored top results. Ben Ebeling and Status Royal OLD competed in Belgium and France, while Erin Nichols and Elian Royale competed in the Netherlands. USEF Dressage Youth Coach George Williams advised the U.S. athletes to help them achieve strong scores in European competition. Ben Ebeling and Status Royal OLD compete in Crozet, France. (Photos Les Garennes)...