Harrisburg, PA – Megan Young, 18, of Jacksonville, FL, defeated a field full of the nation’s top junior riders to win the 2004 USEF/Pessoa National Hunter Seat Medal Final, on Sunday, October 17th, at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show. Judges Sue Ashe of Wellington, FL, and Mary Chapot of Neshanic Station, NJ, scored the three rounds of competition based on equitation and a rider’s ability to ride with control, competency and compatibility. The USEF/Pessoa National Hunter...

Currently underway, the 38th annual U.S. National Arabian and Half-Arabian Championship Horse Show (U.S. Nationals) is the flagship event for the Arabian horse industry, featuring top quality horses, a commercial trade fair and the annual Arabian Horse Judging Contest. This year’s show features 3,000 entries vying for champion, reserve champion or top ten in 104 classes that include reining, mounted native costume, working cow, show hack, breeding-in-hand, driving, English, hunter and western...

As I sift through weekly e-mails and phone messages, I’m beginning to realize the United States Equestrian Federation’s best kept secret is no longer a best kept secret. Only a few months from its conception, and already, details of the USEF purchasing program are running through the rumor mill faster than juicy tabloid gossip. I should hardly be surprised. When money is involved, especially this much money, news tends to spread fast; and while we’re not working overtime to keep the news under...

Royal Kaliber, one of the United States most brilliant horses ever to compete internationally in show jumping, was humanely euthanized today in the Netherlands. He underwent colic surgery for intestinal adhesions, on September 27th and had been recovering well until two days ago when his progress considerably slowed. Royal Kaliber took Chris Kappler to a Team Silver medal and an Individual Bronze medal at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. According to Dr. Tim Ober, a veterinarian for the USEF...

The Paso Fino Horse Association’s 32nd Annual Grand National Horse Show was held, September 19-25 at the Georgia National Fairgrounds and Agricenter in Perry, GA. Employees of the fairgrounds put forth the extra effort to get stalls prepared for those needing to arrive early to escape the wrath of Hurricane Ivan and to remain during Hurricane Jeanne. Though the weather kept a few people away, 822 horses and more than 1,700 entries, ridden by youth and adults, were slated to compete for a...

Royal Kaliber, the stallion that took Chris Kappler to the Olympic team silver and individual bronze medals at the 2004 Olympic Games, is stable as he continues to recover from colic surgery performed in the Netherlands on Monday, September 27th. Dr. Jack Snyder, the veterinarian who performed the surgery, reports that Royal Kaliber is eating, sleeping and drinking normally for this stage of recovery. “Although there is still much concern and he is not out of the woods yet, all of Roy’s...

Lexington, KY – Royal Kaliber, the stallion that took Chris Kappler to a silver Olympic team medal and an individual bronze medal in Athens last month, underwent colic surgery in Someren, the Netherlands late yesterday. He suffered a leg injury in the final round of the individual show jumping competition and he was being monitored in Europe before a decision was made to ship him back to the United States. Dr. Jack Snyder and Dr. Barry David, who flew to the Netherlands from the United States,...

ATHENS, Greece – As a whirlwind of competition and ancient Olympic culture wraps up in Athens, the U.S. Paralympic Equestrian Team prepares to make the return journey after a seventh place finish in Sunday’s Team competition. Representing a compilation of Individual and Team scores, the group posted 399.876 points in the last equestrian event of these Paralympic 2004 Games. “We feel happy with our accomplishments,” says Chef d’Equipe Denise Avolio....

One step out of the ring, internationally renowned equestrian Lynn Seidemann and Phoenix B knew they had put on a good show. Slated to ride second to last in the line-up, the pair pulled out all the stops to wow the judges with a spectacular performance Thursday. Make that a Silver medal-winning performance that surprised even Lynn. “It was a good day,” Lynn said modestly after the news started to filter back through the time zones into the States. With a Silver medal in tow and a...

ATHENS, GREECE— As U.S. equestrians, already medal-adorned from the Olympics, hang up their proverbial tack for another four years, a new team swiftly takes the ring, anxious for their turn at the spotlight in the city of ancient Olympic glory. Along with athletes from 141 countries, Paralympic riders from the United States will make their debut at Athens’ Olympic Stadium during the opening ceremony Friday—setting out to replace hearts full of hope with medals of gold. The...