Kansas City, MO —Kelsey Nicole Smith, 17, of Delafield, Wisconsin, was crowned champion of the 2004 United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) Saddle Seat Medal Finals, held November 20, as part of the UPHA/American Royal National Championship Horse Show in Kansas City, Missouri. Riding Chimere (Chestnut American Saddlebred mare, Periaptor—RHR Fury’s Wild Flame), Smith topped the class of 31 entries in the two-phase competition that required both rail work and patterns in both...

Lexington, KY —Effective December 1, 2004, the USEF Equine Drugs and Medications Rule permits the therapeutic use of Surpass®, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory product (NSAID) recently approved by the FDA for use in horses. This is a topical preparation of 1% diclofenac cream, from IDEXX Pharmaceuticals. The rule change, which was adopted by the Executive Committee on November 16, 2004, establishes a quantitative restriction, i.e., maximum permitted plasma concentration, similar to...

Allyson Blais and Rocca K were the first of four to go clean over a tough, twisting course designed by Pierre Jolicoeur. The pair went on to top of the field of 30 in the $10,000 North American League (NAL) Children’s Jumper Finals, held at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show in Harrisburg, PA. “The first course was very difficult. You would think you were turning right and you would have to turn left,” explained Blais, 16, who went third in the order and was followed by numerous knockdowns,...

Washington, D.C. – The Equestrian Olympic athletes that represented the United States in Athens this year had the extraordinary opportunity to meet the President and First Lady at the White House. Following a tradition started with President Gerald Ford, President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush greeted the athletes in style on Monday. The event was sponsored by the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) on behalf of all of the members of the US Olympic and Paralympic Teams....

Lexington, KY—An outstanding field of five and six-year-old horses held audiences captive at the Kentucky Horse Park over the weekend. September 10th through 12th, horses and riders from across the nation gathered for the 2004 USEF/Markel Young Horse Dressage National Championships at the Kentucky Horse Park. Nineteen five-year-olds and 15 six-year-olds, including a record 12 United States-bred horses, vied for the prize—the Dr. Edgar Hotz Memorial Trophy, which commemorates the top young...

Prepare to be dazzled when the World Cup Finals of Dressage and Jumping light up Las Vegas like never before, April 20-24, 2005. Tickets are still available for two of the world’s most prestigious and glamorous equestrian events, but they are selling fast. For the first time ever, the two World Cup Finals will be held concurrently in one location, the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, NV. Plenty of good seats remain for the Las Vegas World Cup Finals, but Las Vegas Events President Pat...

Equestrian fans can follow the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team like never before. The networks of NBC: NBC, MSNBC, CNBC, USA, Bravo, Telemundo and NBC HDTV will broadcast an unprecedented 1,210 hours – more than the past five Summer Olympics combined. The 24-hour coverage will include action from all 28 Summer Olympic sports for the first time, with equestrian events featured on NBC, USA, Bravo and CNBC. Over the 17 days of the Athens Games, the networks of NBC will average more than 70 hours of...

Louisville, Ky. – US Equestrian is pleased to announce that HH Azur, Double H Farm and McLain Ward’s 2006 Belgian Warmblood mare, was voted the 2023 International Horse of the Year, and Paradigm, Meredith Lipke’s 2012 Warmblood gelding, was voted the 2023 National Horse of the Year by the USEF membership. HH Azur and Paradigm were honored during the SmartPak/USEF Horse of the Year Awards Dinner at the USEF Annual Meeting in Louisville, Ky., on Jan. 13. International Horse of...

Lexington, Ky . – US Equestrian is pleased to announce the recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Award and the Junior Equestrian of the Year Award, to be presented at the 2024 US Equestrian Annual Meeting in Louisville, Ky. Cecile Hetzel Dunn is the winner of the 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award, while Marin McKee is the 2023 Junior Equestrian of the Year. Dunn and McKee will be recognized at the Pegasus Awards Dinner on Sunday, January 14. Cecile Hetzel Dunn (Adam Brennan - www....

Lexington, Ky. – US Equestrian is pleased to announce the recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Award and the Junior Equestrian of the Year Award to be presented at the 2023 US Equestrian Annual Meeting. The late Hope Hand is the winner of the 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award, while Skylar Wireman is the 2022 Junior Equestrian of the Year. Hand and Wireman will be recognized at the Pegasus Awards Dinner on Thursday, January 12. Lifetime Achievement Award – Hope Hand The late Hope...