The 10-2 Auburn Tigers are now the No.1 ranked NCEA team in the country (Auburn Sophomore Danielle Long) As expected, the Auburn Tigers took over the No.1 ranking in the latest NCEA Coaches poll. Despite a loss to Texas A&M last Friday, the Tigers finished their season-ending road trip to Texas 2-1 and defeated the former No.1 Georgia Bulldogs the week before. Their 10-2 record is the most impressive in the NCEA, and they’ve been the most consistently good team all year. Georgia,...

Wellington, FL - CSIO Wellington, Nations Cup Night is just a few weeks away, and the United States is calling on all fans to show their support. On Friday, March 1, the United States Equestrian Team Foundation and the United States Equestrian Federation will be hosting a TEAM USA Nations Cup Pep Rally Reception. The event will be held just prior to the Nations Cup, running from 6-7pm in the "USA" section of the Special Events Pavilion at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. "Nations...

In early November, the USEF received inquiries from the New York Times regarding the use of Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) to calm horses and ponies for competitive advantage. Since then, the USEF has endeavored to provide the New York Times with all the facts on GABA and to outline the aggressive actions the Federation has undertaken to deal with this emerging issue and the threat it poses to the health and welfare of our equine partners. You can read the USEF’s full response to the New...

The twenty first in a series of blog post from Michelle Binder As this blog has progressed, I have tried to bring awareness about Western Dressage to the equestrian community at large. Now I am going to encourage you to do some research on your own. By now you know that there are several organizations promoting the development of the sport. At this point the question we hear most often from people all over is: “What is the difference?” To some it seems that the differences that...

The eleventh in a series of guest blog posts from Michelle Binder If I go to a restaurant and order lemonade, I do not expect to receive a glass of ice water with a lemon wedge on the rim of the glass. When I am thinking about what western dressage is to me, I envision a discipline as fully flavored as that glass of lemonade. In fact, my vision for the future of western dressage as an independent and unique equestrian discipline may be more like strawberry lemonade! As a dressage instructor and...

The ninth in a series of guest blog posts from Michelle Binder Western Dressage is a new and growing discipline in the horse world. People are talking about it everywhere. At North American Western Dressage we answer questions every day about what it is, how you do it, what you wear, what your horse wears, bits, reins, helmets, levels of tests and competition, movements and how you do them and a myriad of other things. Answering these questions could be a full time job for any one of our...

The sixth in a series of guest blog posts from Michelle Binder When on a horse, I wear a riding helmet. My students wear riding helmets. I ride and show western and dressage. The helmet/hat quandary, style vs. safety, the tradition or common sense conversation is therefore a subject near and dear to my heart. On March 22, 2012, I went into the hay barn to get a bale of hay to feed lunch in the barn. To make a long story short, despite my usual care in tipping bales, as I turned to leave the...

The fifth in a series of guest blog posts from Michelle Binder Last week I poked a little fun at what western dressage riders are wearing for both schooling and show. This week I want to bring you the reality of the situation from manufacturers who give us the products that will ultimately be seen in rings around the country. Last week I showed you the proposed North American Western Dressage rules for WD show attire. Since the requirements state that riders must wear a long-sleeved shirt with...

The fourth in a series of guest blog posts from Michelle Binder Every day I head out to the barn to work. Like other trainers, I work outside in temperatures from 0 to 100 7 days a week, almost 365 days a year, from dawn till dark and sometimes longer. As a professional trainer and riding instructor I am called on to muck stalls, fix fence, buck hay, dump grain, rake footing, fill water buckets, sweep the aisle, clean tack, change bandages, medicate, lead beginners, longe riders, heft children...

McLain Ward and Sapphire (Shannon Brinkman/USEF) Lexington, KY - The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) Ad Hoc Committee on Selection has approved naming McLain Ward with both Antares F and Sapphire to the Show Jumping Long List for the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Due to the fact that Ward will not be able to compete in the Selection Trials because of an injury he sustained in January 2012, the USEF Selectors in consultation with Chef d'Equipe George Morris and Team Veterinarian...