Lexington, Ky. – US Equestrian is pleased to announce the 2025 Horse of the Year and Equestrian of the Year nominees. The International and National Horses of the Year will be announced at the 2025 SmartPak/USEF Horse of the Year Awards Dinner on Saturday, Jan. 17, and the International and National Equestrians of the Year will be announced at the 2025 Pegasus Awards Dinner on Thursday, Jan. 14, at the 2026 US Equestrian Annual Meeting in Louisville, Ky. Horses of Honor and Equestrians of...

Lexington, Ky. - US Equestrian is pleased to announce the athletes selected to participate in the 2026 USEF Dressage Training Series. The East Coast clinic, presented by Zen Elite Equestrian Center, will be held at the Wellington International home of the Adequan® Global Dressage Festival in Wellington, Fla., from January 2-4, 2026. The West Coast clinic will take place at the HITS Del Mar Horsepark in Del Mar, Calif., from February 19-22, 2026. The Dressage Training Series is designed to...

Lexington, Ky. - The 2025 USEF Dressage Training Series came to a conclusion in October of this year, delivering comprehensive educational opportunities for dressage athletes of all levels across both coasts. Building on the success of the 2024 Pathway Program sessions, this year’s series featured expanded participation, new learning components, and deeper engagement with top professionals across all facets of the sport. This year, U.S. dressage athletes competing at all levels of the...

US Equestrian is proud to announce the recipients of our 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award, 2025 Junior Equestrian of the Year, and Youth Sportsman for 2025. Jan Decker will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award for her work with the Arabian breed, while Arabian and 4-H leader Mikayla Clement has been named the 2025 Junior Equestrian of the Year and Youth Sportsman. Clement and Decker will receive their awards at the Pegasus Award dinner on Jan. 15, 2026 as part of the 2026 US Equestrian annual...

Lexington, Ky. – US Equestrian is pleased to announce updates to the 2026 USEF Eventing Pathway Programs. Eventing Elite Program: The following athlete-and-horse combinations have achieved the criteria for the Eventing Elite Program and are listed in alphabetical order. Will Coleman (Ocala, Fla.) and Off The Record , a 2009 Irish Sport Horse gelding (VDL Arkansas x Dumagoldan Bay) owned by the Off The Record Syndicate Sydney Elliott (Bossier City, La.) and QC Diamantaire , a 2010...

Kansas City, Mo. – With two nearly perfect patterns and dazzling rail work, Finley Wood and Seven Oaks Heir Show secured the 2025 USEF Saddle Seat Medal National Final champion title. Under the direction of trainer Shelley Fisher, Wood added the medal to her impressive resume in the sport of saddle seat equitation. Finley Wood and Seven Oaks Heir Show. ©Leslie Potter/US Equestrian Wood (Columbus, Ohio) and “Lily,” her 2012 American Saddlebred mare (Undulata’s Heir...

Thermal, Calif. – US Equestrian Open Dressage Series winner, Anna Marek, rode Fayvel to the top of the FEI Grand Prix CDI5* ahead of the highly anticipated FEI Grand Prix Freestyle CDI5* tomorrow, which will crown the inaugural US Equestrian Open Dressage Final champion. The partnership topped the standings with a score of 70.804%, followed by fellow American, Ben Ebeling aboard Bellena who earned a 70.522%. Felicitas Hendricks (GER) and Drombusch OLD rounded out the podium on a 70.500%,...

Lexington, Ky. - Earlier this fall, US Equestrian released a series of Horse Welfare Guidelines to members, including those based on the familiar concept of a stoplight guidance recently published by USEF. In addition to this work, the USEF Dressage Equine Ethics and Wellbeing Task Force led by Betsy Juliano and Lisa Gorretta, has been meeting regularly to discuss changes needed nationally within the discipline of dressage. As a result of the Task Force discussions Riding Standard Guidelines...

Thermal, Calif. – The athletes of the 2025 Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Finals – West completed the first two phases of competition on Friday morning at Desert International Horse Park. A total of 22 entries completed their flatwork and gymnastic phases ahead of Saturday’s jumper course. Katalina Raiszadeh and Cetello. ©Leslie Potter/US Equestrian Katalina Raiszadeh (Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.) finished day one at the top of the leaderboard with...

Thermal, Calif. – After a thrilling third round and final ride off, Nicole McMillion secured the champion title at the 2025 Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Finals – West . Nicole McMillion and Change Up PS. ©Leslie Potter/US Equestrian McMillion (Huntington Beach, Calif.), who trains with Jim Hagman, partnered with Change Up PS, a 2016 Oldenburg stallion owned by Summerhouse Farm, LLC, for the finals. With this win, Change Up PS, known as...