The tenth in a series of guest blog posts from Michelle Binder The development of Western Dressage as a discipline is very exciting to riders, trainers, breeders and exhibitors alike. North American Western Dressage is dedicated to finding common ground between the two disciplines, educating riders from all backgrounds, and to making dressage concepts accessible to western riders without minimizing the importance of the training pyramid nor sacrificing the principles that are fundamental to...

Wayne, IL - The USEF Dressage National Championships continued Friday at Lamplight Equestrian Center, with competitors producing top class results for a second straight day. The first tests, counting for 40% of the overall Championship scores, were held in the Six-Year-Old division of the Markel/USEF Young Horse Dressage Championship and the USEF National Developing Horse Prix St. Georges Dressage Championship presented by The Dutta Corp. and Performance Sales International. In the Six-Year-Old...

The eighth in a series of guest blog posts from Michelle Binder Western Dressage is a big up and coming equestrian discipline right now. I believe this is the right time for the sport to emerge as a reality and the interest level proves that the idea has been around for a long time. When I started talking to everyone about it, I was surprised! In our area, a Western Dressage Facebook page was started and we had 130 members within about 2 days! That was so important because it showed how much...

Laurie Weiser and EM Roseblume (WNC Photography) The Dressage Foundation is pleased to announce that the inaugural recipient of its Elysium Farm Fund for U.S. Breeder Excellence grant is Laurie Weiser, DVM, owner of Blume Farm Hanoverians (NC). The Elysium Farm Fund for U.S. Breeder Excellence, established at The Dressage Foundation in 2011 by Abbey Henderson, provides financial assistance to breeders to pursue educational opportunities related to breeding that will advance their careers,...

Major Equestrian competitions attended by US athletes, both domestic and overseas, are listed in this weekly preview. Please look below to find competition listings by discipline* and breed. We hope you will follow the competitions that most interest you, but check the USEF Week in Review on Monday for a report of any top finishes by US Equestrians. *lists of competitions in all international disciplines will include only FEI competitions within the USA and international FEI competitions in...

2011 Recipients Named Oklahoma City, OK – January 5, 2012 – The National Reining Horse Youth Association (NRHyA) offers members an online program that rewards youth for leadership and community service activities outside of the show arena. The Varsity Reining Club (VRC) provides scholarships totaling $5,000, to be awarded to the most active participants in two age groups. In its sixth year, VRC will provide 13 youth scholarship monies, with the top-placing individual in each age...

Lexington, KY - Voting is now open for the coveted 2011 USEF Equestrian of the Year, which, following decades of tradition comes at the end of the 2011 competition year and is announced when the horse world meets at the United States Equestrian Federation's annual Pegasus Awards celebration in January. Known as the USEF Equestrians of Honor, eight stars of equestrian sport-across breed and discipline -each recently received a unique competitive trophy. These honors will be presented during...

Administration of NSAIDs Motivated by its commitment to the welfare of the horse, the USEF Board of Directors voted to amend its Therapeutic Drug Rule and restrict use to a single NSAID beginning December 1, 2011. Both the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) and the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) supported the rule change, and USEF now joins other organizations including the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) and Equine Canada in implementing this...

Lexington, KY- The future of dressage in the United States will be on full display this weekend in Wayne, IL, as many of the nation's top up-and-coming horses vie for coveted USEF National Championship titles. Champions will be crowned at the Lamplight Equestrian Center in six separate divisions. In the 2011 Markel/USEF National Young Horse Dressage Championships the top 4, 5 and 6-year-olds in the country will be recognized. Seven- to 9-year-olds will stake their claim on the USEF National...

Hannah Burnett had a meteoric rise to the highest levels of the sport, after coming up through the Young Riders program, she completed the 2007 Rolex Kentucky CCI4* with Keep the Faith at the age of 21. She has since won the 2009 USEF National CCI2* Championship and the 2010 National CCI3* Championship, both with Dick Thompson's St. Barths. Find out more about Hannah at: www.HSBEventing.com . I can’t believe it’s already 2011 and time to start the winter eventing season! Last...