Dear US Equestrian Members, As a follow up to the letter you received last week from US Equestrian (USEF) President Murray Kessler, I am writing to provide you with further detail regarding our actions and changes involving the USEF Drugs & Medications Program and Laboratory. Staffing Changes Effective last week, Laboratory Director Dr. Cornelius Uboh is no longer employed by the Federation. In addition, a laboratory technician has also left his position as well. The Federation will not...

Leaders from collegiate and scholastic organizations gathered Friday at US Equestrian’s Annual Meeting to share ideas, discuss marketing and promotional opportunities, and learn more about US Equestrian’s many resources for educational partners. “We wanted to get together to discuss how we can promote participation in equestrian sport, how we can assist the scholastic and collegiate groups in raising awareness of what they do, what their formats are, what the opportunities...

Ward and Harrison (Photo Courtesy of Jennifer Wood Media) Lexington, Ky. - US Equestrian mourns the loss of E. Hunter Harrison, owner of Double H Farm and a beloved leader, supporter, and friend of equestrian sport. Harrison passed away on December 16 at the age of 73, leaving behind a legacy in the horses he bred, the athletes he supported, and the sport that he helped to grow. "Today we lost one of equestrian sport's greats," says US Equestrian President, Murray Kessler. "An iconic and...

Shelburne, Vt. — The best of the best in the Morgan breed was celebrated at the 2017 edition of the Grand National & World Championship Morgan Horse Show®, held October 7-14. Since 1973, this show has represented the pinnacle of achievement in the Morgan horse world . More than 1,000 of the world's finest Morgan horses from across the United States and Canada met in Oklahoma City, Okla., to compete in over 300 classes for $400,000-plus in prize money. Photo by Howard...

Mill Spring, N.C. - The 2017 USEF Para-Equestrian Dressage National Championships sponsored by Deloitte wrapped up Sunday with Grade IV athlete Angela “Annie” Peavy and Royal Dark Chocolate crowned National Champions. Grade I athlete Margaret McIntosh and Heros earned Reserve National Champion honors. Sunday’s FEI Freestyle Tests accounted for the final 20% of the overall championship scores with the first 80% split equally between Friday’s FEI Team Test and...

Deloitte U.S. Para-Equestrian Dressage Team Mill Spring, N.C. - The 2017 USEF Para-Equestrian Dressage National Championships sponsored by Deloitte continued Saturday with competitors performing their respective FEI Individual Tests, the second of three tests in the National Championships and the remaining test in the team competition. The Deloitte U.S. Para-Equestrian Dressage Team comprised of Katie Jackson (Austin, Texas), Michele Bandinu (Santa Barbara, Calif.), Angela “Annie”...

Wayne, Ill. - The 2017 Markel/USEF Young & Developing Horse Dressage National Championships continued today with the first round tests for the remaining two divisions. The combinations of Cesar Parra and Fashion Designer OLD and Andrea Woodard and Ravenna stood out amongst the fields to lead the Developing Grand Prix and Six-Year-Old divisions, putting them in the lead in the Markel/USEF Developing Grand Prix and Six-Year-Old National Championships, respectively. Today’s tests counted...

Wayne, Ill. – Some of the finest evolving dressage horses received high praise during the first day of the 2017 Markel/USEF Young & Developing Horse Dressage National Championships on Thursday. Alice Tarjan claimed both first and second place in the USEF Four-Year-Old Horse Test with Serenade MF and Fairouz, respectively. Alyssa Doverspike and Darius 555 have a slight edge in the five-year-old division, winning the FEI Five-Year-Old Horse Preliminary Test. Carly Taylor-Smith and...

Beesd, The Netherlands – Stefanie Putnam is the sole U.S. representative at the 2016 FEI World Para-Driving Championships, but she is up for the challenge as she makes her World Championship debut. She will compete against competitors from six other nations in the Grade I division as she aims for a solid performance. Putnam (Lafayette, Calif.) grew up riding hunters and jumpers and was also the captain of the Cal Poly Tech polo team. She suffered a spinal cord injury that left her...

Karl Cook and Caillou 24 (CapturedMomentPhoto.com) Del Mar, Calif. - Exciting until the last horse crossed the finish line, it was Californian Karl Cook and Caillou 24 who came out on top in the $40,000 Showpark Racing Festival Grand Prix, presented by EquiFit, inc. Of forty-three entries, thirteen returned for the jump-off and five went double clean. FEI Course Designer Anderson Lima of Brazil set a technical track that he explained was definitely influenced by the large and experienced group...