The nation’s horse center at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington set the stage for four different USEF eventing championships over the past weekend, October 19-22. The storms that plagued the region in the week leading up to the competitions left portions of the steeplechase course under water. Officials deemed it necessary to eliminate the steeplechase from the event. The national championships were also run concurrent with the ever-popular Mid-South Team Challenge. In the one-star...

Lexington, KY— It’s fast, easy to use, and saves you the hassle of fumbling with multiple sets of membership cards from both the USEF, and USDF or USHJA to enter a competition. The USEF Affiliate Verification Service is now operational and can be accessed through the USEF website, www.usef.org; the USDF website, www.usdf.org and the USHJA website, www.ushja.org, or at www.eqverification.org. The service allows you to search and then print your owner and rider USEF membership data, and...

His racing career is over, but for Barbaro, the 2006 Kentucky Derby champion, the real race has just begun. He won’t be going it alone, however, judging from the outpouring of support from around the world since his recovery began at The University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine’s famed New Bolton Center. Now, Breyer Animal Creations, makers of the model horses, has stepped in to help by creating a Barbaro portrait model horse that will provide a donation to New Bolton from the...

There will be no shortage of top-level horses and riders competing when the Maui Jim Horse Trials get under way on Thursday, July 6, at Lamplight Equestrian Center on North Dunham Road in Wayne, IL. The four-day event has attracted a record number of entries ranging from such far away spots as Vancouver, California, Texas, Virginia and North Carolina. This popular competition is in its second year of being designated as a United States Eventing Association Gold Cup Event, marking it as one of...

Cara Cheska of Waukesha, WI, and her 11-year-old mare My Fair Lady bested a field of 18 to take home the blue ribbon and winner’s check in the $40,000 Country Heir II Grand Prix sponsored by Skara Glen Stables. Three went clear in the first round, which turned out to be more difficult than originally expected. Course designer Pierre Joliceur set a track of 16 efforts that included three double combinations, a liverpool and the open water. Besides Cheska, Angela Moore riding Claus for Stealaway...

The World Equestrian Festival, perhaps the largest single week's horse show in the world, began Wednesday in Aachen, Germany, with the United States announcing a top team for the Samsung Super League. Aachen CHIO has added championship vaulting to the lineup of show jumping, dressage and four-in-hand driving that will be contested by 145 athletes from 23 nations on more than 400 horses, in front of what is expected to be well above 300,000 spectators during the five days of competition. For...

This week a bill was filed in the Kentucky State Legislature that would benefit the horse industry in Kentucky. House Bill 263 calls for removing the sales tax that is charged on equine products, such as feed, grooming products, bedding supplies and many other items. For more information, or to voice your opinion about this bill, you can contact your legislator: By mail: Capitol Annex, Frankfort, KY 40601 By phone: (800) 373-7181 (Legislative Message Line); (877) 287-3134 (Spanish Line) This...

It is with great sadness that the USEF ParaEquestrian community acknowledges the tragic death of Margo O’Callahan, of Seattle, WA. O’Callahan was killed in a car accident on Sunday, December 18, near the Little Bit Therapeutic Riding Center, where she rode for much of her adult life. O’Callahan’s dog, Eddie, was also killed in the accident, which is still under investigation at this time. Overcoming multiple strokes and an accident which left her with a broken hip,...

Craig Schmersal had four horses to show at the Southwest Reining Horse Association (SWRHA) Futurity and Horse Show in Ardmore, OK, in October. He had Commanders Nic and Im Genuinely Smart for Open and Novice Horse Open competition. He had two three-year-olds for the SWRHA Futurity, Wrangle Whiz and Conquistadors Star. All four horses earned NRHA paychecks. After the show, Schmersal, his wife Ginger and their sons Chris and Nick drove to their new home and training facility in Overbrook, OK,...

Karen Kroon of Cheyenne, WY, won the 2005 FEI North American Endurance Championship CEIO**** at the 17th annual Fair Hill International Festival in the Country in Elkton, MD, October 9-10. Kroon won the continental championship’s Individual Gold medal by finishing the 100-mile ride in a time of 11:45:30 on Rokket, her 11-year-old bay Arabian gelding. Dominique Freeman of La Honda, CA, who finished in 11:45:50 seconds on Jayel Super, a 13-year-old bay Arabian gelding owned by Stagg and Cheryl...