Lexington, KY – Plans are under way for the 2008 United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) Youth Convention and registration is open, but space is limited for the convention. Already, over half of the available spots have been filled for the first annual Youth Convention, which will be held January 12 in Louisville, KY. Along with the schedule, the break-out sessions have been finalized. The Youth Convention will feature many notable speakers, including experts in the equine industry as well...

Lexington, KY - Marion Maybank has been promoted to the position of Director of Hunter and Collegiate Activities for the United States Equestrian Federation®. She assumes the position vacated by Andrea Ice, who had been with USEF since 1993 and is moving overseas. Maybank’s duties will include oversight of the Hunter Department, under the supervision of Karen Homer-Brown, Managing Director, National Affiliates. In addition, Maybank will continue her efforts in developing and implementing...

Blacksburg, Va. – On Dec. 7, the Virginia Tech Helmet Lab released the results of its first-ever rating of equestrian helmets. Over the past two years, Virginia Tech researchers analyzed over 100 videos of riders falling off horses, precisely measured the hardness of the sand, dirt, grass, and synthetic surfaces underfoot at equestrian events, and dragged dummy heads and other equipment — and boxes and boxes of helmets — out to Virginia Tech’s equestrian facilities to...

In 2003, Virginia Tech placed the first sensors inside football helmets to measure head acceleration data that could characterize concussions. Nearly two decades later, the university’s Helmet Lab is on the cusp of adding equestrian sport to its arsenal of public safety information on helmet use and unveiling its STAR (Summation of Tests for the Analysis of Risk) ratings system for helmets. At the Equestrian Symposium, held Aug. 11-12 in Blacksburg, Va., Drs. Steve Rowson, Stefan Duma,...

Parker, Colorado – USEF Western Dressage and the Western Dressage Association of America are offering a Group Apprentice Judging program at the 2015 WDAA World Championship show on November 6-8, 2015. Janet (Dolly) Hannon will be the judge directing this program; she will be assisted by Joyce Swanson and Karen Homer Brown who are clinicians for the WDAA Judges Seminar. The WDAA Group Apprentice Judging opportunity will fulfill one apprentice judging experience for those applying for their...

Celebrating the accomplishments of 2013 and planning for even more in 2014 – those were the items on the agenda when the Western Dressage Association® of America held its fourth annual meeting Oct. 31-Nov. 1 in Tulsa, Okla. WDAA President Guy E. Brown welcomed 40+ attendees from 14 States and Canada. Listening to the list of accomplishments in 2013 was a perfect lead in to two days of planning and prioritizing projects for the coming year. • Adopted and published WDAA Rules and...

Daryl Portela and Winner (Phelps Media Group, Inc. International) Lexington, Ky. - "I was very excited to come here because I've never shown here," Portela said. "I didn't get to show last year because I ride with Jimmy Torano, and he judged last year. After [the Pennsylvania National Horse Show] and [the Washington International Horse Show] this year I was pumped and ready and wanted to come and do well." Portela had previously shown at the National Horse Show at Madison Square Garden,...

From its inception, the Western Dressage Association® of America has maintained a focus on education. Our member’s quest for knowledge to learn Western Dressage is why the WDAA continues to create opportunities that will benefit the partnership of horse and rider. Just in the last few months, several exciting offerings have become available that will further pave the Western Dressage Journey for all. In May, WDAA joined HorseShow.com ’s new Online Coaching program to offer a...

Bridgehampton, NY – The Long Island Horse Show Series for Riders with Disabilities is proud to return to the Hampton Classic Horse Show (August 28 through September 4) to celebrate its sixth anniversary at the event. The classes for people with special needs, which will be held on Monday, August 29, are open to all riders with a documented disability and include three divisions–one for riders requiring the assistance of a leader, one for riders requiring a spotter at the beginner...

Tucker Johnson at the Royal Windsor Horse Show (RWHS/Peter Nixon Photo) Dressage In Germany at the CDI3* Hamburg, US riders Catherine Haddad and Susie Dutta put in very respectable performances in the Grand Prix. Finishing with a solid score in the Grand Prix on Friday, Dutta and Currency DC executed a beautiful test in the Grand Prix Special to finish in second with a score of 68.667%. Haddad, with 10-year-old Hanoverian Winyamaro, her newest Grand Prix partner, were second in the Freestyle...