The United States Dressage Federation (USDF) Youth Executive Board announced the availability of the 2006 USDF Youth Convention Scholarships. Packed with educational programs, fun events, a great trade expo and the USDF National Symposium, the USDF Annual Convention is an invaluable event for anyone interested in dressage, especially USDF's youth members, who are the future of USDF and the sport. The USDF Youth Convention Scholarship will award four youth members up to $1,000 each to help...

Helen Krieble, the Founder of the Colorado Horse Park, received the prestigious Colorado Hunter Jumper Association (CHJA) Lifetime Achievement Award at the annual CHJA Banquet. “I am overwhelmed and honored by the support of the hunter/jumper community,” Krieble stated. “The Colorado Hunter Jumper Association and its members have played a key role in the success of the Colorado Horse Park.” The Colorado Horse Park evolved from High Prairie Farms, which began as a community equestrian center....

(Lexington, KY) – All donations made to the USEF Equine Relief Fund from today, September 23, 2005, forward will be used to assist victims of any 2005 hurricane including Katrina, Rita or any others that could occur. The Fund will assist those agencies working directly with the equine victims and refugees from hurricanes. Every dollar of the money donated to the fund will be used to support efforts to deliver food, veterinary services, and shelter for horses and ponies in the stricken areas....

President Bush has signed into law the $300 billion federal highway funding bill, known as SAFETEA-LU, approved by Congress just before it broke for the August-Labor Day recess. The controversial legislation took over two years to agree to and enact, requiring numerous Continuing Resolutions extending the prior federal highway bill past its expiration. Recreational Trails Program Funding Favorable funding for the Recreational Trails Program (RTP) was included in the legislation. The total...

Photos.com (The city of Hong Kong, China. ) The Secretary for Home Affairs, Dr. Patrick Ho, welcomed the International Olympic Committee's decision to name Hong Kong as the venue for the equestrian events at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The announcement came on June 8. Dr. Ho also thanked the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG) for its confidence in Hong Kong. "I believe that Hong Kong people are taking a favorable and positive view towards this...

Burbank, CA — R-E-S-P-E-C-T. That’s exactly what Debbie McDonald earned from officials, competitors and spectators alike as she rode Brentina to victory in the 2005 U.S. Grand Prix Freestyle Championship and U.S. League Final in Burbank, California this weekend. Strutting through a freestyle program to the sound of Aretha Franklin, Olympic Team Bronze medalist McDonald and Brentina earned the winning score of 77.975% and a standing ovation in defending her 2004 title. Riding her...

Study Finds That 97% of Performance Horses Have Some Type of Ulceration Recently published research has revealed the presence of ulcers in the colons of performance horses. According to the study, conducted by Frank Pellegrini, DVM, 63% of horses involved in competition sports-—ranging from dressage to racing—-suffered from colonic ulceration. Pellegrini’s work confirmed the findings of earlier studies, showing that 87% of horses have gastric ulcers (ulcers of the stomach). When combined with...

Rule Changes Address Safety Concerns at Recognized Competitions Lexington, KY – Consistent with one of the primary missions of the United States Equestrian Federation, which is to ensure the safety and welfare of both horses and riders, two important rule changes were approved at the annual meeting of the Board of Directors held in Louisville, Kentucky on January 16th . These changes should significantly contribute to safety at recognized USEF competitions. They involve the operation of...

Update on Testing Issues Recently our Medication Control Programme has reported several cases of tests in which low concentrations of sedatives were found in competition horses. In this respect, the following substances have been detected: Acepromazine, Detomidine, Reserpine, Fluphenazine and Guanabenz. These substances are being used in low dosages to improve the manageability of ‘hot’ horses and are therefore regarded as serious attempts to influence the performance of the horse...

As I sift through weekly e-mails and phone messages, I’m beginning to realize the United States Equestrian Federation’s best kept secret is no longer a best kept secret. Only a few months from its conception, and already, details of the USEF purchasing program are running through the rumor mill faster than juicy tabloid gossip. I should hardly be surprised. When money is involved, especially this much money, news tends to spread fast; and while we’re not working overtime to keep the news under...