The U.S. team following the Opening Ceremonies (R. Millin) Parys, South Africa – On Thursday, December 6, competition got underway at the Saddle Seat World Cup. Riders in the Three- and Five-Gaited sections of the U.S. team competed in the initial stages of the rail and pattern work. Both sections of U.S. riders had strong performances on the first day of competition. The Five-Gaited section riders Hunter Chancellor (Evansville, IN), Angela Darrow (Hartland, WI), Drew Taylor Hewitt...

Lexington, KY - The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) is pleased to announce that, pending approval from the High Performance Working Group and the Executive Committee, the Kentucky Dressage Association’s bid to host the 2013 Dressage Festival of Champions has been accepted. These annual championships will be held at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY October 10-13, 2013. The 2013 Dressage Festival of Champions will again hold six National Championship divisions- USEF...

Isabelle Terry receives her awards from Show Jumping Hall of Fame Executive Director Marty Bauman. (McCool Photgraphy) Lexington, KY - Isabelle Terry of Dallas, TX and Chakira won the inaugural Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series West Coast Championship, held at the Las Vegas National Horse Show on November 17. Prior to the Championship Final in Las Vegas, the 2012 West Conference regular season came to a close following the L.A. National Horse Show. Lauren Kay and Siendifie topped...

Shelburne, VT - We're now just slightly over three months before the 2013 AMHA Annual Convention and we're still planning the fun and excitement that will take place February 21-23 in Portland, Oregon, at The Benson Hotel. Two new seminars have just been added to the already stellar lineup of speakers. Dr. Marvin Hausman will give a presentation on a new therapeutic strategy to control and prevent colic, laminitis, and tying-up. Physiologic problems in the horse are the result of...

Buenos Aires, Argentina- The U.S. jumpers had to wait an extra day to take part in FEI Nations Cup competition at the CSIOW Buenos Aires after the class was delayed due to rain on Friday. The four Americans proved the wait was well worth it as they stormed to victory finishing on a two round total of four faults. Leading off the U.S. effort were Charlie Jacobs (Boston, MA) and Deeridge Farms’ Leap of Joy. Jacobs utilized the experience he earned last year at CSIO Buenos Aires to jump two...

McLain Ward and Antares F (Rebecca Walton/PMG) Lexington, KY - It was a very emotional night at Alltech National Horse Show as McLain Ward piloted his top mount Antares F to victory during the Alltech $250,000 Grand Prix, benefitting the United States Equestrian Team Foundation. The win comes just days after the passing of his father, Barney Ward, who had been Ward's most important supporter. Ward rode through his grief to beat six others in the jump-off, as the first to compete on his...

USEF Dressage Youth Coach Jeremy Steinberg with Rebecca Cohen at the training session. (Carol Cohen) Lexington, KY - The first of two USEF Elite Youth Dressage Training Sessions for 2012 wrapped up Sunday at Shannondale Farm in Alpharetta, Georgia. The two-day training session, made possible by a generous donation from Kristen McDonald and the Marquis George MacDonald Foundation, was led by USEF Dressage Youth Coach Jeremy Steinberg. The invitation-only session included eight of the top youth...

Selena Pape and Vanity (Kathleen Landwehr/USEF) Lexington, KY - Three national titles were claimed at the USEF National One-Star Eventing Championships held over the weekend at the Hagyard Midsouth Three-Day Event & Team Challenge at the Kentucky Horse Park. Selena Pape (Louisville, KY) had a stellar weekend leading the field from start to finish claiming not only the USEF National One-Star Championship but also the USEF National Amateur One-Star Championship title. With her seven-year-old...

Madison Goetzmann and Sirius Black . (Al Cook) Madison Goetzmann, of Skaneateles, NY, piloted Sirius Black, owned by Christina Gellos, to victory in the $10,000 North American League Children's Hunter Finals at the 67th Annual Pennsylvania National Horse Show on Monday. Lily Blavin of Scottsdale, AZ, and Pringle were the Reserve Champions. The competition was fierce. Goetzmann was worried about Blavin, who came to the NAL Finals as the year-end division leader. "I was thinking ever before...

Nick Maupin is a 19-year-old student at the University of Wisconsin majoring in Business Marketing and plans to graduate in 2015. From Sussex, Wisconsin, he is on the five-gaited section of the 2012 U.S. Saddle Seat World Cup Team. It would not surprise any member of the Saddle Seat world to hear me say that the discipline is generally, along with Saddle Seat Equitation, a female dominated sport. Quite possibly the only time one will see a male majority in a class is in the Open divisions. Not...