Chris Keane (Laura Kraut and Panic during the $150,000 Grand Prix of Charlotte.) Laura Kraut and Panic won the $150,000 Grand Prix of Charlotte on April 9, rounding out Kraut’s second place win in the 2004 Charlotte Jumper Classic and her third place win last year. Kraut, the winner of five Nation Cups and seven World Cups, delivered two clear rounds on her mount, Panic, to take the trophy. “I think the crowd really helped today,” said Kraut. This is a great venue for...

Lexington, KY – Following the completion of the USEF Selection Trials on Saturday, the United States Equestrian Federation today announced the ten horse and rider combinations on the short list for the U.S show jumping team to compete at the World Equestrian Games in Aachen, Germany this August. According to the selection procedures, the top six finishers from the Selection Trials are placed on the short list along with four subjective horse and rider combinations recommended by the USEF...

Devon, PA – The 2005 USEF Junior Dressage Team Championship returned to the East Coast for another exciting showcase of some of America’s most talented young dressage riders, hosted by Dressage at Devon CDI 3*/Y in Devon, Pennsylvania, September 27 through October 2. Three teams of four riders, from 14 to 18-years-old and from all parts of the country, competed over the course of three days in the FEI Junior Tests. Scores from both the Team and Individual Tests were averaged to...

Gladstone, NJ – In their first national competition riding together, husband and wife team Steffen and Shannon Peters of San Diego, California, won first and second place respectively, taking home the titles in the 2005 Collecting Gaits Farm/United States Equestrian Federation National Intermediaire I Dressage Championship, presented by Paul Miller Auto Group, Inc. Steffen earned a cumulative score of 73.425%, riding Marlando (1999 Dutch Warmblood gelding), and Shannon was awarded a 71....

Rapid growth of vaulting in the eastern United States has resulted in more recognized vaulting competitions for area athletes this season. Region IX of the American Vaulting Association (AVA), covering all states from Maine to Mississippi, will be hosting the first East Coast Regional Vaulting Championships July 15-17, 2005, at Fairfax County’s Frying Pan Park, in Herndon, VA. The competition is recognized by the United States Equestrian Federation and the AVA and will contribute to national...

On Saturday and Sunday of the Memorial Day Classic at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center, Hap Hansen teamed up with Lauren Hester and Tammy Chipko to win the 2005 Memorial Day Equitation Challenge. This popular and highly competitive event is held over two evening sessions. The team returned to the final round in second place, but a score of 89 from Hansen matched with his teammates scores of 84 and 82 added up to enough to take home the tri-color. Hansen received an eight-day, seven-night trip...

Prior to the $25,000 Open Jumper, the evening session opened with the second annual Dressage Night, featuring the Continental Cup--a team Musical Freestyle competition. Riders at Grand Prix, Intermediaire I and First Level made up each of three teams. The riders on the Park Avenue Team won the Gold medal with a total score of 239. The team consisted of Cynthia Payne of Jupiter, FL, aboard Laredo, with a score of 81% in the Grand Prix; Gabriel Armando of Argentina who resides in Flemington, NJ,...

When you consider the benefits, your membership with the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) more than pays for itself. It’s that simple. And adding to the show ring safety, fair play, ethical standards and regulated judging USEF already provides, there’s a more tangible show-me-the-money kind of benefit many members are only beginning to learn about. That benefit is the USEF purchasing program, and it entitles USEF members to discounted prices on everything from tractors, trucks and...

We’ve all heard the old adage, "if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is." It's one of those time-tested pearls of wisdom that never fails, right? Well think again, because people like Sally Yacka, Business Manager of Derby Down, Inc., will tell you there are exceptions. Big exceptions. When Sally first saw the flyer from the United States Equestrian Federation’s (USEF) purchasing program, detailing how she could get big discounts on products the farm already used, she thought she might...

Burbank, CA – With a weekend of competition to prove themselves, a ring full of young riders set out to convince judges they have what it takes to become tomorrow’s equestrian stars. Emerging at the top of the list from the BET/USEF West Coast Show Jumping Talent Search Finals is 17-year-old Kasey Ament (Reche Canyon, CA), who took home the Denali Trophy atop San Francisco. Riding her own horse first and then starting the rotations that are characteristic of these tests, Ament...