Dear USEF Members, Competition Licensees and Managers, In October 2024 we provided you with information regarding the new amendments to the Horse Protection Act (HPA or Act). This is a follow-up to that communication. Since release of the new amendments to the Act, USEF leaders have participated in Zoom meetings and webinars with the American Horse Council (AHC) and with USDA/APHIS to voice our concerns and to gain a better understanding of the upcoming implementation of the HPA changes,...

Lexington, Ky. - US Equestrian congratulates the winners of the 2024 Combined Driving Annual Awards. These awards recognize the top U25 driving athletes from the 2024 calendar year as well as a volunteer who has been nominated for their exemplary service to US Equestrian driving competitions. U25 Driver of the Year - Under 12: Ashton Maye Ashton Maye (Fairfield, Va.) competed with his own horse, Zeizo, a 13-year-old Irish Cob gelding, for the first time during the 2024 season. The duo had major...

Lexington, Ky. – US Equestrian is pleased to announce the 2024 Equestrian of the Year nominees. The International and National Equestrians of the Year will be announced during the 2024 Pegasus Awards Dinner on Thursday, Jan. 23, at the 2025 US Equestrian Annual Meeting in Lexington, Ky. Equestrians of Honor are nominated by their USEF affiliate organization or USEF breed or discipline committee, and the finalists are selected by the USEF Awards Committee. The final Equestrians of the Year...

Lexington, Ky. – US Equestrian is pleased to announce that Kilcarna French Fancy “Arnie”, the 2008 Irish Sport Horse gelding from Great Oak Equine Assisted Programs , is the 2024 USEF Heart Horse Award winner. Arnie was selected as the winner following voting by the USEF membership and will be honored during the USEF Pegasus Awards Dinner at the USEF Annual Meeting in Lexington, Ky., on Jan. 23, 2024. At seventeen hands high, Arnie is hard to miss when visiting Great Oak. He...

Lexington, Ky. – US Equestrian congratulates Hannah Hiiva (Roy, Wash.), recipient of the 2024 US Equestrian National Youth Sportsman’s Award. Hiiva is an active exhibitor on the Arabian circuit and serves as a Region 5 Youth Director for the Arabian Youth Horse Association. She was nominated for this award by the Arabian Horse Association . Hannah Hiiva. ©Miley DeFalco Hiiva is a junior at Yelm High School where she is active in leadership roles, including as yearbook...

Lexington, Ky. – US Equestrian is pleased to announce that the FEI North American Youth Dressage Championships (NAYC) will include an FEI Children Championship for dressage athletes aged 12 through 14 for the first time in 2025. Additionally, selection procedures for all divisions are now posted on USEF.org . ©Avery Wallace/US Equestrian NAYC FEI Children Championship Dressage FAQ In order to help athletes with their planning, below are some frequently asked questions regarding this...

Kansas City, Mo. – With expertly executed rail and pattern work, Maggie Keith (Louisville, Ky.) secured the 2024 USEF Saddle Seat Adult Amateur Medal champion title on Friday at the UPHA American Royal National Championship Horse Show. Keith rode her longtime partner, CH CH-EQ Reedann’s Heir to Glory (Supreme Heir x Glori-Phi), a 2004 American Saddlebred gelding owned by Rozes Equine LLC, to the top of the podium. Maggie Keith and Reedann's Heir to Glory. ©Leslie Potter/US...

Thermal, Calif . -- The 2024 Platinum Performance/USEF Talent Search Finals – West continued with excitement as the second day brought the gymnastics phase to Desert Horse Park in Thermal, California. This phase challenged the skills of the athletes as they navigated a series of intricate gymnastic lines, each carrying a score multiplier of 1.5. Victoria Zahorik and Quiwian, leaders after Phase II of the 2024 Platinum Performance/USEF Talent Search Finals - West (©Avery Wallace/US...

Thermal, Calif. - The stage is set at the 2024 Platinum Performance/USEF Talent Search Finals – West, as a group of 26 talented young athletes gathered at Desert Horse Park in Thermal, California to display their skills in the flat phase. In groups of five, the athletes entered the arena to perform a series of flatwork exercises for the judges. The riders demonstrated a working and lengthening trot, and canter and counter canter in both directions, flying changes, and a turn on the...

Lexington, Ky. - US Equestrian awards five recipients the 2024 USEF Higher Education Equestrian Scholarship . Each year, high school seniors are awarded this scholarship to allow them to pursue equestrian sports during their years of higher education. Meet the 2024 USEF Higher Education Scholarship Winners Emily Arriaga. ©Liz Crawley Photo Emily Arriaga (Bahama, N.C.) is a freshman at the Savannah College of Art and Design where she will pursue a degree in Equestrian Studies and continue...