(Lexington, KY) – Pending approval of the United States Olympic Committee, the USEF announced today the following combinations to the Show Jumping Team which will represent the United States at the 2007 Pan American Games, July 13-29, 2007 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: Rider/Age/Hometown/Horse/Sex/Age/Breed/Owner Lauren Hough/29/Wellington, FL/Casadora/M/11/Dutch Warmblood/ Laura and Meredith Mateo Cara Raether/27/ North Palm Beach, FL/Ublesco/S/10/Trelawny Farms LLC Todd Minikus/45/Loxahatchee,...

Woodside, Calif., May 25-27 – Woodside Horse Trials’ advanced division served as a “mandatory outing” for West Coast candidates for this summer’s Pan Ameircan Games, and U.S. Equestrian Federation officials were there to watch them. Capt. Mark Phillips (the U.S. eventing team’s Chef d’Equipe), four members of the USEF Eventing Selection Committee, and two team veterinarians were at Woodside to evaluate the riders’ and horses’ performances and soundness. The group was evaluating three...

Speed was the name of the game for opening night of the Fourth Annual Charlotte Jumper Classic as some of the top riders in the world competed against the clock to score the fastest clear round on tight challenging courses. The three-day $400,000 grand prix show jumping event continued through Sunday, April 15, 2007, at Charlotte Bobcats Arena in Charlotte, NC . First up was the $10,000 Amateur-Owner/Junior Competition where Carolyn Kelly thrilled the crowd as she and her horse Omona AW went...

The Executive Board of the National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) has voted to withdraw the proposed Strategic Plan. This plan called for the creation of a U.S. affiliate with a new governance structure and a realignment of the governance for the NRHA as a worldwide association. The Executive Board has determined that to serve the membership needs better, a new plan will be constructed in the near future. Bylaws changes have been submitted to the membership for a vote in June. If the legal...

Just how smart is a horse, anyway? While much research has been done on horses, hardly any has been on "horse smarts," or equine intelligence. Fascinating discoveries will be made with the airing of a program on RFD-TV, on Jan. 16, 17 and 21, 2007. The program, "The Horse Show" with Rick Lamb, is broadcast on Dish Network, Direct TV, Mediacom and National Cable. Tune in to see horses identify colors, pick out letters, numbers—even play cards! Inspired by the book Beautiful Jim Key (2005,...

On October 31, 2006, the Unwanted Horse Coalition (UHC) met officially for the first time under the auspices of the American Horse Council at the United States Equestrian Federation headquarters in Lexington, KY. The meeting was attended by representatives from the American Association of Equine Practitioners, American Paint Horse Association, American Quarter Horse Association, American Veterinary Medical Association, The Jockey Club, National Horse Benevolent and Protective Association,...

Aaron Ralston (left) and Tim McQuay (right) were awarded the Bronze and Silver Individual reining medals at the 2006 WEG. Canada's Duane Latimer took the Gold. (Bob Langrish ) (Aachen, Germany) —It ended like it began, with wind and rain. But, it was a wet, windy and wonderful finale to an amazing two weeks of equestrian sport at the 2006 Aachen World Equestrian Games in Aachen, Germany. By all accounts, it has turned out to be the biggest and most impressive equestrian competition in...

Bob Langrish (Vaulter Megan Benjamin won an Individual Gold medal.) (Aachen, Germany) – It all came down to one minute. It was years in the making, but it came down to one minute in Aachen, Germany, and when that one minute was over, 18-year-old Megan Benjamin of Saratoga, CA, was the first female American vaulter ever to take a world championship. For the past 20 years, a German woman has always held the title of World Champion, and Germany has also won 23 of the last 30 world championships....

Matt Mills and Easy Otie Whiz (Waltenberry) Lexington, KY – It was a night of upsets at the Kentucky Horse Park during the 2006 Adequan®/United States Equestrian Federation® Open Reining Championship, which was also the selection trial for the U.S Reining Team for this summer’s World Equestrian Games in Aachen, Germany. Twenty-seven of the finest reiners our nation has to offer competed in what many believed was one of the most competitive reining competitions ever held. The...

International Paralympic Committee (IPC) President Sir Philip Craven and International Equestrian Federation (FEI) President HRH The Infanta Doña Pilar de Borbón have signed an agreement for the transfer of governance of equestrian for persons with a physical disability from the IPC to the FEI. The transfer ceremony took place at the FEI General Assembly in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on May 2 and will come into full effect on July 1 with the IPC Governing Board accepting the provisional membership...