Lexington, Ky. – US Equestrian is pleased to announce the 2020 Horses of Year and Equestrian of the Year nominees, each recognized for their outstanding efforts during the 2020 competition season. Both the Horse of the Year and Equestrian of the Year award winners will be announced during the Pegasus Awards & Horse of the Year Awards virtual celebration on Saturday, January 16, 2021 at 7:30 p.m. hosted by President-elect Tom O’Mara. The winners of both awards will be determined...

Lexington, Ky. - US Equestrian (USEF) is pleased to announce that an anonymous donor generously stepped up with a $25,000 commitment to the Virginia Tech Helmet Lab, ensuring this mission critical safety initiative hit the $450,000 goal set to complete the STAR Helmet rating project for equestrian sport. “Tom O’ Mara, US Equestrian President-Elect, called to let me know the good news! He actually was contacted by a donor following our announcement of reaching the $425,000 milestone...

Lausanne (SUI) - The FEI Driving World Championships, due to be held behind closed doors in Valkenswaard (NED) from October 7-11, have been canceled due to increased case numbers of COVID-19 in the Netherlands. The decision to cancel the Championships, which were for four-in-hand horse teams, was made by the City of Valkenswaard today. “It is devastating that the FEI Driving World Championships at Valkenswaard have had to be cancelled at the last minute, as everyone involved has put in so...

Wayne, Ill. – Talented combinations delivered quality performances on the penultimate day of competition at the 2020 U.S. Dressage Festival of Champions at HITS Chicago at the Lamplight Equestrian Center. Four titles were determined on Saturday in the Markel/USEF Young Horse Four-Year-Old Dressage National Championship, Markel/USEF Young Horse Five-Year-Old Dressage National Championship, Adequan®/USEF Junior Dressage National Championship, and Markel/USEF Developing Horse Prix St....

April 25, 2020 Dear USEF Members and Competition Organizers (Licensees and Managers), We continue to carefully monitor the COVID-19 Pandemic situation and the position of health experts, including the CDC and other public health authorities. It appears that in several areas of the country, restrictions put in place by State Governors, such as the “stay-at-home” orders, are making a positive difference. Federal, state and local governments are discussing plans for re-opening the...

Kalispell, Mont. - The pressure is building for young riders as they move into the final day of show jumping for the Adequan North American Youth Championships presented by Gotham North. Both individuals and teams fought hard in today's cross-country rounds, meaning there was limited movement within the ranks. "My entire team did so well so I knew I had to bring it home to them," described Katie Lichten, last to go in the team order for the combined team of Area I/II. Katie Lichten moved...

Nicole Aden, Sound Prospect, and Allie Knowles at the 2017 Pau CCI4* (Courtesy of Nicole Aden) Grooms are a vital part of any competition barn. While grooms often are behind the scenes or alongside the ring, some of them also compete themselves. Nicole Aden, Meg Kepferle, and Andi Lawrence are three current or former eventing grooms who have found their own success in national and FEI eventing competitions. A few weeks ago, all three finished in the top 16 in the competitive CIC2* A division at...

Tessa Divita (Photo by: Shannon Brinkman) U.S. Vaulting Team Individual Female competitor, Tessa Divita comes from a family with many international championship vaulting medals. Divita’s sister Ali and mother Julie have successfully competed in Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI) vaulting all over the world. Divita has proven to be a force in her own right. Since her first CVI3* as an individual female in 2016, Divita has placed in the top-three, five out of the six times she’s...

Mill Spring, N.C. - Dan Huss, from Scottsdale, Ariz., is one of five athlete-and-horse combinations on the U.S. Reining Squad for the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games™ (WEG) Tryon. He will bring a toughness and certain focus to his pattern in his first WEG. One of the most well-renowned sports in the United States, the sport of reining takes place the first week of the Games beginning tomorrow September 12, with the team competition, continuing on September 13 and 15. Not only is this...

Mill Spring, N.C. - Five horse-and-athlete combinations have been chosen to represent the United States at the FEI World Equestrian Games™ (WEG) Tryon 2018. Cade McCutcheon (Aubrey, Texas) will represent the U.S. in Tryon, riding Custom Made Gun, a seven-year-old Quarter Horse stallion owned by Tim and Colleen McQuay. His father, Tom McCutcheon, will ride The Wizster, an eight-year-old Quarter Horse gelding owned by Turnabout Farm. Cade McCutcheon and Custom Made Gun (Waltenberry)...