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....

Lexington, KY – The United States Equestrian Federation® (USEF) is pleased to announce the reining team, sponsored by Adequan®, that will represent the United States in the 2006 FEI World Equestrian Games held in Aachen, Germany, from August 20 to September 3, 2006, with reining competition being held September 1 and 3. The four horse-and-rider combinations and alternates are as follows: 1. Matt Mills, of Scottsdale, AZ, riding Easy Otie Whiz, a seven-year-old Quarter Horse...

Bob Weber (Megan Benjamin has been chosen to compete in vaulting at the 2006 FEI World Equestrian Games as an individual and as a team member.) Lexington, KY – The United States Equestrian Federation® is pleased to announce the vaulting team for the 2006 FEI World Equestrian Games. Three individual men, three individual women and one team were selected to represent the U.S. at the 2006 FEI World Equestrian Games in Aachen, Germany, August 20–September 3. The vaulting competition will take place...

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...

Showcase, Ltd., based in Canton, GA, ended their 2005 show season on a high note as owner-rider Terry Brown, partnered with her 11-year-old Hanoverian gelding Sequel, were awarded Farnam®/Platform™ USEF National Horse of the Year titles in Second Year Green Working Hunter, Regular Working Hunter and Horse of the Year Grand Champion in Regular Hunters. They seem to be headed right back to the top in 2006 as their winning continued with the championship in the Regular Working Hunter division for...

The Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA) has recently developed a new certification program -- the Equine Facilities Manager (EFM) program. This program is done as a 2.5 day clinic to certify four levels of stable employees: - Stable Worker- Qualified to work in a barn under the supervision of a manager - Stable Manager- Qualified to manage a small private stable of up to 10 head and 1-2 employees - Herd Manager- Qualified to manage a public equine facility of up to 35 head and 3-4...

For the second year in a row, the United States hosted the FEI Children’s International Jumping Final. Held at the lovely Hummingbird Nest Ranch, just north of Los Angeles, 32 of the highest ranked riders aged 12-14 congregated for a week of competition and camaraderie from November 22-27. Venezuela’s Noel Vanososte conceived of the idea to have children’s jumper riders compete in a championship format as he watched developing riders in South America. After experimenting with various formats,...

The Area II Adult Riders Program Training Three-Day Event has received an outpouring of support from the equestrian community for its unique educational competition, to be held October 18-22, 2005, at Waredaca Farm in Laytonsville, MD. Among the upper level riders donating expertise are Olympic medalists Jim Wofford and Karen O’Connor, and Pan American Games medalists Jan Thompson and Phyllis Dawson. Other top people in the industry will also participate. The Training Three-Day Event...

— Effective October 3rd, Andrea Ice will take the position of Director of Hunter and Collegiate Activities for the United States Equestrian Federation. As Director of Hunter Activities, Ice assumes the position vacated by Susan Dotson, the newly named Executive Director of the United States Hunter Jumper Association. Ice’s duties will include overseeing and directing the Hunter Department, under the direction of Karen Homer-Brown in National Sport Programs. In addition, Ice will...

Photos.com Lexington, KY – Hundreds of people in the southern states are opening their barns, their hearts, and in many cases their homes, to assist horses and their owners affected by the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. To date, the response has been overwhelming, with more than 5,000 people willing to offer assistance nationwide. The next step in this massive effort is to spread the word to those in the equine world who have been hurt and stranded by this national tragedy. Please help us in...