Lexington, Ky. – A talented group of athletes demonstrated their skills over two days of competition at the 2020 Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Finals – West at Rancho Mission Viejo Riding Park in San Juan Capistrano, Calif. Once the final phase concluded on Sunday, 15-year-old Skylar Wireman was declared the champion. Wireman (Bonsall, Calif.) was able to climb to the top of leaderboard with the help of Hot Pants, Haven Farms’ 22-year-old KWPN gelding,...

Lexington, Ky. – The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) and the University of Kentucky (UK) have entered into an agreement for the transition of the USEF Laboratory to UK. The new entity will be called the UK Equine Regulatory Testing Laboratory. The transition is effective July 10, 2019, and operations will proceed uninterrupted. Dr. Scott Stanley a renowned expert in the field of equine toxicology, who joined the University of Kentucky in September 2018, will lead the newly...

Lexington, Ky. – Gabriella Costantini has been unanimously crowned 2019 USEF Saddle Seat Adult Amateur Medal Final champion by the panel of judges at the historic Lexington Junior League Charity Horse Show , which continues at the Kentucky Horse Park through July 13. In the last class of the morning session on Wednesday, July 10, nine of the country’s best saddle seat equitation competitors faced off in group railwork and executed individual patterns designed by judges Peggy...

Lexington, K y. – The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) and the University of Kentucky have entered into a Letter of Intent to develop an equine regulatory testing laboratory based in Lexington, Ky. In January 2018, the USEF Board of Directors appointed a task force headed by Tom O’Mara to work with senior leadership to analyze USEF’s laboratory functions and future options for their sample testing program. The creation of the task force led to conversations with the...

Allentown, N.J. – Five USEF Preliminary Combined Driving National Champions were crowned at the Garden State Combined Driving Event CDE at the Horse Park of New Jersey on October 12-14. It was the debut of national championships at the preliminary level in order to serve as a catalyst to ignite further interest in the combined driving discipline, and cultivate combinations for the development and elite levels. Berndl and Impressive (Photo by Conklin Photographic LLC) Leslie Berndl...

Mill Spring, N.C. – The U.S. Reining Team turned in an epic performance to start the FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG) Tryon 2018 on a high note for the U.S. contingent. Under the guidance of Chef d’Equipe Jeff Petska, the team of Casey Deary and Heavy Duty Chex, Dan Huss and Ms Dreamy, Jordan Larson and ARC Gunnabeabigstar, and Cade McCutcheon and Custom Made Gun clinched the fifth consecutive team gold medal for the U.S. with a score of 681.0. The U.S. Reining Team, 2018 WEG team...

Lexington, Ky. – US Equestrian (USEF) grieves the loss of one of equestrian sports’ leading figures, Keith Bartz (Naples, Fla.), who passed away on Saturday, January 27, at the age of 84. Bartz’s impact spanned equestrian sport, as he was a competitor, trainer, governance leader, and champion for the American Saddlebred. Keith Bartz (Adam Brennan - www.picturesbyab.com ) “Keith Bartz gave [back] to the horse-showing industry in so many ways. He had a strong moral...

CH Extremely Fortunut is going for her sixth Devon three-gaited country pleasure championship with rider Molly Codeanne. (Doug Shiflet) The Devon Horse Show and Country Fair in Pennsylvania has been very good to the aptly named American Saddlebred mare CH Extremely Fortunut, who competes in the three-gaited country pleasure division at this show. Devon, a United States Equestrian Federation Heritage Competition that runs through June 4, also features top-class hunter, jumper, and driving...

Lexington, Ky. – The United States Equestrian Federation (US Equestrian) has reluctantly accepted the resignation of its U.S. Eventing Technical Advisor David O’Connor. “Over many years, David has been a leader for US Equestrian as a whole and for eventing in particular,” remarked Murray Kessler, President of US Equestrian. “We reluctantly accept David’s resignation and support his desire to focus on chairing the Fédération Equestre...

Dr. John Steele (Kenneth Kraus) Acclaimed veterinarian Dr. John Steele was the linchpin behind the success of some of equestrian sports’ biggest names and their mounts. Up until his passing last month, one could find the 91-year-old Dr. Steele, or “Doc,” as many throughout the equestrian sport community knew him, hustling around show grounds, administering the utmost care to his equine clients. His tireless dedication to the horse and its rider made him one of the most...