Courtesy Joanie Webster (Junior rider Natalie Kupperman astride her purebred Connemara gelding, Elphin Song Sparrow, winner of the Consummate Connemara Trophy.) The Annual West Coast Connemara Show, dedicated in memory of Larry Ervin, was held for the second consecutive year at Twin Rivers Ranch in Paso Robles, CA. Chris Knox of Chesterfield, ID, was the USEF-licensed Connemara Breed and Performance judge. Forty-six Connemara ponies along with some 'open' horses vied for ribbons in the...

Riders4helmets website aims to encourage more equestrians to wear helmets Leading equine digestive health product Succeed® has teamed up with helmet advocate Jeri Bryant to launch an online helmet awareness campaign— www.riders4helmets.com . The campaign is designed to educate equestrians on the benefits of wearing helmets. The Equestrian Medical Safety Association (EMSA) states that head injuries account for approximately 60% of deaths resulting from equestrian accidents. Approximately...

The 2009 Capital Challenge Horse Show will take place September 26-October 4 at the Prince George's Equestrian Center in Upper Marlboro, MD. This year's edition will feature the $40,000 North American Junior/Amateur Challenge Cup. The North American Junior/Amateur Challenge Cup will feature three rounds of jumper competition in a World Cup-type format. The first round, sponsored by Heritage Farm and Kate Considine of Willow Brook Farm, is a $5,000 Faults Converted class. The Time First Round...

Calling it one of the most significant welfare issues affecting any equine breed or discipline, the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) issued recommendations for eliminating the abusive practice within the Tennessee Walking Horse industry known as soring. Soring is the infliction of pain to create an extravagant or exaggerated gait in horses for training or show purposes. Even though soring is prohibited by the federal Horse Protection Act of 1970, some within the industry...

Lexington, KY—April 17, 2007—Equestrian sports fans around the world will be able to watch the 2007 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, presented by Farnam, as it happens thanks to the world’s first-ever full, live, end-to-end webcast of a four-star three-day event. This year’s Rolex Kentucky CCI****, an FEI Qualifying Competition and U.S. Equestrian Federation (USEF) Selection Trial for the 2008 Olympic Games, returns to the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY, April 26-29....

Lexington, KY – The inaugural meeting of the newly created Carriage Pleasure Driving Committee was held on March 7, 2006, at the USEF Lexington office. The focus of this committee is to develop more opportunities for growth with a broader range of competitions to attend; to monitor and support new rules brought forward from the discipline affiliate, the American Driving Society; and to promote and expand the Horse of the Year and high-point awards. There are 19 members of this new affiliate...

Lexington, KY – Ashlee Van Raalte, 18, of Scales Mound, Illinois, will represent the United States in Bahrain, December 15-18, as she rides for the title at the 2005 FEI World Endurance Championships for Juniors and Young Riders. The 2005 Championship promises to be the largest competition of its kind to date, and will play host to more than 150 expected entries from a record 33 participating countries. Van Raalte will compete on the 75-mile course with either “Saif Al Arab”...

Lexington, KY –The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) is now accepting bids to host the 2006 Adequan/USEF National Open Reining Championship. In existence for more than five years, this prestigious event continues to feature some of the country’s best reining athletes. In 2002, the Open Reining Championship was used as the Final Selection Trial for the World Equestrian Games in Jerez, Spain. The resulting team made history by capturing the Team Gold medal and the Individual...

Lexington, KY – In a world competition that turned out nothing short of legendary, American reining superstars Craig Schmersal and Tim McQuay won the Gold and Silver Medals respectively, at the 2005 FEI World Reining Masters Final competition in Manerbio, Italy on September 24. Riding Tidal Wave Jack, Schmersal turned in a score of 231.5, earning a Gold Medal and one of the highest scores on record. Coming in second with a score of 224, Tim McQuay and Mister Montana Nic earned the Silver...

Lexington, KY – The USEF and USDF have approved a change of venue for the 2005 New England Dressage Association (NEDA) Fall Festival, September 14-18. Last week, the Board of NEDA unanimously voted to move the Festival from Fieldstone Farm in Halifax, Massachusetts, to HITS-on-the-Hudson in Saugerties, New York, a year earlier than originally anticipated. The Fall Festival is USEF-, USDF- and FEI-recognized (CDI 3*/Y Saugerties, formerly Halifax), and will host USEF qualifying...