Lexington, KY – The USEF has announced the team members and ponies which will be competing at the 2005 FEI World Combined Pony Driving Championships in Catton Park, England this week. The competition begins on Wednesday, July 13th, with the official inspection of ponies, followed by two days of dressage, the Marathon on Saturday, and Obstacle Driving on Sunday. United States Team Members are as follows: Sara Schmitt of Glen Gardner, NJ, with High Country Doc (1996 Morgan stallion, owned...

Lexington, KY – The header may seem humorous, but anyone who knows horses knows the subject is anything but. From Stable Flies and Blow Flies to mosquitoes that can carry the West Nile virus, these merciless two-winged insects are a well-established nuisance in every equestrian circle. Enter the trusted name of Farnam (our white knight of fly control) to the rescue. The newest top-tier sponsor of the United States Equestrian Federation, Farnam Companies, Inc. has entered an exclusive...

Diana DeRosa (Show jumper Gabriella Salick riding Sandstone Laurin during warm up.) Las Vegas, NV – In a city where glitz and glam are the standard, our United States riders are preparing to shine with the best of them at the 2005 FEI World Cup Finals in Show Jumping and Dressage. Now that official warm-ups and open training have concluded for both disciplines, our skilled equestrians are depending on two final touches before the competition begins—a good night’s rest, and luck of the draw for...

Lexington, KY – The United States Equestrian Federation’s National Hunter Breeding Championship continues to grow as fast as the young horses it showcases. To accommodate the phenomenal show of interest across the country, the Championship will be taking on a new format this year, welcoming competitors in two separate locations. This year, the 2005 Sallie B. Wheeler/USEF National Hunter Breeding Championship, Presented by Vita Flex, will start in Del Mar, CA, at the All Seasons...

Lexington, KY – A sure sign of the rising popularity of equestrian sport across the nation, NBC Sports will air its first ever double-header for eventing and show jumping on May 8, showcasing two of the United States’ most prestigious events in 2005. The two-for-one broadcast will feature highlights from the 2005 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event Presented by Farnam and the 2005 FEI Budweiser World Cup Show Jumping Final from Las Vegas and is scheduled to air from 4:00-6:00 p.m....

Burbank, CA — R-E-S-P-E-C-T. That’s exactly what Debbie McDonald earned from officials, competitors and spectators alike as she rode Brentina to victory in the 2005 U.S. Grand Prix Freestyle Championship and U.S. League Final in Burbank, California this weekend. Strutting through a freestyle program to the sound of Aretha Franklin, Olympic Team Bronze medalist McDonald and Brentina earned the winning score of 77.975% and a standing ovation in defending her 2004 title. Riding her...

Lexington, KY – In a bold move sure to expand the sport of reining starting at the grassroots level, the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) announces the first-ever USEF Youth Reining Championship, to be featured at Fiesta in the Park at the Kentucky Horse Park, August 23-28. The 2005 Championship will be sponsored by the Hagyard-Davidson-McGee veterinary practice and Markel Insurance, both leaders in their respective fields, with reputations built on excellence in the equine...

Lexington, KY – The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) is pleased to name one of the world’s foremost equine nutrition specialists as the Federation’s Official Equine Nutritionist. Kentucky Equine Research (KER), based in Versailles, Kentucky, boasts more than 15 years of innovative research in the field and now brings its vast reservoir of information to the Federation and its members. In fulfilling this role, KER will provide nutrition seminars for High Performance...

The Organizing Committee of the World Endurance Championships, which are taking place next month in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, have confirmed that they have received definite entries for 188 horses from 41 nations. The horses are all due to start arriving in Dubai around January 8, allowing them time to acclimatize ahead of the competition which takes place on January 26-27, 2005. At the final trial, which took place in Dubai last weekend held at the Dubai Endurance Village, the...

Prince Bernhard, the President of the FEI from 1954 to 1964, passed away on December 1, 2004. He was 93 years old. Prince Bernhard, husband of Queen Juliana, who reigned from 1948, and father of the present Queen of the Netherlands, Beatrix, was born on June 29, 1911. In 1937 he married the then Princess Juliana. The couple had four children, all girls. One of them, Irene, became a successful jumper rider, competing as a member of the Dutch team at the European Junior Championships of 1956....