Is it too early to be nostalgic for an event that just took place last month? Not if that event is the 2023 Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by MARS Equestrian™ (LRK3DE). The best weekend all year did not disappoint, whether you were there in person or following along on the livestream . We’ve compiled some of our favorite moments from LRK3DE, from the major competition stunners to the more low-key, behind-the-scenes happenings you may have missed. We’ll get to...

Megan “Meg” Kepferle of Long Valley, N.J., was a longtime groom for Sinead Maynard (née Halpin) before starting her own business and pursuing her own riding goals. Kepferle groomed multiple times for Maynard at the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by MARS Equestrian™, and she made her riding debut at the 2023 event in the CCI4*-S with Anakin, Rogue Won Syndicate LLC’s 2009 Thoroughbred gelding. When asked about her favorite memory grooming at the...

Alex Waldrop, the former Chief Executive Officer of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), shared U.S. horse racing’s history and recapped some of the challenges that horse racing has faced in the past 15 years. The challenges affected horse racing’s social license to operate and required earnest changes to improve horse welfare. “An old adage comes to mind: ‘If you can’t be a good example, you’ll just have to be a horrible warning.’...

USEF Chief of Sport David O’Connor, University of Kentucky Equine Science professor and member of the FEI Equine Ethics and Welfare Commission, Dr. Camie Heleski, and Chief Executive of World Horse Welfare, Roly Owers, spoke to the USEF Annual Meeting about equestrian sport and the social license to operate. Here are five takeaways from their presentation. 1. Social license to operate is an unofficial but essential piece of the puzzle. Owers describes social license to operate as...

Lexington, Ky. - US Equestrian is pleased to announce Ryder Richardson (Parker, Colo.) as the winner of the 2022 USEF Youth Sportsman’s Award in recognition of his contributions and achievements this year. The USEF Youth Sportsman’s Award identifies outstanding youth members actively involved in their respective discipline or breed organizations and acknowledges their potential as future leaders in the equine industry. The American Connemara Pony Society and United States Hunter...

Pratoni del Vivaro, Italy – The Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team has officially secured qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, capturing the first team world championship medal for the program since 2002, as they hoisted the silver medal on the podium. The team finished on a final score of 100.3 behind the German team who took gold on a 95.2. New Zealand followed closely in third on a combined total of 100.7. The Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team captured the first team medal since 2002...

Pratoni del Vivaro, Italy – The Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team had a fantastic day on cross-country in the hills of Pratoni, finishing all four team combinations and individual combination around the course designed by Giuseppe Della Chiesa (ITA). The team currently sits in second behind Germany on a team score of 77.4, while Tamie Smith and Mai Baum hold third place individually overnight on their score of 24.0. “Today absolutely met my expectations and I think everyone leading up...

The Plains, Va. – The Land Rover U.S. Eventing Squad along with alternate and reserve combinations completed their mandatory outing this weekend at MARS Great Meadow International as their final prep event before September’s 2022 FEI Eventing World Championships in Pratoni del Vivaro, Italy. Tamie Smith and Mai Baum. ©Leslie Potter/US Equestrian All five members of the squad, along with the eight reserve and alternate combinations completed the CCI4*-S at MARS GMI. Team...

Harrodsburg, Ky. – The U.S. Saddle Seat Teams earned podium finishes this week as the 2022 Saddle Seat Equitation World Cup came to its conclusion on Friday, July 29, at the Mercer County Fairgrounds. After a week of training, camaraderie, and competition, the U.S. team won the gold medal in the three-gaited division and bronze in the five-gaited division. This marks the sixth consecutive gold-medal win for the U.S. in the three-gaited division. The 2022 U.S. Saddle Seat World Cup Team...

Langley, British Columbia – The NetJets U.S. Jumping Team challenged the rain to finish fifth in the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup of Canada CSIO5*. Team Ireland finished in first place on a final score off five with Mexico taking the silver medal position on 13 faults, and Australia following in third on 22 faults. The team was led by Chef d’Equipe Robert Ridland, which saw Karl Cook, Ailish Cunniffe, Kent Farrington, and Hunter Holloway start second in the order of six...