The United States Equestrian
Federation®, Inc. (USEF), as the National Equestrian Federation of the U.S., is
the regulatory body for the Olympic and World Championship sports of dressage,
driving, endurance, eventing, reining, show jumping, and vaulting, as well as 20
other breeds and disciplines of equestrian competition. As the country's largest
multi-breed organization, the Federation has over 86,000 members and recognizes
more than 2,800 competitions nationwide each year. It governs all aspects of
competition, including educating and licensing all judges, stewards and
technical delegates who officiate at these shows.
USEF --
EQUESTRIAN MAGAZINE'S -- WEEK IN REVIEW
MAY 8, 2008 -- DRESSAGE NEWS & MORE
10th Annual Fiesta of the Spanish Horse Delights
Thousands at Los Angeles Equestrian Center
The popular “Fiesta of the Spanish Horse,” an
annual benefit and horse show to support cancer research, ran May 1-4, 2008,
at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center in Burbank, CA, and attracted thousands
of spectators and participants. This year marked the 10th Annual Fiesta, a
revered Southern California equestrian tradition that raises funds for
multiple cancer research organizations.
More than 260 Spanish horses from across the country, including Andalusian,
Lusitano, Paso Fino and Peruvian Paso, competed in the horse show. A Saturday
evening extravaganza, the capstone of the event was attended by nearly 3,600
people and featured an entertaining and educational multi-cultural celebration
of the Spanish horse, and a wide range of equestrian exhibitions, celebrities,
food, music, dancing and vendors.
Read More...
USEF Announces Additional Benefits in MemberPerks
Program
One of the benefits to being a member of the
United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) is free enrollment into the USEF
MemberPerks program. The MemberPerks program offers substantial cost savings
on a variety of products and services from a wide range of companies. The USEF
has added even more organizations to the MemberPerks program, which means
additional benefits and discounts to USEF members.
Read More...
One Qualifier Left for 2008 Adequan/USEF National Open
Reining Championship presented by Equine Motorcoach
The countdown is almost over. There is only one
more qualifier for the 2008 Adequan/USEF National Open Reining Championship
presented by Equine Motorcoach left for riders to win their ticket to the USEF
National Championship. The final qualifying competition is at Syracuse, NY, at
the CNYRHA Ride and Slide on June 7.
Read More...
New Draft and Survey for USEF Dressage Performance
Standards Proposal Now Available
The USEF Dressage Committee has released a new
draft of the Performance Standards Proposal for review and feedback from
United States Dressage Federation (USDF) and USEF members. This proposal would
establish a qualification process for competing at fourth level and above at
USEF-licensed dressage competitions beginning with the 2011 competition year.
The committee invites USEF and USDF members to review the new draft, and then
log in through the USEF website to fill out an online survey. This survey will
be used to collect member feedback and comments, which will be reviewed by the
Committee members at their July 1–2, 2008, meeting.
Please visit this
link for more information, and click on “Dressage Performance Standards
Proposal Information.”
For more information, please contact Jennifer Keeler, USEF Director of
Dressage, National Programs, at
jkeeler@usef.org.
Teodori Wins $100,000 Premier Truck & Trailer Grand
Prix of Del Mar
Eighteen-year-old rookie Laura Teodori went clean
and well within the time allowed in an exciting jump-off against three veteran
riders to win the $100,000 Premier Truck & Trailer Grand Prix of Del Mar, an
American Grandprix Association (AGA) event, at the Del Mar National Horse
Show.
Read More...
Eventing Team Announces Mandatory Outings for 2008
Olympic Games
The United States Equestrian Federation is
announcing two mandatory outings for their eventing short listed riders. The
Eventing Short List will be named by no later than June 30. All short listed
horse-and-rider combinations will be required to attend one of the mandatory
outings.
Read More...
Every Horse Needs an Annual Dental Exam, Says the
American Association of Equine Practitioners
Because proper dental care is vital to a horse’s
overall health, the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) is
launching a campaign to promote the need for horses to receive a thorough oral
examination at least once a year. Designed to reach horse owners, the campaign
kicked off in April and runs through 2008.
Read More...
Notice Regarding Green Status for a Horse or Pony
If you want to reinstate the green status of a
horse or pony, it must have competed three times or less at the regulation
height or higher prior to May 15, 2008. Any horse or pony showing at the
regulation height or higher after May 15 will be ineligible for a green
reinstatement.
Kentucky Horse Park Offers Equine Adoption Fair to Help
Neglected Horses
A number of factors have converged to make this a
very difficult year for Kentucky’s horses. Equine overpopulation, a
challenging economy and last summer’s draught are among the causes of distress
that have put Kentucky’s horses in the national media spotlight.
“We’ve all been disturbed by the sight of neglected and starving horses in the
news, and we are determined to do something about it. We’re going to put our
actions where our hearts are,” said John Nicholson, Executive Director of the
Kentucky Horse Park. “If everyone who benefits from the horse industry will
pitch-in, it is possible that we could come close to eliminating the problem
of unwanted horses in our state very quickly," he continued. "The one thing
that is not acceptable is for people to know that Kentucky’s horses are in
crisis and yet do nothing to help.”
To that end, on Saturday, June 28, at 6 p.m., the Kentucky Horse Park will
host the first annual John Henry Memorial Equine Adoption Fair, named for the
park’s beloved racehorse who passed away last fall.
Read More...
Book your advertising space in the
2008
Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Dressage Festival of Champions Program.
This prestigious dressage competition takes place in June in San Juan
Capistrano, CA. For more information, contact Kim Russell at (859) 225-6938 or
krussell@usef.org.
Capital Challenge Horse Show To Celebrate Its 15th Year
With Expanded Junior/Amateur Jumper Division
The Capital Challenge Horse Show will celebrate
its 15th year when it kicks off on September 27 and runs through October 5 in
Upper Marlboro, MD. The prestigious event launches the indoor show season
where the elite go head-to-head in year-end finals.
Since its inception, the Capital Challenge Horse Show has drawn the sport’s
best hunter, jumper and equitation riders from across the country. Last year
the show attracted competitors from over 40 states and Canada, and in past
years riders have traveled from as far away as Alaska to compete.
Read More...
Daniel Geitner Captures $30,000 Carolina Real Estate
Co. Grand Prix and Young Jumper Championships at Aiken Spring Finale
The final week of the Aiken Spring Classic was
win-win for Daniel Geitner of the Aiken-based DFG Stables. At the Aiken
Finale, which concluded at the Highfields Events Center on Sunday, Geitner led
the victory gallop in this week’s highlight event, the $30,000 Carolina Real
Estate Co. Grand Prix, as well as both Young Jumper Championships.
Read More...
Going
Somewhere? Let USEF and Hertz Help You Save Money
Take advantage of one of
the many USEF MemberPerks privileges by using Hertz for all of your travel
needs. Simply use your USEF/Hertz discount CDP# 15757 each time you place a
reservation, and instantly qualify for member discounts in the
U.S.
and around the world. For low web rates, special offers and free membership
to Hertz #1Club®, visit their website at
www.hertz.com or call
(800) 654-2200.
List of Qualified Nations for the 2008 Olympic Games
A total of 41 countries have qualified, either
with team or individual, to participate in the 2008 Olympic Games, according
to the qualification procedures of each discipline—FEI Regulations for
Equestrian Events at the Olympic Games, 22nd Edition, effective for the
2008 Beijing Olympic Games (Hong Kong). National Federations have until May 30
to confirm their participation.
Read More...
From the April 2008 issue of EQUESTRIAN magazine:
Varsity Equestrian: A Decade of Growth and Promise
Toward NCAA Status
By Rachael Brown
Some 93 years after the creation of the National
Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), it finally recognized equine sports as
an official collegiate competitive athletic activity. It was in 1998 that
there was the beginning of a new era for college students, particularly women,
carrying their equine abilities through their college years. Equestrian was
labeled an emerging sport by the NCAA in 1998, but was not yet able to have an
NCAA championship.
The classification as an “emerging sport” under
NCAA rules places varsity equestrian in an awkward position. Yet, this title
does not discourage coaches, riders
and all those that participate in the sport. Large groups across the country
joined together to support the growth of equestrian sports at the college
level. Gender equality issues are one of the primary reasons the NCAA pushed
and continues to encourage the development of equestrian. NCAA President Myles
Brand described the gender issue by saying, “Forty-two percent of the
participants in sports are women. We want to create sports that will attract
some attention from young women and be competitive.”
Currently, 24 colleges and universities sponsor
equestrian as a varsity sport, with a total of 40 needed for equestrian to
reach NCAA championship status.
For the full story in PDF format, click
here.
Hunters Ride for Points and Prize Money During WCHR
Week at Horse Shows by the Bay
The first week of competition at Horse Shows by
the Bay (July 16-20) has been awarded this year the prestigious World Champion
Hunter Rider sanctioning by the American Hunter-Jumper Foundation (AHJF).
Horse Shows by the Bay is a three-week equestrian festival held in scenic
Traverse City, MI, July 16-August 3. In addition to its WCHR sanctioning,
Horse Shows by the Bay will hold numerous hunter classics throughout the three
weeks of competition and will offer fantastic prize money.
Read More...
Henk van Bergen Announced as 2009
Succeed/USDF FEI-Level Trainers’ Conference Presenter
The United States Dressage Federation (USDF)
announced that Henk van Bergen has signed on to be the featured presenter at
the 2009 Succeed/USDF FEI-Level Trainers’ Conference to be held January 18-19,
2009, in Loxahatchee, FL. Each year, USDF offers a trainers’ conference to
those individuals who meet the attendee criteria to learn training techniques
and study with a world-class dressage trainer.
Read More...
Equitation Day Added to Beacon Hill Schedule
The 2008 Beacon Hill Equestrian Grand Prix
presented by Mackenzie Keck, Inc., has been expanded this year to include a
day dedicated to junior equitation riders. This year’s show will begin on
Thursday, June 19, and will run through Sunday, June 22, and will be held at
Beacon Hill Show Stables in Colts Neck, NJ.
Read More...
NBC-TV to Re-Broadcast Rolex Kentucky Television
Special on May 24
In a gracious nod to equestrian fans, NBC has
announced that it will re-air coverage of the "Rolex Equestrian Championships
presented by Kentucky – Unbridled Spirit" in its entirety on Saturday, May 24,
from 2:00-3:00 p.m. EDT. The initial airing of the program on May 4 had to be
shortened when the National Hockey League playoff game that preceded it went
into overtime and ran long.
Read More...