The United States Equestrian Team (USET) Foundation announced that in 2005 it awarded $1.9 million to the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) in support of its high-performance programs: dressage, driving, endurance, eventing, reining, show jumping and vaulting. The grant was made possible by the generous donations of contributors in response to the USET Foundation’s successful fundraising efforts. “I can’t thank the wonderful and generous contributors to the USET Foundation enough,”...

A Judges and Stewards Clinic will be held on February 4-5, 2006, in Tampa, FL. The clinic is open to anyone who wants to attend, not just judges and stewards. The fee for auditors is $25, for Renewal Judges/Stewards that pre-entered by January 23, 2006, the fee was $100. For Renewal Judges/Stewards that enter after January 23, 2006, the fee is $125. On Saturday, February 4, 2006, the clinic will be held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. Some of the topics to be discussed are rule changes (from the...

The grace period deadline for American Saddlebred Registry Futurity, Sweepstakes payments and Three-Year-Old and Four-Year-Old new Sweepstakes nominations is Friday, February 10. All payments and/or nominations must be postmarked or faxed to the American Saddlebred Registry office on or before February 10. Yearlings (2005 foals) may be nominated to the Three-Year-Old Sweepstakes and three-year-olds may be nominated to the Four-Year-Old Sweepstakes. Nomination forms can be downloaded from the...

Dr. Rebecca Gimenez and Dr. Tomas Gimenez are preparing a book on technical large animal ermergency rescue for Blackwell Publishing in Oxford that is scheduled for publication in 2007. This book will reflect the increasing demand for proper techniques and standardized procedures for use by veterinarians, horse owners and professional emergency responders on equine incident scenes, both in emergencies and disasters. Throughout the book, emphasis will be on understanding prey animal behavior and...

Lexington, KY – The United States Equestrian Federation, Inc. is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Scott Hassler as the National Young Horse Dressage Coach, as part of the highly successful Markel/USEF Young Horse Dressage Program. The establishment of this coaching position is an illustration of the Federation’s continuing initiatives to support and emphasize structured development of future FEI-level dressage horses and riders. Hassler is the Training Director at the...

The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) Dressage Committee is pleased to announce the launch of a new dressage championship program in 2006, the "Passage Cup." Designed to assist and encourage today's Young Riders as they transition to the Senior Grand Prix, the Passage Cup will shed much-needed light on tomorrow's stars--today. "With this exciting new program, we're looking to 'bridge the gap' for our talented dressage riders who are graduating from the Young Rider ranks to High...

The United States Eventing Association has announced that the 2006 Maui Jim Horse Trials in Wayne, IL, will again be part of the Adequan Gold Cup Series of events, thus designating it as one of the 12 “premier” eventing competitions in the United States. Maui Jim Horse Trials, who recently entered into a five-year sponsorship agreement with Maui Jim, Inc., the Peoria-based manufacturer of high-end sunglasses, will offer riders a new look for the July 7-9 competition. A long unused parcel of...

Federico Sztyrle on Fatalis Fatum edged out Margie Engle by less than a half second to win the Palm Beach Toyota’s $25,000 Grand Prix at Littlewood on January 22, 2006. Engle came in second place riding Canaille and third riding Hidden Creek’s Charlie Brown. Fourth went to Andres Rodriguez on Indien D’ Adriers. The spectators enjoyed the complimentary buffet with wine and beer provided by Palm Beach Toyota. The crowd filled the tent with every table and chair occupied and spilled out...

Langer Equestrian Group, Inc., jumped into the new year with record entries at the LAEC Opener, January 20-22. The USEF A-rated show attracted over 300 horses and riders to the first major show of the new year. "We've had really great weather, and I think that everyone could get their horses out and were looking forward to a nice show," said Langer Equestrian Group President Larry Langer. The new show season attracts new faces and new horses. Archie Cox found another winner to add to his string...

The 2005 National Pleasure Horse Award winners have been named in eight divisions, all of which are based on a high-point scoring system. All registered American Saddlebreds are eligible for these awards without payment of additional fees. The National Pleasure Horse Awards are based on a formula that favors horses that are consistent winners across the country. The system, which crowns eight champions, is based on the USEF rating of the show and the number of entries in the class. The complete...