The Equus Projects, a company that partners professional dancers with horses and their riders, will perform three original works for dancers, horses and equestrians at the 2005 Ox Ridge Summer Dressage show, one of the most elegant and prestigious dressage shows in the nation. This three-day international competition, held August 19-21, will draw riders from all over the world to earn qualifying scores for the Olympic Games, the World Equestrian Games and the World Cup Finals, as well as for...

Less than two weeks remain before some of the nation’s most talented junior riders—hundreds in fact—will begin the quest to out-jump, out-show and out-perform their fellow pony enthusiasts. Slated for August 10-13, the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) Pony Finals is entering its 38th year of tradition, and its first of four years with the Kentucky Horse Park. Promising to be the cherry-on-top experience for many of the nation’s aspiring equestrians, the Finals will play host to three...

Rider Aaron Vale of Aiken, SC, rode Alison Register’s 13-year-old Warmblood bay mare Alliance to a double-clear round victory over a field of 26 competitors in the H n’ D Stables’- and Wilton Connor Family-sponsored Lucky Sevens Welcome Stake on July 21. Alliance's first round time of 63.50 made him the third out of four mounts for Vale going into the jump-off. Their second clear round time of 34.70 was just one second enough to pull off the win. Pablo Barrios of Wellington, FL, aboard Wild Cat...

USEF President and 2000 Olympic Gold Medalist David O’Connor was well received as the guest of honor at the annual Arabian Horse Youth Association Convention in Albuquerque, July 22 and 23. As keynote speaker, O’Connor both educated and inspired in his usual style, telling young equestrians, “If you are really good at what you do, the winning will follow.” The pursuit of a true equestrian, he said, is one of excellence—not just a pursuit of awards. He also reminded youth delegates to “make your...

The Youth National Arabian and Half-Arabian Championship Horse Show (Youth Nationals) is celebrating its 13th anniversary in Albuquerque, NM, at Expo New Mexico on July 23-30, 2005. The Arabian Horse Association (AHA) of Aurora, CO, produces the weeklong event that features top-level competition, a shopping expo, the annual youth convention and daily activities. This year's show features more than 1,000 horses from across the United States, competing in 124 classes in a wide variety of...

Following the sold out, three-show Woodside Summer Circuit, John Bragg leads the point standings for the 2005 Woodside Hunter Incentive. At each of the seven USEF “A”- and “AA”-rated hunter/jumper shows at the Horse Park at Woodside, each trainer’s five highest scoring hunters are counted toward his or her Hunter Incentive points. All hunter sections count toward the points: junior, amateur, children’s, adult, ponies and open. This year’s contest ends at the Woodside Fall Finale (September...

The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) will be sponsoring a ParaEquestrian Classification Clinic, September 9-10, at Little Bit Therapeutic Riding Center in Woodinville, WA. The clinic will be open to a maximum of ten physicians or physical therapists and is designed to help them recognize and classify eligible riders and drivers with physical disabilities in preparation for national competition. There will also be discussion about the modified classification system in development for...

Following closely on the heels of the nation’s first-ever Unwanted Horse Summit in Washington, DC, on April 19, a National Steering Committee has been named to perform the organizational work necessary to keep the project moving forward. In a conference call on June 8 involving all participants in the Summit, the following representatives were selected to serve on the Steering Committee: -Dr. Tom Lenz, American Association of Equine Practitioners (chair) -Dr. Andrew Lang, American Society for...

Lexington, KY – Four United States dressage riders have been awarded USEF Dressage European Competition and Training Grants to travel to Europe as they prepare for the 2006 World Equestrian Games in Aachen, Germany. These grants have been made possible through funding from the United States Olympic Committee. The four riders and their horses are as follows: Leslie Morse of Beverly Hills, California, and Kingston (Dutch Warmblood stallion, owned by Leslie Morse) Steffan Peters of San...

Lexington, KY – Following a series of 17 qualifiers that spanned the globe, five American eventing riders will represent the United States at the 2005 FEI Eventing World Cup Final in Malmö, Sweden, August 11-14. The riders, listed in alphabetical order, are as follows: Robyn Fisher of West Hills, California, with Le Samurai (1995 Holsteiner Thoroughbred gelding, owned by Robyn Fisher) Jessica Heidemann of Bellingham, Washington, with French Twist (1991 Thoroughbred gelding, owned by...