Aaron Vale of Aiken, SC, posted the first victory of the season as the 2005 American Grand Prix Association (AGA) tour got underway in Jacksonville, Florida on Saturday, January 23, 2005. The nighttime competition took place at the Paul E. Reinhold Agricultural Center Fairgrounds on State Road 16 in Green Cove Springs, FL. In its 27th year of equestrian excellence, the AGA tour includes 32 events in 22 different equestrian markets and offers over $2.5 million dollars in prize money. Vale’s...

What: The Challenge of the Americas, a Grand Prix team dressage quadrille and musical freestyle competition. When: March 12, 2005 at 6:30 p.m. (under the lights) Where: The Players Club and Palm Beach Polo Why: To raise money for The Breast Cancer Research Foundation, http://www.bcrfcure.org Who: Teams representing the United States, Canada and Latin America Opening Demo Rider: Silke Rembacz riding Highlife Farm’s Connecticut will demonstrate the Grand Prix movements before the competition...

Phil Peterson of Port Orchard, WA, has been elected as president of the Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA) for the 2005–2006 term. Peterson is Camp Director at Miracle Ranch in Port Orchard, WA. For the past 20 years, he has hired and trained the staff for the summer weekly and off-season weekend horsemanship camps, developed new programs for college apprentices and homeschoolers and has planned and completed two major buildings-–a full service dining and meeting facility and a complete...

United Arab Emirates — The four horse and rider teams and two individual teams riding for the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) at the 2005 FEI World Endurance Championship (WEC) have passed the fitness inspection—now it’s a waiting game as each rests up for an early morning start on January 27. The four riders named to the U.S. squad: Carol Giles of Prineville, OR; Beverly Gray, of Park City, UT; Michele Roush, DVM, of French Corral, CA and Dennis Summers of Gifford,...

Lexington, KY – George Morris, who was appointed to the Search Committee for the new U.S. Show Jumping Chef d’Equipe based on his credentials as a leading U.S. Show Jumping rider, trainer and coach, has resigned from the Committee effective January 24, 2005. The remaining members of the Search Committee are Karen O'Connor, Eric Straus, Chairman, Norman Dello Joio, Anne Kursinski, Jessica Ransehousen, and Robert Ridland. “After careful consideration I have decided to...

Lexington, KY —The Grand Ballroom was packed as United States Equestrian Federation members and staffers joined to celebrate the men and women of the media for their contributions to the coverage of equestrian sport in 2004. The USEF Media Awards Luncheon hosted a total of 12 industrious nominees January 13, at the Seelbach Hilton in Louisville, KY. These reporters, photographers, editors, managers and producers gathered from across the country to hear USEF President and Olympic Gold...

Lexington, KY —Last year, course designer Richard Jeffery of Dorsett, UK, set a record at the United States Equestrian Federation. He was the first to have been awarded Course Designer of the Year , on six separate occasions. Once again, Jeffery adds to that record winning streak, receiving the Mr. & Mrs. William C. Cox Memorial Trophy for a seventh time. In addition to the 2004 award, Jeffery enjoyed the title in 1989, 1990, 1994, 1999, 2002 and 2003. “He sets a pretty tough...

Lexington, KY —As the 2004 Horse of the Year season comes to a close, the Federation gears up for a new year of competition with the release of the 2005 Triple Point Competitions, for the Hackney/Harness, Roadster, and Saddlebred divisions. Each year, the corresponding discipline committees vote to assign triple point status to one competition in each of the twelve regions. Points won at these designated competitions are tripled, and will be applied to the standings for the 2005 USEF...

EQUESTRIAN magazine will publish its annual photo gallery and roster of national, zone, regional and district Horse of the Year champions in the March 2005 issue. Owners of Horse of the Year champions are invited to submit photos for publication in the photo gallery. Final standings will be available on the website on December 20, 2004. The mailing of notification letters will begin on December 20 as well. There is no charge for publication of these roster photos. Photo Guidelines • Color...

The United States Dressage Federation Competitive Rider's with Disabilities Committee is hosting a educational session for judges, trainers and instructors interested in working with riders with disabilities who have the potential and want to advance to the competitive level. The session is scheduled for March 5-6, 2005, and is being hosted by Tempel Farms in Wadsworth, IL. Jerry Schwartz, coach of the U.S. Team competing at the World Championship for disabled riders in Belgium 2003, respected...