Los Angeles, CA —As the 2004 season comes to a close, West Coast League riders step out of their saddles for a moment to reflect on five rounds of World Cup qualifiers that have determined their standings at the halfway mark. Separated by only a few points, Richard Spooner, Joie Gatlin and Gabriella Salick maintain an incredibly close race for the three World Cup slots afforded to the League. A tenth place finish atop Hilton Flight (Bay Irish Sport Horse gelding; Errigal...

The 121st National Horse Show & Family Festival opened today with the first rounds of the Open Division of the $150,000 National Horse Show Hunter Championship in the Internationale Arena. The next two rounds of Phase One will be contested December 1-2 to determine the top 12 that will move on to Phase Two, the final two rounds on December 4 that ultimately determine the National Horse Show Hunter Champion. A highlight of today’s hunter competition--Shachine Belle aboard In Disguise won the...

Lexington, KY —The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF), the United States Dressage Federation (USDF), and the United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) have reached an historic understanding regarding joint membership, horse registration, competition recognition, competition data, and awards programs. This agreement will provide significantly improved service to dressage and hunter/jumper members. On November 3, 2004, representatives from USEF, USDF, USHJA, and the United...

Kansas City, MO —Kelsey Nicole Smith, 17, of Delafield, Wisconsin, was crowned champion of the 2004 United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) Saddle Seat Medal Finals, held November 20, as part of the UPHA/American Royal National Championship Horse Show in Kansas City, Missouri. Riding Chimere (Chestnut American Saddlebred mare, Periaptor—RHR Fury’s Wild Flame), Smith topped the class of 31 entries in the two-phase competition that required both rail work and patterns in both...

Now is the time to nominate an individual or a horse to be considered for induction into the Paso Fino Hall of Fame. Individuals must be in good standing with the Paso Fino Horse Association (PFHA) and must have been inactive in PFHA-sanctioned events for a period of five years or must be age sixty or older as of September 1, 2005. If deceased, the nominee must have been in good standing at the time of death. The nominee must have invested a minimum of five years, regionally or nationally, in...

The American Saddlebred Horse Association has joined forces with the Kentucky Equine Education Project (KEEP) and have added Misdee Wrigley as a board member to the organization. Also members Hoppy Bennett from Shelby County and Joan Hamilton from Washington County have been selected as team leaders in their respective counties. KEEP’s main initiatives are to: · Educate the public and key state constituencies with regard to the benefits of the horse industry to all sectors of Kentucky's...

Gene Mische, the President of the National Horse Show Association, has released the official performance and exhibition schedule for the 2004 National Horse Show. The nation’s finest equestrians return for The 121st National Horse Show, to be held at The Palm Beach Polo Equestrian Club in Wellington, FL, November 30-December 5, 2004. The Palm Beach Polo Equestrian Center is the home of the Winter Equestrian Festival and the site of the first outdoor Nations Cup held in the United States. This...

The American Horse Council reports that the Department of Agriculture has taken another step toward the implementation of the National Animal Identification System (NAIS) to trace animal movements in case of a major disease outbreak. “This action has been expected,” said AHC President Jay Hickey. “USDA must amend several federal regulations to foster the establishment of the national animal ID system. The changes do not impose any identification requirements on horses, but they are another step...

Lexington, KY —In a move designed to standardize drug testing fees across the country, the United States Equestrian Federation announces a new plan to restructure fees for competitions in California. This restructuring will finally put California on equal footing with the other 49 states—while eliminating confusion for exhibitors and organizers alike. The USEF and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) now jointly announce the elimination of different fees for...

The United States Equestrian Team (USET) Foundation officially announced that it has retained GráficaGroup as its Public Relations Agency of Record. The USET Foundation, based in Gladstone, New Jersey, supports American equestrian athletes competing in national and international competitions, including the World Equestrian Games, the Pan American Games, and the Olympics. Gráfica ( www.grafica.com ) is a nationally ranked, full-service, fully integrated advertising and public relations agency...