Dear fellow USEF member, Last Saturday, I was formally elected to be President of the United States Equestrian Federation. I am deeply honored to have been elected to this volunteer position and am so excited to have been given this opportunity to help drive growth in equestrian sports in the United States. For those of you who don’t know me, the first thing you need to know is that I come to this position with 45 years of equestrian experience. And put simply, I love horses. Our family...

Lexington, Ky. – The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) Board of Directors has named a short list of host venues for a new CCI4* eventing competition. Following extensive review and analysis of each proposal by the CCI4* Task Force, the Eventing Committee, the International Disciplines Council, and the Board of Directors, it was concluded that, due to changes in location and date related to the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games, the inaugural CCI4* event will be held in the autumn...

Lexington, Ky. – On a night dedicated to the horse, two special athletes were recognized for their excellence in 2016 during the USEF's Horse of the Year Awards Gala. Mighty Nice and Catch Me reached the pinnacle of their sports and were named International and National Horse of the Year, respectively. Voting was open to the public through January and both horses, already fan favorites, were rewarded for their tremendous results throughout 2016 with support from voters. Mighty Nice...

Lexington, Ky. – To close out a year of milestones, Phillip Dutton (West Grove, Pa.) was awarded the Robert P. Strub Trophy as the 2016 USEF Equestrian of the Year at the USEF Pegasus Awards Dinner. Phillip Dutton (Shannon Brinkman Photo) In 2016, Dutton began the year by receiving the prestigious Whitney Stone Cup from the USET Foundation. His competition season began with a win in the CIC3* with Fernhill Fugitive at the Red Hills International Horse Trials. Dutton then placed fourth and...

Lexington, Ky. - The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) is pleased to offer its support of the Final Rule (Docket No. APHIS-2011-0009) issued today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) regarding the Horse Protection Act regulations. This rule is designed to eradicate the cruel practice of horse soring in Tennessee Walking Horses and racking horses. The USEF commends APHIS in its efforts to amend and strengthen previous...

Lexington, Ky. – The United States Equestrian Federation is pleased to announce a rebranding, launch of a new fan membership, and additional membership benefits. Effective January 11, 2017, the Federation has become US Equestrian and has adopted a refreshed identity as part of a new overall strategic plan for the organization. This includes a refreshed logo that removes the shield element and better aligns the brand with other successful national governing bodies. Introduced by incoming...

Lexington, Ky. - The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) Hearing Committee has issued its first decision imposing penalties pursuant to the Equine Drugs & Medications Penalty Guidelines that went into effect January 1, 2016. The Penalty Guidelines recommend ranges of penalties for violations of the Drugs & Medications rules with regard to particular categories of forbidden substances. Substances in Category IV, which include GABA, contain the most serious penalties. The Penalty...

Lexington, Ky. - The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) is pleased to announce that Robert Ridland will continue to serve as the Chef D’Equipe and Technical Advisor for U.S. Show Jumping. Ridland will continue to play an important role, alongside the Show Jumping Managing Director, in the development and implementation of show jumping plans for the Hermès U.S. Show Jumping Team and will help grow programs for developing and elite athletes. “After an outstanding four...

Lexington, Ky. - The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) Eventing High Performance Committee has approved the following athletes to the High Performance Spring Training Lists for 2017. As the programs continue to evolve following the post Rio Olympic Games review, the USEF is working to develop more detailed criteria that allows athletes, owners, and trainers to better understand what is required to be named to these lists. Selectors evaluated several factors to determine athletes and...

Lexington, Ky . - The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) Eventing High Performance Committee has approved the following athletes for Emerging Athlete Eventing 25 and Eventing 18 programs for 2017. Following the post-Rio review, new approaches and definitions to all of the USEF eventing programs are being evaluated and introduced. The Emerging Athletes Lists are designated as athletes with the potential to evolve into future team candidates. USEF Eventing Emerging Athlete Coach Leslie...