Lexington, KY – In its inaugural year, the United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) Lifetime Achievement Award was created to recognize members whose involvement in the sport, and the USHJA itself, has benefited the industry. On December 10, Beth Miner and Alvin Topping were honored with the prestigious award at the 2008 Evening of Equestrians Dinner during the USHJA Annual Meeting in Nashville, TN. Both Miner and Topping have an illustrious history with the USHJA and took a prominent...

Lexington, KY – Mindy Darst was named Volunteer of the Year by the United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) at the USHJA Evening of Equestrians on December 10, 2008. Evening of Equestrians is the USHJA’s awards ceremony held in conjunction with the Annual Meeting which took place at the Hilton Downtown in Nashville, TN, December 8-11. The Volunteer of the Year Award is given to an individual who donates their time to develop and implement programs in the organization. Darst was selected...

Lexington, KY— The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) announces the United States Show Jumping Team for the Australian Youth Olympic Festival (AYOF). This multi-sport international event follows the structure of Olympic Games as closely as possible and draws athletes from across the world. The competition will be held January 14-18, 2009 at the Sydney International Equestrian Center. Invited nations include Australia, Great Britain, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Sweden and the United...

The American Saddlebred Horse Association (ASHA) Junior Exhibitor Youth Driving Challenge funded by Elisabeth Goth Chelberg, held its finals in November during the American Royal in Kansas City, MO. Cash prizes, medals, and ribbons were awarded to three in the Show Pleasure Driving Challenge and in the Fine Harness Driving Challenge, for the second year in a row, CH Cary’s Moonraker took home first place. The winners are as follows: Show Pleasure Driving Challenge Horse, rider, owner, place...

Anky van Grunsven, the most successful musical freestyle competitor in the history of dressage, Holland's Edward Gal who captivated American audiences at the World Cup Finals, and USA Olympian Steffen Peters are among riders to confirm their participation in the inaugural $140,000 Exquis World Dressage Masters CDI***** in Wellington, January 28-31, 2009. Olympians Ashley Holzer of Canada and Hans Peter Minderhoud of The Netherlands have also committed to the event at the Palm Beach...

Lake St. Louis Winter Series Horse Show manager Tommy McIntyre put together another spectacular event that ran through the first weekend in December and featured the ASG Software Solutions/United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) International Hunter Derby on December 5, 2008. Held at the National Equestrian Center in Lake St. Louis, MO, the class was a challenging combination of grace and courage that tested exhibitors’ horsemanship and wowed spectators. “It was an honor, a privilege...

The Pennsylvania National Horse Show has announced modifications to its standard horse show format for 2009. Competition in the hunter and jumper divisions will be expanded and the traditional Saddlebred, Western and Draft horse sections will now be showcased as exhibitions and special attractions. Acting in the best interest of the show, the Board of Directors recently determined this new direction. The new look will continue to serve the original purpose of the association, which is to...

Lexington, KY— As the year comes to a close, the United States Equestrian Federation® (USEF) is pleased to announce the 2008 Equestrians of Honor. Of these seven honorees, one will be selected as the 2008 USEF Equestrian of the Year, one of USEF’s most prestigious awards. All of the Equestrians of Honor will be recognized during the Annual Pegasus Awards Dinner at the USEF Annual Meeting on Saturday, January 17. The Annual Meeting will be held January 14-18 at the Hilton...

Photo by Howard Schatzberg (Jessica Moctezuma on CH A Magic Surprise.) Lexington, KY –The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) announces that Jessica Moctezuma has been selected as the USEF Junior Equestrian of the Year. Moctezuma will be honored during the USEF’s Annual Meeting, January 14-18, 2009 in Cincinnati, OH, as part of the Pegasus Awards held Saturday evening. The Ruth O’Keefe Meredith Trophy was established in 1985 to honor a junior equestrian who has made...

Attention High-Performance Dressage Riders—Two major deadlines are just around the corner. Please note that the deadline to declare for the 2009 FEI World Cup Finals™ is January 15, 2009. The form can be found on the USEF Dressage High-Performance page on the USEF website . The Application of Intent deadline for the 2009 Elite Rider European Grant is January 31, 2009; the application can also be found on the USEF Dressage High-Performance page on the USEF website . Any questions,...