Lexington, KY - To reach the highest level of excellence in equestrian sport requires talent, perseverance, a tremendous spirit and often, unwavering courage. In 2012, six horses have shown the world those qualities and more. On January 18, the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) will bestow two of them with the prestigious title of Horse of the Year, the highest honor the USEF awards a horse. Again this year both a national and international horse will win. The six champions have earned...

Lexington, KY - Voting is now open for the coveted 2012 USEF Equestrian of the Year award. Following decades of tradition, the winner will again be announced when the horse world meets at the United States Equestrian Federation's annual Pegasus Awards gala. This year's gala will be held on Saturday, January 19, 2013 at The Henry Clay in Louisville, Kentucky and broadcast live on the USEFNetwork presented by Smartpak . Known as the USEF Equestrians of Honor, eight stars of equestrian...

This is a truly thrilling time to be a part of Western Dressage and the Western Dressage Association® of America! I recently had the opportunity to chat with Cliff Swanson, who has been instrumental in many facets of the program, including authoring and editing the new tests, working with the Rules Committee, developing the Train The Trainers™ Program and conducting a wonderful series of Skill Set Clinics. Cliff also sits on the Advisory Board for the WDAA. According to Cliff,...

The twenty fourth in a series of blog posts from Michelle Binder North American Western Dressage receives all kinds of questions at the website and on our FaceBook page. Last week Jen Johnson shared the following in a post and it generated a huge amount of material for consideration. She posted: “I received an email last night from a **** judge who had the following concerns about Western Dressage..... “The problem is that the western horse is going to have to be much quicker in...

The twenty third in a series of blog post from Michelle Binder I began this Western Dressage Blog specifically as a blog for NAWD to help raise public awareness about WD groups other than WDAA. I saw a need for publicity specific to that organization. I also saw a need for a forum that presented the reality that other organizations with different missions and goals regarding WD existed. USEF has not licensed Western Dressage as an independent discipline so at this time there is no officially...

Rachel Kolb and Stanford's Ronny (Stanford Univ/IHSA) Fairfield, CT - Stride for stride, solid horse sense leads to scholarly achievement. For the second time in two years, the Rhodes Trust has awarded a prestigious Rhodes Scholarship to an Intercollegiate Horse Show Association college equestrian athlete to pursue post-graduate study at Oxford University. This year’s recipient is IHSA hunter seat rider, Rachel Kolb, of Los Ranchos, NM, who is in her second year as president of the...

Lexington, KY - President Lee Vulgaris announced this week that the Paso Fino Horse Association (PFHA) has officially named Sally Walker as its new Executive Director. The association president stated that Walker was chosen to serve as the organization’s Director from over 70 candidates elicited through a nationwide search. Walker comes to PFHA with extensive leadership experience in the nonprofit, corporate, and private business worlds. She is also a lifelong horsewoman. Most recently,...

Alexandra Lawson is a 19-year-old freshman at Purdue University from North Salem, Indiana. She is a member of the three-gaited section of the 2012 U.S. Saddle Seat World Cup Team. I've spent most of my life in the small farm communities of Danville and North Salem, Indiana. My parents and maternal grandparents are grain farmers - farming about 5,000 acres in the surrounding area. When you grow up in farm country, you just naturally get involved with FFA and 4-H, and it was through 4-H that...

Victoria Colvin and Inclusive captured the Overall Grand Junior Hunter Championship at the Alltech National Horse Show. (Shawn McMillen) Lexington, KY - The Alltech Arena was filled with top junior talent as riders showcased their mounts during the handy and stake classes Saturday afternoon at the Alltech National Horse Show, 129th Edition. Victoria Colvin and Inclusive were awarded the Large Junior 15 and Under Championship for their efforts throughout the division. They were also presented...

Lexington, KY - Another evening of electrifying American Saddlebred competition continued Friday. A cheering audience enjoyed the $3,000 Three Gaited Championship Stake, the $1,500 Fine Harness Open Championship the $3,000 Five Gaited Championship Stake and the very first Roadster class of the show, the $25,000 Equine Services Roadster Cup. The Roadster classes are a throwback to the origins of the American Saddlebred breed. The American Saddlebreds were developed from pacing Standardbreds, the...