Tricia Booker

Buffalo, N.Y.—Nov. 19-21

Maybe it was a blessing in disguise when Kate Haley drew a talented but challenging horse at the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association Emerging Athletes Program National Training Session. Because throughout the three-day program she impressed the clinicians and the EAP Committee so much so that she finished as the overall winner.

“She had a tough horse, and she really dug in. She really pulled it off today and jumped a double-clear round in the Nations Cup,” said EAP Co-Chairman Melanie Smith Taylor.

Nine years ago, Jeroen Dubbeldam traveled to the Spruce Meadows Masters from his home in the Netherlands to contest one of the world’s most prestigious grand prix classes. His trip didn’t quite go as planned, however.

“I was eliminated in the grand prix and didn’t even get the $3,500 for finishing. Then, I sat next to Renne Tebbel on the plane home, and he had won the class. They weren’t such great memories,” said Dubbeldam laughing.

He’ll have much better memories now.

U.S. Chef d’ Equipe George Morris said it all during the awards ceremony of the $339,515 BMO Nations Cup at the Spruce Meadows Masters: “There’s nothing better than winning the Nations Cup at Spruce Meadows. Nothing.”

This was the U.S. team’s second win in three years, but it wasn’t without drama during a typical Calgary, Alta., fall afternoon that featured bright sunshine, rain showers and a significant drop in temperatures during the two-round class held today, Sept. 11.

Sportsmans Hall’s timber horse Private Attack received The George Brown Bowl for his prowess in Maryland’s spring sanctioned timber races.

The award has been presented since 1985 to the top timber horse in the five timber races held at the My Lady’s Manor, The Maryland Grand National and the Maryland Hunt Cup meets.

Private Attack was second in the Maryland Grand National and second in the Maryland Hunt Cup for owners Julie Calhoun, Dan Calhoun III and Jeffrey Schlesinger. Private Attack is trained by Alicia Murphy and was ridden in both races by Irish jockey Mark Beecher.

Victoria Colvin had never picked up a championship at the Devon Horse Show & Country Fair, so when she traveled to the show in Devon, Pa., for Junior Weekend, May 27-29, she had a mission.

Aboard three ponies and four horses, Colvin picked up four championships and two reserve championships, the grand junior title and the reserve best child rider on a horse honors. Of the 220 possible points she could accrue, she had 139 points with nine blue ribbons.

Rodrigo Pessoa wasn’t the only rider pleased with tonight’s results in the $75,000 Fidelity Investments Grand Prix and USEF WEG Selection Trial 2. While the Brazilian rider may have taken the lion’s share of the purse in the class, Laura Kraut and Lauren Hough left the International Arena at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center with nothing—and they were thrilled.

Todd Minikus and Pavarotti lead the way after the first Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games Trial, held Feb. 25 at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington, Fla.

Minikus, of neighboring Loxahatchee, Fla., clocked the fastest clear round (0/83.24) to take the lion’s share of the purse in the $40,000 USEF WEG Trial 1 over Margie Engle aboard Hidden Creek’s Campella (0/84.03) and Rich Fellers and Flexible (0/87.30).

After months spent in discussion, debate in open forums and behind closed doors, the rule changing the allowable therapeutic non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs from two to one passed with a seeming collective sigh of relief at the U.S. Equestrian Federation Board of Directors meeting today, Jan. 17, in Louisville, Ky.

In a nutshell, the two new changes to GR 410 Equine Drugs and Medications will work in concert to allow an interim time to collect data and educate the membership. But effective Dec. 1, 2011, only one NSAID will be permitted.

Other details include:

One night after his horse Ravel received the Farnam/Platform USEF Horse of the Year honors, Steffen Peters stepped up to the stage to receive his own accolades. The California-based dressage rider earned his second consecutive USEF Equestrian of the Year award tonight, Jan. 16, during the Pegasus Individual Awards in Louisville, Ky.

During today’s Board of Directors meeting on Jan. 16, USEF CEO John Long presented a report on the three-year strategic plan that began in 2007. He gave the USEF an overall grade of a “B” as the area needing the most improvement remains the membership services, which he graded a “D.” He graded Operations and IT an “A or A-” for their major improvements including the call center and customer service.

“We still have a long way to go on the strategic plan,” he noted, but added that there have been major steps taken in event management and marketing.