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USEF News
Fall 2022 is championship season for a world of equestrian sport, with seven disciplines deciding world titles this year at the FEI World Championships, which will take place from August to October at three venues in Denmark and Italy.
But you don’t have to be a world-traveler to keep up with the U.S teams in dressage, para dressage, driving, endurance, eventing, jumping, and vaulting. Check out the World Championships portal at usef.org for athlete bios, scores, and event coverage. The usef.org website is your gateway to team coverage. Visit usef.org/events/2022-world-championships-herning and usef.org/events/2022-world-championships-pratoni to keep up with U.S. athletes and horses.
Competition Calendar
Aug. 6-14
Herning, Denmark
Dressage, para dressage, jumping, and vaulting
Sept. 15-18 Pratoni del Vivaro, Italy Eventing Sept. 22-25
Pratoni del Vivaro, Italy Driving
Oct. 22 Isola della Scala, Italy Endurance
2022-2024 USEF/ NCEA Junior Hunter Seat Medal Finals Venues Announced
US Equestrian is pleased to announce the host locations for the 2022-2024 USEF/National Collegiate Equestrian Association Junior Hunter Seat Medal Finals for the East, Central, and West regions. This program seeks to introduce riders to the NCEA’s format of hunter/jumping seat equitation collegiate riding and is an expansion of the NCEA’s existing Junior Hunt Seat Medal program.
USEF/NCEA Junior Hunter Seat Medal Finals–Central:
Showplace Fall Classic (Roscoe, Ill.), Sept. 10, 2022
USEF/NCEA Junior Hunter Seat Medal Finals–East:
Pennsylvania National Horse Show (Harrisburg, Pa.), Oct. 22, 2022
USEF/NCEA Junior Hunter Seat Medal Finals–West:
National Sunshine Series II (Thermal, Calif.), Nov. 12, 2022
US Equestrian President Tom O’Mara appointed a task force to review bid applications and provide a recommendation for host sites. The task force considered many factors, including the facility, scheduling, competition environment, and migration of exhibitors. Each host venue was ultimately selected because they presented the best options for those factors.
For questions regarding the USEF/NCEA Junior Hunter Seat Medal program, contact hunterdept@usef.org.
Paige Sherman, riding Clint, won the inaugural USEF/NCEA Junior Hunter Seat Medal Final – East in Saugerties, N.Y.
Finest Equestrian Products Online
An equestrian at the Northern Virginia Therapeutic Riding Program.
US Equestrian is pleased to welcome five more USEF Community Outreach Organizations as part of the USEF Community Outreach Program. The USEF Community Outreach Program, launched in 2021, is dedicated to supporting organizations across the country that provide equine-based learning opportunities and support the positive impact horses can have within their local communities.
These organizations will be recognized as USEF Community Outreach Organizations and are united by their standards in equity, mission, and horse and human welfare. Each organization submitted an application, which was evaluated against the standard eligibility requirements, and was approved by US Equestrian’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Review Committee, consisting of executive staff, volunteers, and athletes.
The 2022 USEF Community Outreach Organizations are listed below in alphabetical order: • Beachwood Center for Wellbeing (Charlestown, R.I.) • Northern Virginia Therapeutic Riding Program (Clifton, Va.) • Prancing Horse (Southern Pines, N.C.) • Solid Strides (Pleasant Hill, Ore.) • Special Equestrians (Warrington, Pa.)
These five organizations join 16 organizations recognized earlier this year, collectively improving access to horses across 15 different states. Additional information about each organization and the USEF Community Outreach Program is available at usef.org/about-us/diversity-inclusion/organizations-program/ program-directory.
Community Outreach Organizations receive several benefits, including eligibility to apply for a grant through the USEF Opportunity Fund. USEF is committed to supporting these organizations through grant opportunities because they encourage more people to get involved with horses and embody our vision of bringing the joy of horse sports to as many people as possible.
Individuals can make a tax-deductible donation to the USEF Opportunity Fund online at usef.org/donate.
The next application period opens October 1, 2022, and closes November 30, 2022. For more information, such as eligibility requirements and required documentation, visit usef.org/about-us/diversity-inclusion/organizations-program/ join-outreach.
For more information about USEF Opportunity Fund partnership opportunities, please contact Layson Griffin, Senior Director of Sponsorship and Sales, at LGriffin@usef.org.
A lesson at Wheatland Farm in Virginia, one of the USEF Para Dressage Centers of Excellence.
US Equestrian has provisionally approved eight new USEF Para Dressage Centers of Excellence, pending fulfillment of required background checks and U.S. Center for SafeSport training.
The USEF COE program, founded in 2015, is designed to grow the sport of para dressage throughout the United States, playing a critical role in pipeline development, from grassroots through the elite level of athlete and coach education and support. By providing multiple centers of instruction and technical dressage training throughout the United States, the COE initiative provides athletes with disabilities the opportunity to discover competitive para dressage at both the national and eventually CPEDI level, at locations convenient to them. This year, COEs will work alongside USEF Para Dressage Development Coach Lisa Hellmer to further develop their programs.
The following programs have been provisionally approved as USEF Para Dressage Centers of Excellence and are listed in alphabetical order: Carlisle Academy (Lyman, Maine), Healing Strides of VA (Boones Mill, Va.), North Texas Equestrian Center (Wylie, Texas), Para Equestrian Athletes, LLC, at Lloyd Harbor Equestrian Center (Lloyd Harbor, N.Y.), Ride On Therapeutic Riding (Chatsworth, Calif.), Therapeutic Riding, Inc. (Ann Arbor, Mich.), Thorncroft Therapeutic (Malvern, Penn.), and Wheatland Farm (Purcellville, Va.).
US Equestrian provides COEs with marketing, outreach, and program support, along with access to USEF funding (budget permitting). For more information on the USEF Para Dressage Centers of Excellence program, visit usef.org. Under the Compete tab, click Breeds & Disciplines, then Para Equestrian, then Para Equestrian Dressage (all programs).
The 2022 competition year marks a major milestone for nine Federation licensed officials. This special group of officials have been officiating with USEF for 50 years. The Federation appreciates their dedication and commitment to the sport through officiating. Licensed officials are an integral contribution to the sport as competitions certainly cannot occur without licensed officials.
The following officials have been licensed for 50 consecutive years, with their current licenses:
Penny Carpenter (Hunter/Jumping Seat Equitation, Jumper); Judith Dannemann (Dressage, Eventing); Janice Decker (Arabian); Anne Judd (Saddlebred, Saddle Seat Equitation); Judy Kibler (Arabian); Elizabeth Lewis (Dressage); John McGinty (Hunter, Hunter/Jumping Seat Equitation, Jumper); Thomas Poulin (Dressage); and Melanie Smith Taylor (Hunter, Hunter/Jumping Seat Equitation, Jumper).
Reflecting on her time as a judge, Melanie Smith Taylor said she “always felt it was important to give back to our sport in any way that we can. Judging is fun but not always easy. It requires focus, organizational skills, and integrity, whether it is a small schooling show or the USET and Maclay Finals.”
“Judging and stewarding is a huge responsibility,” said steward and judge Penny Carpenter. “Without the support and trust of the exhibitors and trainers who chose to show in front of me or who asked me stewarding questions, I would never have been able to stay in this profession for so long.”
US Equestrian gives our thanks and congratulations to the officials who have reached this impressive and inspiring milestone. It is admirable to give back to the equestrian community for so many years.—Alina Brazzil
