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Here you can find our archive of stories from Equestrian Weekly, our once-a-week look at affiliate news, international competition, amateur profiles, horse care tips, and more. You’ll also find stories from the USEF Insider, a twice-monthly email newsletter packed with features about USEF people and programs, including our drugs and medications program, regulations, and competitions departments.

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Paso Finos Keep This 80-Year-Old Amateur Rider in the Competition Ring

by Ashley Swift | September 22, 2020

Dick Miller, the Paso Fino Horse Association’s newest Hall of Fame inductee, was first introduced to the Paso Fino breed in the 1980s when he saw a sign on Interstate 80 in Nebraska advertising the “SMOOTHEST RIDING HORSE IN THE WORLD.” Nearly 40 years later, Miller (Fort Myers, Fla.) is not only still riding, but is also competing at top horse shows around the country, thanks to these unique horses and the tight-knit community of people who love them. Though he grew up riding

Hoof Help: Thrush

by Glenye Cain Oakford | September 21, 2020

It’s a scenario every horse owner dreads: a runny, black, foul-smelling discharge around the frog area of a horse or pony’s hoof sole. That’s the classic sign of thrush, a bacterial infection that involves the frog, including the grooves on either side of it and the cleft between the heel bulbs. “It can affect any part of the frog, but that’s where we see it the most, right where the owner would be using the hoof pick along the sides of the frog and along that

Talent Search Finals Champion Perspectives with Emma Reichow and Ellie Ferrigno

by Kathleen Landwehr | September 17, 2020

The Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Finals serve as an excellent stepping stone for junior athletes looking to further their riding careers. The 2019 Finals champions learned much from their experiences and feel they are better prepared to reach their goals. Emma Reichow and Ellie Ferrigno topped the West and East leaderboards, respectively, and shared a look back at the 2019 Finals. 2019 Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Finals-West with Emma Reichow

Maplewood Warmbloods Delivers Quality U.S.-Bred Horses at 2020 U.S. Dressage Festival of Champions and Beyond

by Kathleen Landwehr | September 1, 2020

Maplewood Warmbloods' horses had top results at the 2020 U.S. Dressage Festival of Champions, such as MW Ave Maria (right with Lindsey Holleger) (Taylor Pence/US Equestrian) Many of the country’s top U.S. dressage horse breeders set their sights on the U.S. Dressage Festival of Champions each year. The Markel/USEF Young Horse and Developing Horse Dressage National Championships held at Festival provide an excellent opportunity to showcase horses who are carefully produced to be

Behind the Lens with the Schatzbergs

by Ashley Swift | August 24, 2020

Three generations of Schatzberg family photographers (left to right): Casey McBride. Jack Schatzberg, and Howie Schatzberg. photo: Courtesy of the Schatzberg Family Photography is more popular than ever, with numerous photo sharing and editing apps just a tap away on our phones. But for photographer Howie Schatzberg and his nephew, fellow photographer Casey McBride, professional horse show photography is a family tradition. Howie and Casey grew up in the business learning from the late Jack

Lily of Chincoteague Provides a Splash of Color at 2020 U.S. Dressage Festival of Champions

by Kathleen Landwehr | August 22, 2020

Lots of cute ponies have been on display at the 2020 U.S. Dressage Festival of Champions. Lily of Chincoteague is an eye-catching 16-year-old Welsh Chincoteague Pony cross mare, and she has an interesting story to match her lovely pinto color. Paydan McLaughlin pats Lily of Chincoteague after their test (Tayler Bicandi/US Equestrian) Fifteen-year-old Paydan McLaughlin of Greenfield, Rhode Island, found an excellent partner in Lily of Chincoteague, known as Lil or Squish in the barn. Paydan has

Catching Up with the 2019 Pan American Games U.S. Dressage Team

by Kathleen Landwehr | August 21, 2020

It has been one year since the U.S. Dressage Team won the team silver medal at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru. Three of the four individuals named to the team are competing at the 2020 U.S. Dressage Festival of Champions: Nora Batchelder, Sarah Lockman, and Endel Ots. US Equestrian asked them to take a look back at the Pan American Games and share how those experiences have affected their plans for the future. Sarah Lockman Sarah Lockman and First Apple at the 2019 Pan American Games

Adaptable Skills from Hunter, Jumper, and Reining Disciplines Pay Off for Carlee McCutcheon

by Kathleen Landwehr | August 18, 2020

Fourteen-year-old Carlee McCutcheon of Aubrey, Texas, has had a string of impressive results in hunter and jumper classes as well as in reining. She comes from a family of champion equestrians: her parents, Tom and Mandy, brother Cade, and grandfather Tim McQuay all have won multiple FEI World Equestrian Games™ medals in reining, and McCutcheon is building a notable resume all her own. Carlee McCutcheon and MTM Unexpected compete in the $25,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic at the 2020

From Therapeutic Riding to Para-Dressage Sport

by Glenye Cain Oakford | August 11, 2020

Bryanna Tanase has had a passion for horses since early childhood. Now 22, she made her first contact with horses in a therapeutic riding program in 2016 and decided three years later to make the challenging transition to the sport of para-dressage. In early 2020, she received her National Classification as a Grade I rider, which is the first step toward competition. She currently is based at Quantum Leap Farm in Odessa, Fla. We caught up with her to find out how she got involved in horses,

All About Jumps: Q & A with Javan Dalman

by Glenye Cain Oakford | July 28, 2020

Javan Dalman with one of his creations. Photo: Kaitlyn Karsson Javan Dalman doesn’t just leap the obstacles in the jumper ring; he builds them, too. Dalman, a competitor in the low amateur jumpers, also is the founder of Dalman Jump Co., whose eye-catching designs can be found in show rings and equestrian facilities around the country. We caught up with him to find out more about caring for jumps so they last longer, new design and safety trends, and the process behind the

Commercial General Liability Horse Insurance: Who Needs It and Why?

by Markel Insurance | July 13, 2020

If you run a business involving horses, whether it is training and boarding, offering riding lessons, or performing Photo: Pretty Pixels Photography farrier work, you need commercial equine liability insurance as part of your insurance risk-management plan. Sometimes referred to as general liability or just liability, it is protection that covers you and/or your business in the event there is personal injury, bodily injury, or property damage to others by you, your horse, or the premises for

How to Get Rid of Flies

by Glenye Cain Oakford | June 30, 2020

Are flies driving you and your horse to distraction? Luckily, keeping the fly population down in the barn and off your horse is relatively simple. House flies and stable flies are irritating and can carry disease. Photo: © mark kelly/EyeEm/stock.adobe.com It’s important to control flies. According to Absorbine, the makers of UltraShield EX ® fly spray, biting flies drink four cups of horse blood every 10 days. And flies and other pests like mosquitoes and gnats aren’t only