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US Equestrian •

US Equestrian Announces USEF Opportunity Fund Partnership with Equerry / Co

Lexington, Ky. – US Equestrian is pleased to announce Equerry / Co as a USEF Opportunity Fund Partner. Equerry / Co is a full-service equestrian marketing and website design agency based in the United Kingdom.

The USEF Opportunity Fund was established in January 2021 as part of USEF’s Community Outreach Program, an initiative dedicated to supporting organizations across the country that promote the positive impact horses can have within their local communities. The USEF Opportunity Fund is the
US Equestrian •

US Equestrian Provisionally Approves 17 Community Outreach Organizations Spreading the Joy of Horse Sports to Underrepresented or Underserved Communities

Lexington, Ky. – US Equestrian is pleased to announce it has provisionally approved 17 USEF Community Outreach Organizations as part of the USEF Community Outreach Program, pending fulfillment of required background checks and U.S. Center for SafeSport trainings.

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 comm
US Equestrian •

US Equestrian Launches Opportunity Fund to Support Organizations Expanding Community Access to Horses

Lexington, Ky. – US Equestrian is pleased to announce the launch of the USEF Opportunity Fund, a grant-making resource dedicated to supporting grassroots organizations with a mission to increase access to horses, horse sports, and equine-based learning opportunities among under-represented and/or under-served communities. The USEF Opportunity Fund aims to extend the reach and impact of such organizations, further empowering them to connect with their local communities.

US Equestrian’s Diversity
US Equestrian •

US Equestrian Announces Community Outreach Organizations Initiative

Lexington, Ky. – US Equestrian is pleased to announce the USEF Community Outreach Organizations initiative, a new program dedicated to supporting equestrian centers and equine-based organizations. Its mission is to increase under-represented and/or under-served communities’ access to horses and horse sports. This two-phase initiative aligns with the implementation of the Community Riding Center Grants Program and Opportunity Fund strategy outlined in the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Action P
US Equestrian •

Veterans, Mustangs, and Western Dressage: A Perfect Match for Healing the Mind

When Marine Corps veteran Jimmy Welch (Woodstock, Ill.) and dressage trainer Patti Gruber (Woodstock, Ill.) competed with two mustangs at the 2019 Western Dressage Association of America’s (WDAA) World Championship Show, they were also demonstrating the powerful impact a combination of Western dressage and mustangs can have in the healing process of both mind and body for veterans. The World Show first-timers also paid tribute to the flag and all veterans with a Color Guard every evening before
US Equestrian •

Register for US Equestrian’s DEI Community Conversations: Harnessing Accessibility and Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities

Lexington, Ky. – US Equestrian is pleased to announce that the next DEI Community Conversation, “Harnessing Accessibility and Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities,” will be held via Zoom on Wednesday, April 14, from 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. ET. Hosted in partnership with RespectAbility, this conversation will focus on the lived experience of people with different disabilities in the equestrian industry and beyond, as well as offer 10 tips for disability etiquette. Para dressage rider and disability a
US Equestrian •

Expands Eligibility for $1,000 Higher Education Equestrian Scholarships for High School Seniors

Lexington, Ky. – US Equestrian is pleased to announce that it has expanded the eligibility requirements for the Higher Education Equestrian Scholarship, which provides five $1,000 scholarships to graduating high school seniors committed to continuing their involvement in equestrian sport while in college.

US Equestrian is now accepting applications for the scholarship. Applicants must be active US Equestrian competing or fan members preparing to enter any college or university full-time in fall
US Equestrian •

US Equestrian Announces Community Conversations Series Focusing on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Equestrian Sports

Lexington, Ky. – US Equestrian will offer a new Community Conversations series dedicated to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). These DEI Community Conversations will serve as a forum for raising awareness about the various experiences and issues affecting equestrians from under-represented or under-served communities. The series aims to lift traditionally marginalized voices from the equestrian community, and beyond, while building community across the broad network of horse sport enthusias
US Equestrian •

Grassroots to Grand Champion: National Breeds and Disciplines Council 101 and Looking at the Year Ahead

Lexington, Ky. – The national breeds and non-FEI disciplines are a diverse group, represented within US Equestrian by the National Breeds and Disciplines Council (NBDC) and the National Sport department. “Grassroots to Grand Champion” explained the role of the NBDC, reviewed wins and challenges throughout 2020, and shared US Equestrian’s 2021 goals for the national breeds and non-FEI disciplines during the virtual 2021 US Equestrian Annual Meeting. Panelists included Mary Babick, Chair of the NB
US Equestrian •

Nine-Year-Old Cancer Survivor Awarded First WPCSA Courage Award Presented by Angel Heart Farm

The Welsh Pony and Cob Society of America (WPCSA) recently hosted their national championship, the American National Show, in Tulsa, Okla., where Welsh Pony and Cob enthusiasts competed for top honors. This community is a tightknit group with deep connections to one another beyond their common bond of the Welsh breed.

The WPCSA presented the first Courage Award presented by Angel Heart Farm at the 2019 American National in honor of Sophie Dadej, a young competitor who lost her battle with cance
US Equestrian •

Rescued Paso Finos Take Center Stage at National Championship

The Paso Fino Horse Association (PFHA) hosts its Grand National Horse Show every year and welcomes some of the finest representatives of the Paso Fino breed in the U.S. for a chance at a prestigious grand championship title.

Newly added to the schedule this year was the Rescue Geldings class, dedicated to Paso Finos who have been rescued and rehabilitated from a variety of circumstances. Eight geldings participated in the inaugural class, sharing their stories of rescue from kill pens, auctions
US Equestrian •

Conquering Obstacles, Overcoming Limitations: The Shetland Ponies That Are Changing Lives

The American Shetland Pony Club (ASPC) recently hosted the 73rd annual National Congress in Lake St. Louis, Mo., where registered Shetland ponies vied for national championship titles in everything from halter to jumpers in-hand to multi-hitch driving.

One small but mighty group competing for a variety of championships was the Palas family of Story City, Iowa. Greg Palas, along with his wife and their three children, brought a very special group of Shetland ponies to show in the Conquering Obst
US Equestrian •

Personal Bests and Family Support Mean More than Ribbons for Pony Finals First-Timer Ann Frances Truluck

The USEF Pony Finals presented by Collecting Gaits Farm enthusiastically welcomes a new group of riders and ponies every year. This year, Ann Frances Truluck (Columbia, S.C.) came to Pony Finals for the first time to compete one pony in the largest section of the hunter championships, the Medium Regular Hunter Pony National Championship presented by Sallee Horse Vans. Truluck rode Jessie Spade’s 13-year-old Warmblood gelding All Yours, and this relatively new partnership has been laser-focused o
US Equestrian •

$600 Rescue Pony Makes a Splash at 2019 USEF Pony Finals Presented by Collecting Gaits Farm

Eleven-year-old Alpine Griffin (Fort Collins, Colo.) and her mom/trainer Suzanne Cox Griffin attended the 2019 USEF Pony Finals presented by Collecting Gaits Farm with a black and white pinto new to the pony hunter scene and a remarkable background. Always Chipper, Suzanne’s nine-year old pony gelding, is an exhibitor favorite everywhere they go but this is the first year he has competed at Pony Finals. They finished in the top 20 of the Small Green Hunter Pony National Championship and this fan
US Equestrian •

Pony Power

Competitors and spectators at the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by Mars Equestrian are used to seeing a variety of horse breeds among the entries, from Thoroughbreds to Irish Sport Horses. But there were two entries this year who prove that ponies can add some punch to any athlete's pedigree!

The Connemara breed is not typically seen at a five-star event, but Sparrow’s Nio, a feisty grey standing at just 15.3 hands, isn’t one for being typical. Owner and rider Allie Sacksen join
US Equestrian •

Ringbone 101

Ringbone is a disease that does not discriminate; horses of all breeds, ages, and functions can be at risk. An arthritic, degenerative disease of the pastern and coffin joints, ringbone comes in two types. High ringbone affects the pastern, and low ringbone affects the coffin.

Similar to arthritis in people, ringbone develops in our equine counterparts from causes such as injury, infection, and normal wear and tear. There are also developmental factors to be aware of, including bone cysts and o
US Equestrian •

“The People’s Pony”: Honoring Theodore O’Connor at LRK3DE

Famed eventer Theodore O’Connor might have been small of stature, but the 14.1-hand Thoroughbred/Arabian/Shetland-cross eventing pony certainly had an outsized impact. Bred by Wynn Norman and owned by the Theodore O’Connor Syndicate, “Teddy” was an unexpected star who set the eventing world on fire with multi-time Olympic, Pan American, and World Equestrian Games veteran, Karen O’Connor. She began riding him in 2005 after young rider Christan Trainor competed him from training level to advanced.
Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo •

Greater Buffalo Racial Equity Roundtable

Greater Buffalo is on the rise and we believe all our residents should have the opportunity to take part and fulfill their highest potential.

When we tackle the existing gaps in racial equity, we will expand opportunity in neighborhoods across the region — where people live, work and raise their children.

Our region will see even greater growth when all our residents can learn, work and further contribute to a healthy, thriving and prosperous community.

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