US Equestrian

Become a Member

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.

Both newsletters are free to USEF members (including fans). Make sure you’re receiving both by checking your email preferences in your My USEF Dashboard.

Subscribe to newsletters and become a US Equestrian fan for FREE!

Meet Unmarked Bills: Anna Rose Erickson’s Confident Cuddle-Bug Who's Done It All

by Danielle Henson/US Equestrian Communications Dept. | June 27, 2026

Anna Rose Erickson wasn't looking for a five-star horse. She was looking for something she could afford, a horse that would help her earn her Pony Club A, and maybe, if things went well, take her a little further than she'd been before. What she got was Unmarked Bills: a bay Thoroughbred with a five-star resume, an enormous ego, and absolutely no interest in being anyone's backup plan. Talley and Unmarked Bills at the 2019 Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event (©Shannon

How Horses Give New Life to Alzheimer's and Parkinson’s Patients

by Debbie Elliot | June 26, 2026

Equine-assisted services have become a popular and effective way to support people with physical, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral challenges, including PTSD, anxiety, depression, autism spectrum disorder, grief, and substance-use recovery. Photo courtesy of Kindle Hill However, incorporating horses to help older people suffering from Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson’s, dementia, or those who have suffered traumatic brain injuries, is less common. “I believe the geriatric

Teamwork and Sisterhood: Grooming at the USEF Eventing Young Rider National Championships

by Isabelle Whiteside/US Equestrian Communications Dept. | June 25, 2026

When twin athletes, Shannon and Ashley Zupan, representing Area II, arrived at Loch Moy Farm on Thursday morning, it wasn’t with their saddles in hand or their competition gear neatly packed. Instead, they stepped into a different but equally significant role, cheering on their teammates, lending a hand wherever needed, and soaking in every moment of the experience. The Zupan sisters are returning to the USEF Eventing Young Rider National Championships for a second consecutive year to

Meet Modelo: Caroline Light’s Little Bay Horse

by by Raelyn Baker/US Equestrian Communications Dept. | June 25, 2026

Caroline Light started her show morning how she normally spends it, feeding her gelding Modelo, a banana, still in its peel. 2026 marks Light’s first time attending and competing in the USHJA Amateur Hunter Championships at the picturesque Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky. The Evington, Virginia native is basking in this milestone opportunity with the horse of her dreams right alongside her. Having grown up on a beef cattle farm, Light has always been surrounded by livestock,

Meet Katelyn Smith & HSH Henry: An Ambitious Young Rider and a Horse Unlike Any Other

by Danielle Henson/US Equestrian Communications Dept. | June 25, 2026

For Katelyn Smith, the road to the 2026 USEF Eventing Young Rider Championships began not in the competition arena, but at a small lesson barn down the road from her Marietta, Georgia, home. She was inspired by a group of school friends who convinced her to start taking lessons with them and give riding a try. What started as a once-a-week lesson gradually grew into a passion that has shaped her life ever since. HSH Henry (Photo courtesy of Katelyn Smith) Smith spent time in the hunter/jumper

Meet Oswald van de Leeuwerk: Easy to Spot in the Ring and a Prankster in the Barn

by Danielle Henson/US Equestrian Communications Dept. | June 21, 2026

There is a reason Grier Van Rooyen's barn nickname for Oswald van de Leeuwerk is "Ozzy." The 2014 Belgian Warmblood (Indouglas van het Bevrijdthof x Persinaa), owned by Calogera Borrello, has a rockstar personality as big as his jump. Van Rooyen and Oswald van de Leeuwerk (©US Equestrian) Van Rooyen grew up around horses from the start. Riding runs in the family as her mother rides, and Grier was in the saddle by age four. She grew up in Wyoming where she and her mother spent time in

Meet Gio Lemon: The One-Eyed Thoroughbred

by Raelyn Baker/US Equestrian Communications Dept. | June 19, 2026

The moment 12-year-old Caden Nolt swung his leg over the newly minted off-the-track Thoroughbred; he knew it was meant to be. Since the beginning of their partnership, the pair have paved the way for fellow Thoroughbreds competing within the hunter discipline and continue to outshine fellow competitors in the ring. Caden and Gio (Photo courtesy of the Nolt family) It’s not most parents’ dream to give their child a Thoroughbred that had only finished racing three months prior, but

Meet A Colorful Affair: A Danish Pinto Who Shines in the Junior Hunters

by Danielle Henson/US Equestrian Communications Dept. | June 17, 2026

When Truth Samuels walks into the show ring aboard A Colorful Affair, heads tend to turn. Iggy and Truth at the 2025 Adequan/USEF Junior Hunter Championship – East (©Winslow Photography, Courtesy of the Samuels family) Known around the barn as "Iggy," the striking Danish pinto stands out in a sea of bay and chestnut hunters. His unique coloring draws compliments from fellow competitors and spectators alike, but according to Samuels, it's what's behind those colorful markings

25 Things You Should Know About the Adequan®/USEF Junior Hunter National Championships

by Isabelle Whiteside & Danielle Henson | June 17, 2026

1. JHNC was established in 2001 The championship made its inaugural debut in 2001, with the East Coast event taking place at the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation headquarters in Gladstone, N.J. Courtney McKay secured the first title aboard Aspen Grove Ranch’s Onyx. 2. 2026 marks the 25th anniversary of the championship ©US Equestrian 3. The Championship is held on both coasts The 2026 East Coast Championship is set at the iconic Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Ky., from June

Meet USEF Interscholastic Student Athlete: Savanna McMichael

by Danielle Henson/US Equestrian Communications Dept. | June 15, 2026

From the moment she could talk, Savanna McMichael had one request for anyone who would listen: a real pony. Not a stuffed animal from Build-A-Bear, a real one. Now at 17, the O'Fallon, Missouri, junior hunter rider has turned the early obsession into a decorated competitive career, a Division I college commitment, and a partnership with one very special horse named Latido. A Childhood Dream Becomes Reality Savanna's love of horses was apparent almost from birth. By age three, she was

The U25 - A Place to Learn & Grow into the Grand Prix

by Alicia Berger | June 8, 2026

As most youth riders would probably tell you, Young Riders is a magical experience. But when those fantastic years come to an end, it can be easy to think, now what? The Grand Prix Senior tour is an incredibly big jump, but for many people, stepping into the national arena lacks luster after the CDIs. When my time at Young Riders came to an end, I jumped headfirst into the world of U25. U25 is a unique experience where riders ages 16 to 25 compete in the I2 and U25 Grand Prix tests against

It All Starts With Kids And Horses: Hilary Wilcox Finds New Ways To Bring Grassroots Riders To Her Farm

by Kimberly Loushin | June 8, 2026

As a third-generation horsewoman, Hilary Wilcox was privileged to grow up with easy access to horses, but she knows that getting involved can be daunting for anyone new. As one of the trainers at her family’s Redwing Farm in Waterloo, Ill., one of her missions is to reduce the barrier to entry for those looking to start riding. “Right now, we teach 150 lessons a week — out of that number, some number of kids are going to buy horses and go into the industry more fully, but a