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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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Need Health Coverage? USEF Membership Can Help!

November 16, 2021

"The rates are better than anything that I have found so far," Paralympian Bea de Lavalette said of the health coverage. Photo: Leslie Potter/US Equestrian Did you know your USEF membership can help you get health coverage , even if you have a pre-existing condition? That’s just one of the many great benefits USEF membership offers. USEF paid-fan members (to be known "USEF Subscribers" as of Dec. 1, 2021) and competing members can take advantage of guaranteed-issue health benefits at

Laura Graves on the Benefits of Remote Coaching

by US Equestrian | November 2, 2021

Thanks to technology like Move ’N See ’s robot cameramen, equestrians can now take lessons and clinics remotely—which Laura Graves on Verdades at the 2019 FEI Dressage World Cup Final. Photo: US Equestrian translates into more convenience, more lessons, and even coaching with more distant trainers that previously might not have been as easily accessible. There can be advantages for coaches, too, who can reach more students and cut down on travel time. We asked Laura Graves,

A Costuming Guide to Create Joy, Not Offense

by US Equestrian and The Inclusion Playbook | October 19, 2021

It is finally “Spooky Season” and Halloween is right around the corner! Costumes for horses and their humans can be fun, cute, or clever. The creativity, enthusiasm, and sometimes downright brilliant horsemanship that equestrians put into creating their costumes is a joy to see every year. However, costumes can sometimes make people feel uncomfortable, unsafe, and unwelcome. Costume decisions can be harmful or offensive to others if they appropriate or mock a culture or faith,

"It's a Lot More than the Moment a Ribbon Is Won"

October 8, 2021

US Equestrian and the National Thoroughbred Racing Association have announced a joint contest between the two organizations, centered around US Equestrian’s “I Am US Equestrian” campaign, which challenges the perceptions of who equestrians are and what it means to be an equestrian. Meet two of the entrants below: Erik Lee and Monica South. The contest will give away a John Deere TS Gator™ to one lucky winner. The contest closes Oct. 15, 2021, and the winner will be

“Real Equestrians Do It All”

October 5, 2021

Deborah Cox US Equestrian and the National Thoroughbred Racing Association have announced a joint contest between the two organizations, centered around US Equestrian’s “I Am US Equestrian” campaign, which challenges the perceptions of who equestrians are and what it means to be an equestrian. Meet two of the entrants below: Deborah Cox and Lori Elrod. The contest will give away a John Deere TS Gator™ to one lucky winner. The contest closes Oct. 15, 2021, and the winner

Coming Up on USEF Network: Inaugural Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill

by US Equestrian | September 27, 2021

The countdown is on for eventing’s newest CCI5* event: the Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill , one of only two CCI5*-L events in the United States and only the seventh worldwide. The event’s prestigious CCI5* designation is the pinnacle of the Olympic sport of eventing. The weekend also features a CCI3*-L competition that will crown the USEF CCI3*-L Eventing National Champion, as well as The Dutta Corp. United States Eventing Association Young Event Horse East Coast Championships

Vaulting on the World Stage

by Leslie Potter/US Equestrian Communications Department | September 21, 2021

Athletes from the U.S. Vaulting Team had a historic outing at the FEI Vaulting World Championship for Seniors last month in Budapest, Hungary, bringing home bronze medals in the Pas-de-Deux and Squad divisions. This marks the first time that American vaulters have won a medal at a senior World Championship since Megan Benjamin and Blake Dahlgren won bronze in 2012. Haley Smith (Woodside, Calif.) and Daniel Janes (Moss Beach, Calif.) were the medal-winning pair in the Pas-de-Deux. They were also

Five Questions for Marshall & Sterling Insurance’s Don Graves

by US Equestrian Communications | September 7, 2021

Marshall & Sterling has been in the insurance business since 1864 and has been protecting horses, ponies, and their owners for more than 30 years through its Equisport division, led by Don Graves, a lifelong equestrian himself. Graves has shown extensively in Florida, Michigan, and Kentucky during his riding career. Graves joined Marshall & Sterling after selling his own Equisport agency to the firm in 2013 and is now Marshall & Sterling’s Senior Vice-President in addition to

Making the Musical Freestyle: How Dressage Riders Create the Soundtrack for Their Freestyle Tests

by Leslie Potter | August 30, 2021

For fans of dressage , the musical freestyle is a highlight of any competition. Even spectators unfamiliar with the intricacies of the sport can appreciate a good freestyle to music, as evidenced by the mainstream reach of U.S. dressage athlete Steffen Peters’ ride with Suppenkasper (barn name Mopsie) at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics . When executed well, the music behind a freestyle highlights the horse’s rhythm and movement while enhancing the dance-like quality of a dressage test.

Journey to Pony Finals Shows How Hard Work Pays Off

by Kathleen Landwehr | August 15, 2021

Competing at the USEF Pony Finals presented by Honor Hill Farms is a goal many young equestrians hope to achieve, and Kendyl Delp-Hartbarger did just that with Rocky Rode. Delp-Hartbarger’s desire to jump led her to the six-year-old Shetland pony gelding. The pair worked hard and learned together to reach the prestigious event. Kendyl Delp-Hartbarger and Rocky Rode (Shawn McMillen Photography) Eleven-year-old Delp-Hartbarger of Malinta, Ohio, got her start riding Western pleasure, but

USEF Pony Finals Presented by Honor Hill Farms: Tips for First-Timers

by US Equestrian Magazine Archive | August 9, 2021

Take advantage of the opportunities to learn at USEF Pony Finals presented by Honor Hill Farm. Those chances will be all around you! Photo: US Equestrian If you're a first-time rider, parent, or trainer this year at USEF Pony Finals presented by Honor Hill Farms, trainer Robin Greenwood has some good advice to help you make the most of the experience. Greenwood, who operates GC Ponies in Southern Pines, N.C., has been coming to Pony Finals since the 1980s. Her first piece of advice: stay

Shock Wave Therapy 101

by US Equestrian Communications Dept. | July 27, 2021

U.S. Dressage Team veterinarian Dr. Paul McClellan using shock wave therapy. Photo: Courtesy of PulseVet Can a super-sonic wave of sound energy help your horse heal? There’s evidence that in many situations it can. Dr. Susan Johns, the Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team’s head veterinarian, recently participated in a webinar as one of five veterinarians discussing how they incorporate shock wave therapy into their treatment and rehabilitation of equine athletes. We asked Dr. Johns, who