US Equestrian Magazine

Official Magazine of the United States Equestrian Federation | Summer 2017

10 WAYS US EQUESTRIAN Protects Athletes

THE FIT HORSE

Pros Share Their Tips

FIRST PONIES

Top Riders Remember

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Contents FEATURES 52 FIRST PONIES Top riders remember

66 10 WAYS US Equestrian protects its athletes

Tips from top equestrians

88 100 YEARS US Equestrian celebrates its centennial

DEPARTMENTS 8 Partners 10 Sponsors 12 Media/Marketing 14 Letter from

the President 16 Snapshot 18 USEF News COVER: Alexa Lignelli (L) and sister Agatha (R) with Rollingwoods Knee Deep at the USEF Pony Finals.

Photo: Shawn McMillen Photography

28 Seen & Heard Official Magazine of the United States Equestrian Federation | Summer 2017

30 Learning Center 34 Pro Tip

 WAYS US EQUESTRIAN Protects Athletes

THE FIT HORSE

Pros Share Their Tips

FIRST PONIES

Top Riders Remember

38 Juniors’ Ring 42 My First 44 Hot Links 48 Horse Health

4 SUMMER ISSUE 2017

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF BOYD MARTIN, SHANNON BRINKMAN PHOTO, COURTESTY OF CHRISTOPH SCHORK

78 GET YOUR HORSE FIT

Official Magazine of the United States Equestrian Federation

US EQUESTRIAN MAGAZINE Volume LXXXI, Summer Edition PUBLISHED BY The United States Equestrian Federation, Inc. CHIEF MARKETING & CONTENT OFFICER Vicki Lowell | vlowell@usef.org EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Glenye Cain Oakford | goakford@usef.org CREATIVE DIRECTOR Candice McCown | cmccown@usef.org ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Kim Russell | 859 225 6938 | krussell@usef.org DIRECTOR OF SPONSORSHIP & SALES Lauren Carlisle | lcarlisle@usef.org DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL & VIDEO CONTENT Andrea Evans | aevans@usef.org EDITORIAL STAFF Mark Coley, Andrea Evans, Kathleen Landwehr, Dana Rossmeier CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Sarah Coleman, Peter van Pinxteren

US Equestrian Magazine (ISSN 1548-873X) is published five times a year: Horse of the Year Special Edition, Spring/Spectator’s Guide, Winter, Fall, Winter, by the United States Equestrian Federation®, 4047 Iron Works Parkway, Lexington, KY 40511; Phone: (859) 258-2472; Fax: (859) 231-6662. (ISSN:1548-873X). NOTE: Effective Issue 1 of 2015, Equestrian Magazine will be published and provided electronically and only four editions will have a limited number of printed copies. Only the Horse of the Year Special Edition will provided in the U.S. Mail.

USEF is not responsible for the opinions and statements expressed in signed articles and paid advertisements. These opinions are not necessarily the opinions of USEF and its staff. While the Federation makes every effort to avoid errors, we assume no liability to anyone for mistakes or omissions. It is the policy of the Federation to report factually and accurately in Equestrian and to encourage and to publish corrections whenever warranted. Kindly direct any comments or inquiries regarding corrections to Vicki Lowell vlowell@usef.org or by direct dial 859-225-2024. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Equestrian, 4047 Iron Works Parkway, Lexington, KY 40511. Canadian Publications Agreement No. 40845627. For Canadian returns, mail to Canada Express, 7686 #21 Kimble Street Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, L5S1E9. (905) 672-8100. Reproduction of any article, in whole or part, by written permission only of the Editor. Equestrian: Publisher, United States Equestrian Federation®, Chief Executive Officer, William J. Moroney (859) 225-6912.

Director of Advertising, Kim Russell (859) 225-6938. Copyright © 2017. US Equestrian is the official publication of the United States Equestrian Federation, the National Governing Body for Equestrian Sport in the USA, and is an official publication of USEF.

Published at 4047 Ironworks Parkway, Lexington, Ky 40511 USequestrian.org

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The United States Equestrian Federation does not endorse or recommend any commercial product or service. Therefore, designations as official suppliers of the USEF of any commercial product or service cannot be construed as an endorsement or recommendation by the United States Equestrian Federation.

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ADAPTS TO ANY ENVIRONMENT BUT PREFERS ONE WITH A VIEW

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The United States Equestrian Federation does not endorse or recommend any commercial product or service. Therefore, designations as official suppliers of the USEF of any commercial product or service cannot be construed as an endorsement or recommendation by the United States Equestrian Federation.

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Letter from the President Great Sport Requires Clean, Safe Sport

My first six months as United States Equestrian Federation president have made a simple concept abundantly clear to me.

Great sport can’t happen without Clean Sport and SafeSport.

Over the past few months in the USA, we have all witnessed examples of “great sport” and have enjoyed sharing the success of our U.S. athletes winning on the world stage. We were so proud to see McLain Ward win the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Final and Laura Graves finish second at the FEI World Cup Dressage Final. And as I write this letter, Kent Farrington is the number-one jumping rider in the world and McLain Ward is number two. Laura Graves is the number-four dressage rider in the world and Philip Dutton is the number-two eventing rider in the world. No country is experiencing more success right now than the United States.

It is important to have this type of success at the highest levels in order to inspire the next generation of riders across all breeds and disciplines. We are beginning to see this new model for growth slowly take hold. We have seen an uptick in membership and, importantly, post-World Cup Finals we saw significant increases in broadcast viewership, with the World Cup Finals and Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event presented

by Land Rover airing on NBC and NBCSN, USEF Network livestream events, social media interaction, sponsorship interest, and fan memberships. These results demonstrate that the strategy “to bring the joy of horse sports to as many people as possible” is working.

What you can’t see is how much effort has gone on behind the scenes to protect the joy of horse sports. The USEF board of directors, along with chief executive Bill Moroney and his leadership team, have been relentlessly making the structural and cultural changes needed to make sure equestrian sport in the United States is conducted with the highest integrity and with safety paramount for our equine and human athletes.

“CHEATERS GOTTA GO” You’ve heard all of us at USEF mention the Clean Sport and SafeSport initiatives, and, for the most part, when we do so, everyone nods their heads “yes” in agreement. But when the tough decisions actually get made to enforce these initiatives, the reaction is sometimes a different story. Out comes the line “We’ve always done it this way, so it’s ok,” or “Forget about the fact that I just got caught cheating (or cheating again), I don’t think the process is fair.” I remain shocked when people who get caught cheating get angry and indignant instead of embarrassed and ashamed.

14 SUMMER ISSUE 2017

No matter what, CHEATERS GOTTA GO. I assure you, the leadership team at USEF will not back down from protecting your horses and your children. We will make the tough decisions to keep us on the forefront of good governance, and we will zealously defend our core values every time they are challenged.

In the last few months, you’ve probably heard about problems confronting USA Gymnastics. You may or may not have heard that, as a result of this scandal—along with other similar scandals in youth sports—there is now legislation before Congress to make mandated reporting of sexual misconduct in sport a federal law. Don’t mistake the fact that Clean Sport and SafeSport are not “nice to have,” they are “must-haves” if we want our sport to thrive. I’d argue that you couldn’t see the type of success I started this letter describing if it were our sport in the headlines for sexual abuse. We recognize that this is exactly what our membership expects. In our last member survey, 98% of you rated “protecting horse and human welfare” as the most important thing the USEF needed to provide our membership.

In closing, the USEF Pony Finals presented by Collecting Gaits Farm takes place Aug. 8-13 at the Kentucky Horse Park.

It’s one of the most important events we run all year, and the kids showing there are essential to our future. It’s up to us to teach this next generation the right values. It’s up to us to teach them NOT to cheat. It’s up to us to teach these kids to love and respect their ponies and to teach them that good sport and fair competition must always come before money, ego, and winning at all costs. Bottom line, it’s up to us to share the joy of horse sports with as many of them as possible. Please help me to do just that.

Share the Joy, Protect the Joy, Murray S. Kessler

PHOTO: TAYLOR PENCE

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USEF NEWS

In a ruling that shows the United States Equestrian Federation’s strong commitment to enforcing safe, fair competition for human and equine athletes, the USEF Hearing Committee recently handed down substantial suspensions and fines to Larry Glefke and Kelley Farmer for doping violations in the hunter discipline. The case also highlights the resources and procedures the USEF has in place to protect equestrians both before and during the testing process, including well-publicized medication best practices and prohibited practices, easily accessible guidelines for drugs and medications, airtight chain of custody procedures, and strict anonymity of samples.

The rulings against Glefke and Farmer came after the USEF’s Hearing Committee, at Glefke and Farmer’s request, reheard their case in June. Following that June 6-7 rehearing, the Hearing Committee found that Glefke and Farmer had violated USEF rules due to the presence of the forbidden substance gamma-aminobutyric acid, or GABA, in the horse Unexpected at a 2016 USEF-licensed competition.

As a result, in accordance with the applicable penalty guidelines, the Hearing Committee imposed a 24-month suspension and $24,000 fine against 18 SUMMER ISSUE 2017

Glefke and an 18-month suspension and $18,000 fine against Farmer. The suspensions were set to begin on July 1, 2017.

In levying penalties against Glefke and Farmer, the Hearing Committee took into consideration Farmer’s prior reserpine doping offense, as well as Glefke’s prior reserpine doping offense and recent acepromazine violation, coupled with the filing of false medication report forms for several horses at an April 2015 competition. The Hearing Committee noted that Glefke had attempted to avoid the financial aspects of a suspension that began on Feb. 1, 2017, by shifting certain horses that he previously trained to Farmer as the new trainer. Moreover, they found that Farmer was equally responsible for these efforts to circumvent the impact of Glefke’s Feb. 1 suspension by taking these horses to competitions. This contributed to the Hearing Committee’s penalty decision.

The ban on GABA has been well publicized, including listing the drug as forbidden in the USEF’s annual publication Guidelines for Drugs and Medications and issuing press releases to its membership and to the media. The USEF has been regulating the prohibited substance since 2012.

PHOTO: TAYLOR PENCE

Recent Doping Ruling Highlights USEF Commitment to Safe, Fair Sport

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USEF NEWS

The presence of a forbidden substance is evidence of a violation “Clean sport is one of the highest priorities for this Federation and is the one that our members value the most,” USEF President Murray Kessler said. “I commend the Hearing Committee for their strong decision in this case. It represents their commitment to the enforcement of the rules and a desire to rid our sport of cheaters.”

Blood Testing Procedure The USEF contracts with veterinarians to collect blood and/or urine samples from horses at USEFlicensed competitions, and the USEF Equine Drugs and Medications Program’s Equine Drug Testing and Research Laboratory in Lexington, Ky., analyzes about 18,000 samples a year. The lab is one of only five labs worldwide that serve as Reference Laboratories for the Fédération Equestre Internationale, and it’s the only one in the western hemisphere. It also is the only lab solely dedicated to sport horse testing.

• Collecting the blood sample. Collection takes place in full view of the horse’s trainer or the trainer’s appointed agent. For each horse selected for blood sample collection, the testing veterinarian collects enough blood to be divided into an A sample and a B sample. Two tubes of blood are identified as the A sample and a single blood tube is identified as the B sample. Immediately after collecting each sample, the veterinarian attaches tags to the tube containing a unique ID number and corresponding bar code, then seals each sample in a bag labeled either A or B. .

• Samples are labeled with ID numbers, not names . A sample identification card is completed by the testing team and will include the necessary information that identifies the horse, owner, trainer, and rider, as well as the age of the horse, gender, and breed or discipline. The ID number from the card is identical to the numbered tag attached to the blood and urine A and B samples.

The sample identification card is mailed to the USEF Equine Drugs and Medications office in Columbus, Ohio. The samples are shipped to the USEF Equine Drug Testing and Research Laboratory in Lexington, Ky., with nothing but numbers and a barcode attached.

20 SUMMER ISSUE 2017

•

•

•

Chain of custody at the lab. When the samples arrive at the lab, staff documents their receipt and inspects the security seals to ensure they have not been tampered with. After the inspection of the security seals, the A samples are sent for analysis; the B samples are placed—unopened— in a separate, secure area in case they need to be analyzed at a later date. Both the A and B samples are stored in refrigerated environments.

For internal administrative purposes, the lab assigns each sample a lab ID number that will track the sample throughout the testing process.

The chain of custody is rigorously recorded, in detail and in real time, through every step, from the sample’s location during storage to its movement between testing lab and storage facilities. Samples do not leave the laboratory, and lab staff do not have access to any identifying information about the horse, stable, or people associated with any sample.

Testing the A sample. If the chemical analysis of the A sample is negative—in other words, if testing reveals no forbidden substance or metabolite or analog of a forbidden substance—its corresponding B sample may be frozen and maintained at the lab for possible future analysis.

If the A sample tests positive for a forbidden substance the laboratory in Kentucky notifies the Equine Drugs and Medications Program office in Ohio of the result and provides the chemical analysis. The Equine Drugs and Medications Program office then matches the sample’s ID number with the sample identification card consistent with that number. The Equine Drugs and Medication Program investigates as to whether a medication report form had been filed. But it’s important to note that the presence of a forbidden substance is in itself evidence of a violation.

The appropriate filing of a medication report form, which documents the therapeutic use of a forbidden substance, can indicate compliance with GR411 and no violation is considered.

Testing the B sample. In the case of a positive A sample, USEF notifies the horse’s owner and the horse’s trainer of the adverse analytical finding

Background by Pieter Estersohn from his book, Kentucky: Historic Houses and Horse Farms. Summer 2014 issue.

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USEF NEWS for forbidden drugs or quantitatively-restricted controlled medications that exceed allowable amounts. The owner and trainer also are notified of their right to promptly request analysis of the B sample. Under a recent and well-publicized rule, the trainer and owner may submit a Confirmatory Analysis Request Form to the USEF within 15 business days. If they do not, they are considered to have waived their right to B sample analysis. If the parties do request B sample testing, that testing can take place at any lab that is approved by the USEF and agreed on by the individual(s) requesting the test. This confirmatory test determines only whether the forbidden substance is present. If the B sample does not substantially confirm the A sample, the USEF drops the case.

In their case, Glefke and Farmer requested that the USEF’s laboratory, which conducted the initial test on the A sample, also test the B sample. They were provided the opportunity to have the sample tested at a different lab. In both cases, the estimated levels of GABA easily exceeded the action level of 100 nanograms per millimeter of plasma for this substance.

Bloomberg, Kessler Earn Longines Ladies Awards U.S. show jumping athletes Georgina Bloomberg and Reed Kessler received Longines Ladies Awards on May 19 during a gala dinner in Washington, D.C. The Longines Ladies Award ceremony celebrated Bloomberg and Kessler, along with horse racing’s Michelle Payne and Belinda Stronach, for going above and beyond expectation to support horses, their sports, and others.

“While we know them for their commitment and success on the field of play, it is what they do to give back to others and inspire the next generation that was recognized by Longines,” 22 SUMMER ISSUE 2017

Georgina Bloomberg (left) and Reed Kessler (right) were joined

by US Equestrian president Murray Kessler (center) after receiving their Longines Ladies Awards in May.

US Equestrian president Murray Kessler said of Bloomberg and Kessler.

Bloomberg and Kessler have triumphed outside of the grand prix arena, championing influential causes for the betterment of the equine community. Kessler has been an ambassador for JustWorld International, which supports education and healthcare in developing countries, for more than a decade.

She also uses her experience and knowledge to give back to US Equestrian’s Learning Center, which serves as an educational resource for riders of all ages and levels.

“My whole life I have been raised to believe I am capable of achieving anything I set my mind to, and I’m humbled to be recognized as a strong woman in the sport and a positive role model for young girls,” Kessler said during her acceptance speech.

In 2006, Bloomberg established her own charity, The Rider’s Closet, which makes riding clothes more accessible to those attending therapeutic riding schools. Bloomberg is also a staunch advocate of the Humane Society of the United States and serves as a board member of the Equestrian Aid Foundation, which provides support to riders, trainers, grooms, farriers, and other professionals needing help with medical expenses.

She recently joined the board of Animal Aid USA. “It’s humbling to win an award, but to give back to causes that we really care about means even more,” said Bloomberg.

The Longines Ladies Award winner received Longines timepieces. In addition, Longines made a $10,000 donation to JustWorld International on Kessler’s behalf and a $10,000 donation to the Kaeli Kramer Foundation in Bloomberg’s name.

PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES FOR LONGINES

Resources and Guidelines Want more information or guidance about prohibited substances or the testing and hearing process? The online Learning Center at USequestrian.org/learn offers many resources, including the video “Best Practices: Five Steps to Avoid Horse Drug Violations” and direct links to • 2017 Guidelines for Drugs and Medications • Drugs and Medications Penalty Guidelines • FEI Clean Sport for Horses • Medication Report Form • USEF Rule Book: Drugs and Medications • NSAIDs and Your Horse • NSAIDs: Frequently Asked Questions Additional resources are available on USequestrian’s Drugs & Medications page, including clinical guidelines from the American Association of Equine Practitioners for sport horse veterinarians, a barcode lookup tool to check your sample’s status, and more. To reach the Drugs & Medications page from the USequestrian.org home page, simply hover your cursor over the Compete tab near the top of the page, then click Drugs & Medications (under Rules & Regulations) on the menu that appears.

“Shock wave has various applications. We aren’t just using it for soft tissue injuries. We’re also using it for stiff backs and necks when we don’t want to go to something more invasive or aggressive.”

– Meghan Waller, BSc, DVM, cVMA “ Event horses are the triathletes of the equestrian sport. As such, they get sore in a variety of places. Shockwave therapy is a very useful modality for healing the various inflammatory conditions that I diagnose in the equine athletes that I treat.

Through the use of shockwave therapy, I can support these athletes and keep them at the top of their sport.”

–Susan Johns, DVM US Eventing Team Veterinarian

“My experience with focused shock wave healing for thoracolumbar discomfort has demonstrated a significant improvement after just one treatment.”

–Kent Allen, DVM National Head Veterinarian for the Federation Equestrian Internationale (FEI) for the United States

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Go to PulseVet.com to find a vet who offers PulseVet’s shock wave therapy using our vet locator!

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USEF NEWS

Michel Assouline will serve as Head of Para-Equestrian Coach Development and High Performance Consultant.

Assouline will work hand-in-hand with Chef d’Equipe Kai Handt and Director of Para-Dressage Laureen Johnson to prepare the U.S. athletes for the 2018 Tryon World Equestrian Games. He also will lead the development and implementation of a trainer/coach development program and work closely with the Para Centers of Excellence, delivering and running additional seminars and coaching sessions.

“This marks a great leap forward for the paradressage programs in the U.S.,” said Will Connell, US Equestrian’s Director of Sport. “Our whole sport will benefit from Michel’s experience and guidance, including our athletes aiming for the World Equestrian Games and Paralympics. Our aim is to grow significantly the number and skillset of trainers and coaches, at all levels, who can support existing and new para-dressage riders. Through the ever-growing network of the Para Centers of Excellence, we want to reach out to those already enjoying the therapeutic benefits of riding and say, ‘Hey, what about trying some competitive riding, and one day you might be proudly wearing the Stars and Stripes and winning medals for your country.’

“We are especially grateful to the United States Equestrian Team Foundation, who saw the value in bringing Michel’s talents to the U.S. and through the support and generosity of their loyal donors—the Barnfield Foundation, Elizabeth C. Bramsen, Rebecca Reno, and Ed Peavy—this has been made possible.”

24 SUMMER ISSUE 2017

Assouline will continue to work with the British para-equestrian dressage program through the 2017 European Championships, and he will also continue his work with private clients.

“I have worked for the British Para-Equestrian Program since 2005 and have been privileged to work with an incredibly successful team of athletes,” Assouline said. “During my time as head coach, we earned team gold in every single international championship and numerous individual medals, including two triple gold medalists at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games. I now feel the time is right for a career which seeks out new challenges. It is a privilege to accept the position of US Equestrian Head of Para-Equestrian Coach Development and High Performance Consultant. I look forward to sharing my experience and helping the U.S. move towards and achieve medal-winning performances. I am also looking forward to the work I will be doing within Coach Development, with the opportunity to work at the grassroots level of the sport. It is a very exciting time with new horizons; I am really looking forward to the journey to Tokyo 2020. My new role will also allow me to pursue other interests within both para- and able-bodied dressage.”

Assouline’s work with the Centers of Excellence directly ties in with their aim to grow and develop para-equestrian dressage in the U.S. One area of focus for the COEs is reaching into the therapeutic riding

PHOTO: COURTESY OF MICHEL ASSOULINE

Assouline Named to USEF Para-Equestrian Positions

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the broader line of trusted Absorbine® brands. So when you’re looking for the best in horse care, look for the yellow ribbon.

USEF NEWS community and demonstrating the competitionbased opportunities provided by para-dressage. The current COEs are Carlisle Academy in Lyman, Me.; North Texas Equestrian Center in Wyle, Texas; Ride On Therapeutic Horsemanship in Chatsworth, Calif., Wheatland Farm in Purcellville, Va.; and Healing Strides in Boones Mill, Va.

Age-Verification: What You Need to Know Age-verification is a new rule in 2017 in Young Hunter classes and Jumper classes restricted by age of the horse.

Save yourself time and hassle by age-verifying your horse before you go to a competition so your points will be good for the show. It’s fast and easy to do online. Here’s how: • Go to USEquestrian.org.

• Log in to your account, then click on “My USEF” at the top right of the screen, in the black menu bar.

• Scroll down and click on the tile for the horse you want to verify.

• You’ll see a header in red that says “Upload Age Verification.” Clicking this tab will take you to a page where you can upload your proper documentation.

• Use the Browse button to choose the file with your documents to upload.

• Click Submit.

• USEF will review the paperwork and let you know when we have marked the horse in the system as Age Verified (typically a turnaround of less than three business days).

The documentation is not for all Hunter and Jumper classes; the age-verification rule is intended only for age-restricted classes. Below, we break down the specifics for these classes: Young Hunters: • Hunter age restrictions are defined as horses under the age of seven.

• If your horse is eligible, you can compete in sections determined by height. See rule HU104.6 for these height sections.

• The horse can compete from December 1 through that competition year in which they reach the applicable age.

• Age of the horse must be verified by USEF using the following documents: registration papers or Certificate of Pedigree from a breed or sport horse registry OR passport issued by a World Breed Federation Sport Horse (WBFSH)-recognized registry.

26 SUMMER ISSUE 2017

•

A horse may compete in only one height section at each competition.

Young Jumpers: • Age-restricted classes are open only to horses recorded with USEF which have been age-verified.

• Age can be verified only through the following identification documents: registration papers or Certificate of Pedigree from a breed or sport horse registry OR passport issued by a WBFSH-recognized registry.

• In 2017, US Equestrian is allowing all members to send their age-verification documents before December 14, 2017, at 5pm Eastern time, even if you have already competed in an agerestricted class. But keep in mind this won’t be the case for the 2018 competition year. For 2018, you will need to have your horse age-verified before showing at a USEF competition.

Questions? Call US Equestrian Customer Care at 859-258-2472 or contact us by email at customercare@ usef.org or by live online chat at USequestrian.org.

Our representatives are available Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern time. We’re here to assist you throughout your competition career!

Media Partners Offer Perks to US Equestrian Members US Equestrian is proud to partner with leading equestrian media outlets who align with our vision: to bring the joy of horse sports to as many people as possible. Whether more lifestyle- or competitionfocused, our US Equestrian media partners engage with equestrian enthusiasts in unique ways. That’s great news for our members, who receive discounts on subscriptions, courses, and services.

As a US Equestrian member, you’re eligible for discounts including: • subscriptions to Active Interest Media’s Dressage Today, EQUUS, Horse & Rider, and Practical Horseman • subscriptions to EQ Living’s print edition and free access to its online edition • subscriptions to Puissance America • subscriptions to NOELLE FLOYD • subscriptions to The Competitive Equestrian • online courses at AIMEquineU.com • services at Equine.com • purchases at the Equine Network Store Already a US Equestrian member? Log in at USequestrian.org and visit our MemberPerks page to find out more and access your discount codes.

To join or renew, visit USequestrian.org/join-usef/ join-renew.

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In & Around the Ring “We had some really good rides today. We need depth in this country. We can see some good young horses and young riders coming up, so that is our future; we need to support and encourage them and give them a chance.”

- Gary Rockwell, President of the Ground Jury at The Dutta Corp.

U.S. Dressage Festival of Champions in Gladstone, N.J., on the talent displayed at the national championship

“O u r n u m b e r - o n e priority was to qualify for the Nations Cup Final today, but our second priority was to do it in a way that benefits everyone in the long term—and that is to give a bunch of different riders experience. We have had 14 riders on four Nations Cup teams so far this year. Some view that as a bit risky, but it has always been a priority for me. Experienced riders and younger riders feed off of one another, in a good way, and that’s what we did today.”

- Chef d’Equipe Robert Ridland after the Hermès U.S. Show Jumping Team earned gold in the FEI Nations Cup™ CSIO4* Langley in British Columbia, Canada, and secured their qualification in the Final

28 SUMMER ISSUE 2017

Kasey Perry-Glass and Goerklintgaards Dublet take their lap of honor after claiming the USEF Grand Prix Dressage National Championship title at The Dutta Corp. U.S. Dressage Festival of Champions in Gladstone, N.J.

Harry McMahon and Shetland pony Sail the Sun win one race at the Devon Horse Show in Pennsylvania as part of the Washington International Horse Show Shetland Pony Steeplechase Championship Series presented by Charles Owen.

PHOTOS: (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT) TAYLOR PENCE, ULTIMATE IMAGES, STUNNING STEEDS, ©ALDEN CORRIGAN MEDIA

Hannah Sue Burnett and Harbour Pilot’s 10th-place finish helped the Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team earn bronze in the FEI Nations Cup™ at the Saracen Horse Feed Houghton International Horse Trials CICO3* in England.

Lunita de Milagro, ridden by Jose R. Diaz and owned by Elpidio Nunez III, is crowned the Fino Mare Champion at the Spectrum International Paso Fino Horse Show in Miami, Fla.

“He has the heart of a lion. Every time he lands, he just goes to it, and looks for the next one. He’s a freak; I wish I could clone him.”

- Phillip Dutton, the 2017 Rolex/USEF CCI4* Eventing National Champion, on his mount Mr. Medicott’s crosscountry performance at the Rolex Kentucky Three Day-Event presented by Land Rover in Lexington, Ky.

USEQUESTRIAN.ORG 29

LEARNING CENTER

Concussion: Signs, Symptoms, and Helmet Safety

Equestrian helmets can reduce the risk of traumatic brain injury by about 50%.

30 SUMMER ISSUE 2017

Did you know that only 25% of equestrians wear a helmet regularly? A study released in Neurosurgical Focus in April 2016 documented sports-related traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) between 2003 and 2012. They found that of the nearly 5,000 adult sports-related TBIs, equestrian sports made up over 45% of those hospital admissions. In one of our newest Learning Center videos, brought to you by Charles Owen, we sat down with Dr. Lola Chambless, an equestrian and assistant professor of neurosurgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, to get the facts about concussions in equestrian sports.

In our video, Chambless discusses why it is important to wear a helmet while participating in equestrian activities, as the use of equestrian helmets can reduce the risk of TBI by about half.

She also explains what to do if an equestrian sustains a fall or a blow to the head and how

to return to the sport after experiencing one of these head injuries. She brings up the example of skiing and snowboarding and how over the past 15 years, the increased use of helmets has resulted in a dramatic decrease in traumatic brain injury in those sports.

In addition to this exclusive video, you’ll also find a wealth of other resources in the Learning Center, including information about concussion signs and concussion safety in sports, and more.

The next time you get on a horse, whether at home or at a show, be sure to put on a helmet.

It’s a no-brainer.

As a valued member of US Equestrian, you have access to watch this video and more than 40 others in the US Equestrian Learning Center at USequestrian.org/learn. Log in to start learning more or join now at USequestrian.org/ join-usef/join-renew.

PHOTO: ANDREA EVANS

by Andrea Evans

ENJOY THE DESTINATION AND THE RIDE.

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LEARN MORE AT HERTZ.COM/USEF *Save up to 20% off a rental’s base rate at participating Hertz locations. Advance reservations required. Blackout periods may apply. Always include your discount code CDP# 15757 in your reservation to take advantage of this year-round discount program offered to your organization. Discounts identified by your CDP# may not be combined or used with Travel Industry Discounts, Pre-Pay Rates, Tour Rates, or other discounts or rates not included in your organization’s discount program. Base rate includes time and mileage charges only.

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LEARNING CENTER

Top Tips for Helmet Care

32 SUMMER ISSUE 2017

Neither borrower nor lender be. “Much like a new pair of boots, helmets will break in and mold to the shape of your head as they are worn,” says Charles Owen’s managing director, Roy Burek. “Therefore, it’s important not to lend your helmet to another person, since the difference in head shape could stretch your helmet and cause it to be ill-fitting when it is returned to you.”

When to Retire Your Helmet “Each riding helmet is designed to protect your head in the event of a fall and should be replaced after suffering a severe blow, especially if the wearer has experienced symptoms of brain shear or concussion,” says Burek. (For more on concussion and its symptoms, check out the concussion resources in the US Equestrian Learning Center at USequestrian.org/learn) Burek advises equestrians to replace their helmets after every fall in which they hit their heads, because the microscopic “bubbles” in the EPS layer of the helmet burst on impact. This leaves that area compromised and unable to offer the same level of protection if it receives another impact there. Dropping a helmet onto a hard surface in the barn also can cause damage, even if the damage isn’t visible. If your helmet hasn’t sustained an impact, Burek still recommends replacing it after five years of consistent use, due to natural wear and tear on its materials.

Want practical tips like this and great stories delivered to your inbox every week? Sign up for our Equestrian Weekly newsletter at USequestrian.org/tune-in/equestrian-weekly.

PHOTO: COURTESY OF CHARLES OWEN

After your horse, your helmet is probably your closest partner when you’re riding or driving. Like your horse, it also requires care—and, eventually, a happy retirement! Whether your helmet is stylish, blingy, or classically elegant, it’s a crucial piece of safety equipment first and foremost, and it’s important to keep it in good condition. We asked the helmet experts at Charles Owen, the Official Helmet Supplier and a Safety Education Partner of US Equestrian.

Here’s what they advise: Keep it cool.Don’t store your helmet in direct sunlight or high temperatures. Keeping your helmet in a hot car, for example, is a no-no: that can damage your helmet and make it less effective in case of a fall. The expanded polystyrene or EPS—the layer of microscopic “bubble wrap” that protects your head in the event of a fall—will melt in extreme heat.

Keep it clean. Sweat, makeup, sunscreen, dirt—these accumulate on your helmet’s interior and can break down the lining. So give your helmet a clean. It’s important to use only products specifically made for helmets, like Charles Owen’s helmet cleaner and deodorizer. Going to extreme measures—like sending your helmet to the drycleaner or, heaven forbid, sticking it in a clothes or dishwasher—is a really bad idea. That can compromise the materials inside the helmet and reduce the helmet’s effectiveness.

Check those removable liners. Many helmet models now offer removable liners, which can help even the hardest-working helmets stay hygienic. Cleaning and replacing those liners can extend your helmet’s lifespan.

by Glenye Oakford

We think about Safety Everyday #Safety365

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PRO TIP

Words of Wisdom

“Know the ground beneath your horse,” Stefanie Putnam was advised.

34 SUMMER ISSUE 2017

Stefanie Putnam, international para-equestrian driver Putnam, winner of US Equestrian’s 2016 Becky Grand Hart Trophy for international non-Olympic athletes, is a former show jumper who took up para-equestrian combined driving after a non-horse-related accident in 2009 left her paralyzed from the chest down. With her Morgan horse Bethesda After Dark, she finished fifth in the Grade I division at the 2016 FEI World Para-Driving Championships for Singles. To learn more about the sport of combined driving, watch US Equestrian’s Learning Center video at USequestrian.org/learning-center/videos/ combined-driving. “‘You only know half the course if you don’t know the ground beneath your horse.’ Patrick Dwyer, an Irish show jumping trainer who coached me for several years, said this.

“I love complex courses with lots of options to choose from. I enjoy the challenge that the course designer gives you from start to finish, and I respect what he or she has decided to test us on. In combined driving, a course

designer will challenge you with many different options in the marathon and the cones, allowing you to choose the best route for you and your horse. Each route has its pros and cons. When I walk the course, I pay attention to the strides between elements, which turn is faster, which turn will be more balanced, and which turn will set me up for my next obstacle or gate within the obstacle.

“I make sure to inspect the ground and to look around me to see what the footing has in store. I ask myself questions like ‘Where are the holes? How deep is the grass? ‘How slick is the terrain? How hard is the clay? Where am I going to slide? Where can I move quickly and where do I need to slow down?’ I look for the path that I want to put my horse’s feet on.

I study where I can move the horse out and where I need to bring him back in to balance him or help him out.

“I love the obstacles and cones in combined driving. To look at a course and strategize what is the best way to shave time off my run fascinates me. ‘Is my horse fast? Does he have a

PHOTO: MARIE DE RONDE-OUDEMANS

We asked two equestrians to share some of the best advice they’ve received. Their answers apply well beyond equestrian competition.

Wishing Zayna Rizvi continued success summer 2017 Good luck in Europe

Verdana

Smallwood Mystic

Zoomerang

Forget Me Not

Special Thanks to Christine Trigger- Trainer

PRO TIP long stride? Is he better to the left or the right? What are my of knowledge. I realize a lot of what I have learned comes back options?’ The transition from show jumping to combined driv- to me in the moment when I need it, so it is difficult to recall ing involved learning to go around obstacles and through the everything. There are a few experiences and tips, though, that cones rather than over them. Now I am very aware of what is on stand out in my mind. each side of me, what is in front of me, how much room I have, “One experience goes way back to my childhood when my and how close I can cut it. But, overall, the concepts are exactly father, who was not a horseman, came to a show to watch me the same in each discipline. My show jumping experience has compete. He saw me behaving poorly when I came out of the served me well in combined driving, and it is amazingly similar ring, blaming the horse and acting like a bad sport. He really to riding—maybe even more exciting! reprimanded me, and I am so grateful for that, because I believe “To drive a course well involves not only understanding the it is very important to take responsibility when things go wrong physical course but also establishing a connection with your and not take it out on the horse, and, as a professional, it’s imporhorse and communicating the tant to set a good example. confidence that comes from “Another tip I feel is imporhaving a solid plan. George tant is to take a moment, Morris has said: ‘The relationespecially before a big event, to ship between horse and rider visualize the course and your [driver] is closer than any two plan. It really helps you to be beings,’ adding, ‘When a horse aware while you are actually gets tentative, you don’t get tenriding it. This is something tative. That’s the kiss of death.

I have read and heard about … You get positive.’ To drive a in interviews with the best of course with positivity, trust, the best. In order to do this, I and connection—and to see usually go into a bathroom or that reflected in your horse’s somewhere else where I can performance—is magical. be alone and uninterrupted, “So much more can be even if it’s a stinky porta-potty! accomplished by introducing “One more thing I recomgreater ‘feel’ and subtlety into mend is to read a book called the connection between the ‘Mind Gym,’by Gary Mack and horse’s mouth and the rider’s David Casstevens. I learned of hands. People with the quietthis book from Nancy Stewart est hands really use their body and Sue Bopp over dinner a position (even in a carriage), couple years ago. It has defigetting out of the horse’s way, nitely made a difference for but giving the horse everything me. After having read the book it needs … those connections I entirely, I keep it with me at really admire. shows and randomly open it “To put a positive plan to any chapter, and there will together with confidence from always be some helpful lesson “You never know where and when you might learn something!” says the ground up is key to good in it to get my mind right before Jenny Karazissis. horsemanship and to life itself.” an important competition.

“I’m all for sports psycholJenny Karazissis, professional hunter rider ogy, and there are other books out there, too. This one is about Karazissis, a national champion hunter rider, is active inside baseball players and football players and golfers. They don’t and outside the show ring as a rider and trainer. She also has served mention riders, but everything about competition correlates, on numerous hunter jumper sport committees and task forces, and it’s very eye-opening. including US Equestrian’s National Hunter Committee. Among “Sometimes, when you’re on a roll, you feel like you’ve hit the many great horses she has worked with are Touchstone, whose your mark and things are never going to change. But from victory in the Professional Challenge at Capital Challenge is one experience over the years I’ve learned that that is really not the of Karazissis’s most treasured career highlights, Two of Hearts, case. You’re going to have a lot of ups and downs, and it makes Notorious, Airwolfe, and Red Panda. In 2005, she was named the you appreciate your wins a lot more when you get them after California Professional Horsemen’s Association’s Horsewoman of you’ve realized they can be elusive. So when they happen, you the Year and also received the organization’s Lifetime Achievement really ought to take a moment and cherish the wins, because, Award. She recently won the United States Hunter Jumper Asso- as they say, you’re only as good as your last ride! ciation World Championship Hunter Rider West Coast Hunter “There are so many things that can be helpful. When you’re Spectacular on Undeniable. riding and you’re in a difficult situation, something will come up “I am very fortunate to get numerous tips from various train- that you learned from someone, so keep your eyes and ears open— ers I catch ride for and from my husband Kost, who is a fountain you never know where and when you might learn something!”

36 SUMMER ISSUE 2017

OSPHOS® (clodronate injection) Bisphosphonate For use in horses only.

Brief Summary (For Full Prescribing Information, see package insert) CAUTION: Federal (USA) law restricts this drug to use by or on the order of a licensed veterinarian.

DESCRIPTION: Clodronate disodium is a non-amino, chlorocontaining bisphosphonate. Chemically, clodronate disodium is (dichloromethylene) diphosphonic acid disodium salt and is manufactured from the tetrahydrate form.

INDICATION: For the control of clinical signs associated with navicular syndrome in horses.

CONTRAINDICATIONS: Horses with hypersensitivity to clodronate disodium should not receive OSPHOS. WARNINGS: Do not use in horses intended for human consumption.

HUMAN WARNINGS: Not for human use. Keep this and all drugs out of the reach of children. Consult a physician in case of accidental human exposure.

PRECAUTIONS: As a class, bisphosphonates may be associated with gastrointestinal and renal toxicity. Sensitivity to drug associated adverse reactions varies with the individual patient.

Renal and gastrointestinal adverse reactions may be associated with plasma concentrations of the drug. Bisphosphonates are excreted by the kidney; therefore, conditions causing renal impairment may increase plasma bisphosphonate concentrations resulting in an increased risk for adverse reactions. Concurrent administration of other potentially nephrotoxic drugs should be approached with caution and renal function should be monitored. Use of bisphosphonates in patients with conditions or diseases affecting renal function is not recommended.

Administration of bisphosphonates has been associated with abdominal pain (colic), discomfort, and agitation in horses.

Clinical signs usually occur shortly after drug administration and may be associated with alterations in intestinal motility. In horses treated with OSPHOS these clinical signs usually began within 2 hours of treatment. Horses should be monitored for at least 2 hours following administration of OSPHOS.

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As with all drugs, side effects may occur. In field studies, the most common side effects reported were signs of discomfort or nervousness, colic, and/or pawing. OSPHOS should not be used in pregnant or lactating mares, or mares intended for breeding. Use of OSPHOS in patients with conditions affecting renal function or mineral or electrolyte homeostasis is not recommended. Refer to the prescribing information for complete details or visit www.dechra-us.com or call 866.933.2472.

CAUTION: Federal law restricts this drug to use by or on the order of licensed veterinarian. * Freedom of Information Summary, Original New Animal Drug Application, NADA 141-427, for OSPHOS. April 28, 2014.

Dechra Veterinary Products US and the Dechra D logo are registered trademarks of Dechra Pharmaceuticals PLC. © 2017 Dechra Ltd.

Bisphosphonates affect plasma concentrations of some minerals and electrolytes such as calcium, magnesium and potassium, immediately post-treatment, with effects lasting up to several hours. Caution should be used when administering bisphosphonates to horses with conditions affecting mineral or electrolyte homeostasis (e.g. hyperkalemic periodic paralysis, hypocalcemia, etc.).

The safe use of OSPHOS has not been evaluated in horses less than 4 years of age. The effect of bisphosphonates on the skeleton of growing horses has not been studied; however, bisphosphonates inhibit osteoclast activity which impacts bone turnover and may affect bone growth.

Bisphosphonates should not be used in pregnant or lactating mares, or mares intended for breeding. The safe use of OSPHOS has not been evaluated in breeding horses or pregnant or lactating mares. Bisphosphonates are incorporated into the bone matrix, from where they are gradually released over periods of months to years. The extent of bisphosphonate incorporation into adult bone, and hence, the amount available for release back into the systemic circulation, is directly related to the total dose and duration of bisphosphonate use. Bisphosphonates have been shown to cause fetal developmental abnormalities in laboratory animals. The uptake of bisphosphonates into fetal bone may be greater than into maternal bone creating a possible risk for skeletal or other abnormalities in the fetus. Many drugs, including bisphosphonates, may be excreted in milk and may be absorbed by nursing animals.

Increased bone fragility has been observed in animals treated with bisphosphonates at high doses or for long periods of time.

Bisphosphonates inhibit bone resorption and decrease bone turnover which may lead to an inability to repair micro damage within the bone. In humans, atypical femur fractures have been reported in patients on long term bisphosphonate therapy; however, a causal relationship has not been established.

ADVERSE REACTIONS: The most common adverse reactions reported in the field study were clinical signs of discomfort or nervousness, colic and/or pawing. Other signs reported were lip licking, yawning, head shaking, injection site swelling, and hives/pruritus.

Distributed by: Dechra Veterinary Products 7015 College Boulevard, Suite 525 Overland Park, KS 66211 866-933-2472 © 2017 Dechra Ltd. OSPHOS is a registered trademark of Dechra Ltd. All rights reserved.

NADA 141-427, Approved by FDA

JUNIORS’ RING

Young Dressage Athlete Rides for U.S.,

Lina Uzunhasan, 17, made her debut riding for the U.S. in March in the Netherlands.

38 SUMMER ISSUE 2017

PHOTO: ARND BRONKHORST /WWW.ARND.NL

by Way of Turkey & Europe

When 17-year-old dressage rider Lina Uzunhasan showed in March at the famed Indoor Brabant horse show in ’s-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands, she felt the flutter of butterflies in her stomach before she and her nine-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare Donna Ray entered the ring. But the butterflies weren’t because they were about to compete, she later explained.

“That had nothing to do with competition stress but was all about the excitement and happiness I had for competing for the U.S.,” said Uzunhasan, who grew up in Istanbul, Turkey, but was born in Houston, Texas, where her father Ali studied and lived for 13 years. The 2017 Indoor Brabant marked Uzunhasan’s international debut representing the United States.

“The U.S. is where my heart belongs,” she said. “I’ve always dreamed of the Stars and Stripes and just know that it is my country. It’s difficult to describe it exactly in words, but everything just falls in place perfectly!

“We still have a house [in the U.S.], but shortly after my birth we moved to Turkey, where I grew up in Istanbul and started riding.”

Uzunhasan got her first pony when she was seven. The mare was a nice pony, but also a typical mare and pretty stubborn, Uzunhasan recalls with a smile.

“She actually made me never want to have another mare again!” she said. “Dressage slowly but surely became a part of my life as I started training my own horses. The feeling of finally teaching a horse to do a flying change or to do a simple leg-yield was and is fantastic. It requires a great deal of connection with your horse, and the perfectionism in dressage is perfect for the excellence-seeking me. Gradually, dressage became my passion and it went really well, which I enjoyed, as I am competitive by nature.”

At the age of 14, Lina knew she wanted to be a professional dressage rider. “We agreed that we should broaden our horizons outside Turkey, go to Europe and find a real top horse for me,” Uzunhasan said, becoming emotional. “But all of a sudden my dad had been diagnosed with cancer. I was completely devastated and said to my dad, ‘Let’s forget about the horse. I don’t care. Your health is much more important.’ But my dad insisted: ‘This horse will come. I want you to live your own life and keep chasing your dreams!’”

Ali Uzunhasan had an operation and received experimental chemotherapy in an American hospital in Turkey. The treatment worked.

“He was extremely motivated to get better,” she recalled.

“He wanted to come to watch me at the FEI European Dressage Championships for Young Riders and Juniors in Arezzo (Italy). And he did!”

In Arezzo, Lina rode Donna Ray, the horse she had been looking for and finally found.

“We rode over 10,000 kilometers and tried over 60 horses

in Germany, Belgium, and Holland,” she explained. “None of these was a mare ’til somebody showed me Donna. At first, I was not interested. No mares, I had promised myself. Nevertheless, I decided to give it a try. Once I sat on her and had ridden one round I said to my mum, ‘Could you please call dad? This is the horse I want!’”

A year later, Uzunhasan approached famed dressage rider and trainer Anky van Grunsven.

“We knew Anky had a fantastic track record as a trainer,” Uzunhasan said. “In July 2015, Donna moved to Anky’s stables, and, after that, I moved to the Netherlands with my parents. The emigration was a complicated process, but we’re happy we did it.”

They left behind a country that has seen growing political turmoil.

“For sure, we are happier here than in Turkey,” said Lina’s mother, Pelin. “We already had plans to move to the U.S., so for us it’s no sacrifice. We support Lina and follow her dream.”

So far, that dream is progressing well. At the 2016 European Dressage Championships for Young Riders, Juniors, and Children in Oliva, Spain, Uzunhasan and Donna Ray earned good reviews—and scores—to finish with a team silver medal and a fourth individually.

On the recommendation of the German judge Katrina Wüst, Uzunhasan received an invitation to a clinic at the Global Dressage Forum in Hagen, Germany.

At the end of 2016, she made her debut at the Young Rider level a winning one by finishing first at the CDI Den GouberghRoosendaal in the CDIY Young Riders Team Test in Roosendaal, the Netherlands. This year also has started well under her new national flag.

Uzunhasan, the youngest competitor in the international field at ’s-Hertogenbosch, achieved a top-10 finish and also introduced her new freestyle at Intermediate I level, earning praise from Tineke Bartels, former team youth trainer of the Netherlands and co-commentator during the show. “‘I really enjoyed this—all this from a rider who is so young compared with these experienced senior riders!” she said.

Uzunhasan may be a teenager, but she has huge ambitions. This year, she will not only be focusing on her studies and her sport, but also on her own stables. Construction will start this year, and in the future these stables might also make a nice base for American riders who want to compete in Europe. In the meantime, she’s already achieved one major ambition—to ride for the U.S. “It was always the plan to start riding for the United States,” Uzunhasan said. “I feel more American than Turkish but may not have taken the easiest path. As a Turkish rider, it would be easier to fulfill my dream: competing at the Olympic Games.

Nevertheless, I don’t want to be at the Games just to participate. I now get the opportunity to compete against top-class competitors and thankfully seize this opportunity.” —Peter van Pinxteren USEQUESTRIAN.ORG 39

JUNIORS’ RING

Applications Available for 2017 USEF Youth Sportsman’s Award Each year, the United States Equestrian Federation’s Youth Sportsman’s Award recognizes a true young sportsman or sportswoman who is ready to represent their breed or discipline on a national level.

To apply, visit USequestrian.org/youth, click on the Youth Sportsman tile, and scroll down to download the application. Or contact your USEF-recognized national affiliate and international discipline association. Be sure to submit your application and all other required materials directly to your USEF-recognized national affiliate or international discipline association’s office on or before September 5, 2017. Affiliate contact information is included on the application form to help you find your representative’s contact information.

Each USEF-recognized affiliate may select a national nominee after the September 5 deadline. Each affiliate nominee is considered for the overall Youth Sportsman’s Award; two (one winner and one reserve winner) will receive grants. The overall winner of the 2017 USEF Youth Sportsman’s Award will receive a $1,000 grant payable to the educational program of their choice, as well as a trophy, and also will be nominated for the USEF Junior Equestrian of the Year Award. The reserve winner will receive a $500 grant payable to the educational program of their choice.

Applicants must meet the following criteria for consideration for the 2017 USEF Youth Sportsman’s Award: • •

• • • • • •

Have a current membership in good standing with the USEF Have a current membership in good standing with a USEF-recognized national affiliate or international discipline association Be 17 years of age or under as of December 1, 2016 Demonstrate an ongoing commitment and dedication to the promotion of equestrian sport Serve as a positive role model for peers Participate at any level of competition, including local, regional, or national events Be involved with their community Exhibit characteristics that exemplify positive sportsmanship principles

For more information about the award, please contact Natalie Norwood, Director, National Breed/Discipline Affiliates, via e-mail at nnorwood@usef.org or call (859) 225-6951.

PHOTO: GEOFF BUGBEE PHOTO

The USEF Youth Sportsman’s Award winner receives a trophy and a $1,000 grant payable to the educational program of their choice.

40 SUMMER ISSUE 2017

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MY FIRST

My First Show

by Dana Rossmeier

Lilly Ward, daughter of two-time Olympic show jumping team gold medalist McLain Ward, launched her own show career in May in an Old Salem Farm Spring Horse Show leadline class with dad and mom Lauren.

42 SUMMER ISSUE 2017

Lilly Ward may be heading down the road to stardom behind her show jumper father McLain. Now two, she’s already gotten the show itch. With the help of dad and mom, Lilly tacked up her miniature horse Daisy for her first class on May 21 in North Salem, N.Y. While the family was in Wellington, Florida, during the winter show season, Lauren let Lilly ride Daisy to the pony ring to watch Baylee McKeever, the daughter of McLain’s righthand man Lee and his wife Erica, compete in the pony divisions. As she watched Baylee, Lilly dropped hints to her mom that she was ready to show.

Twenty-one-year-old Daisy, whom the Wards bought from Kate Kocher Bechtel, was the perfect equine partner for Lilly’s first show.

“Lilly knows Daisy is her pony, and Daisy knows that she needs to take care of Lilly,” Lauren said. “Daisy is interested without being pushy. Probably the reason Lilly loves her so

much is because Lilly is allowed to interact with Daisy all by herself. She can go in the paddock, grab her halter, walk up to her, walk her around. Anything goes with Daisy, and that’s what makes it so fun for Lilly, because she can do everything herself.”

Lauren says Lilly understands the competition atmosphere and senses when she should be thrilled or upset. She knows the horses, the basic rules, and when dad enters the arena.

She’s quick to share her disappointment over faults by hitting her thigh and yelling, “Oh, man, one down!” or to express excitement over a good result from McLain’s mount HH Azur by saying, “Annie jumped a clear round!” and “Annie won!”

Lilly liked winning a ribbon at Old Salem.

She’s young, but who’s to say she won’t become an Olympic gold medalist or World Cup champion in her own right? We’ll have to wait and see, but she’s off to a good start.

PHOTO: ©THE BOOK LLC

Lilly Ward (center) made her show ring debut with her mare Daisy at Old Salem Farm alongside her dad McLain—a two-time Olympic show jumping team gold medalist—and mom Lauren.

HOT LINKS

Link Up at USequestrian.org

Explore Your MemberPerks Through US Equestrian’s MemberPerks program, members save money while shopping with companies that support equestrian sport. Visit USequestrian.org/ join-usef/memberperks and click on a company logo to access your promo codes or print store discount cards.

Earn Your Letters You don’t have to be a record-setting quarterback, point guard, or track star to letter in junior high or high school sports anymore. US Equestrian’s Lettering Program honors equestrians from all breeds and disciplines in grades 5-12, but students can apply retroactively, too. Find out more: under the Start Riding tab on our home page, click Youth Programs.

Get Social with @USequestrian Go behind the scenes, meet U.S. athletes and horses, and discover the joy of horse sports with US Equestrian. Use #JoinTheJoy and follow @USequestrian on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat.

44 SUMMER ISSUE 2017

Did you know young equestrians in grades 5-12 can earn letters through US Equestrian’s Lettering program? It’s open to equestrians from all breeds and disciplines!

PHOTO: SHAWN MCMILLEN PHOTO, STUNNING STEEDS

Stay Up to Date with Equestrian Weekly Sign up for our free digital newsletter to get weekly USEF Network schedules, horse-health topics, new Learning Center video releases, and original stories direct to your email inbox. To subscribe, visit USequestrian.org/tune-in/equestrian-weekly.

WAYS TO SAV E AS A

US EQUESTRIAN MEMBER Save up to 20% on car rental

Save 5% on qualifying purchases at checkout 10% discount (certain exlusions apply)

Buy 10 bags of feed and get one free!

Save up to 28% on equipment like Gators(TM) and lawnmowers Save 15% on your first trip and 5% on all your other trips!

PLUS MANY MORE!

USEQUESTRIAN.ORG 45

HOT LINKS

The U.S. Dressage National Championships feature the AGCO/USEF Junior Dressage National Championship, won last year by Jenna Upchurch on Greystoke (shown)

COMING UP THIS SUMMER AND FALL ON USEF NETWORK To access live streams, on-demand coverage, and many other member benefits, join US Equestrian today at USequestrian.org.

USEF Junior Hunter National Championship –

Capital Challenge Horse Show

East Coast

September 29-October 8

July 31-August 1

Upper Marlboro, Maryland

USEF Pony Finals presented by ​​​ Collecting Gaits Farm

Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Finals – East October 6-8

August 8-13

Gladstone, New Jersey

Lexington, Kentucky

U.S. National Junior Jumper Championship

U.S. Dressage National Championships August 24-27 Wayne, Illinois New York Morgan Regional Championship Horse Show

October 12-14 Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Dover Saddlery/USEF Hunter Seat Medal Final October 15 Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

September 13-16

Washington International Horse Show

Syracuse, New York

October 24-29

Plantation Field Horse Trials September 14-17 Unionville, Pennsylvania 46 SUMMER ISSUE 2017

Washington, D.C. All broadcast times and locations are subject to changes/cancellation. Please visit USequestrian.org/network to view the most up-to-date schedule.

PHOTO: SUSANJSTICKLE.COM

Saugerties, New York

Photo: © Elena Lusenti

Bringing the joy of horse sports to as many people as possible.

#FeelTheJoy USEQUESTRIAN.ORG 47

HORSE HEALTH

Equine Herpesvirus: What You Need to Know

by Glenye Oakford

EHV spreads from horse to horse through nasal discharge, whether from nose-to-nose contact, droplets in the air, or shared equipment, feed, or water. Practicing good biosecurity wherever horses gather helps prevent the spread of disease.

Ask horse owners to name their most-feared horse diseases, and chances are equine herpesvirus, or EHV, will be on the list.

With the competition season fully underway, it’s important for equestrians to be vigilant and take preventive measures, from vaccination to biosecurity.

The virus spreads from horse to horse through nasal discharge, whether by nose-to-nose contact, aerosol droplets sneezed or coughed into the air, or shared equipment and feed or water.

The types equestrians are most likely to see, EHV-1 and EHV-4, often cause only respiratory illness with few long-term aftereffects, but EHV’s easy movement between horses and the fact that the virus can cause potentially fatal neurological symptoms have made it a serious concern for horse owners and competition organizers alike.

Fortunately, the neurological form of the disease—which is most often associated with EHV-1 and causes a horse to lose coordination to varying degrees—is rare. And there are steps you can take to reduce your horse’s risk, says Dr. Nathan Slovis, director of the McGee Medicine Center at Hagyard Equine Medical Institute in Lexington, Ky. Slovis also noted that although there is a greater awareness and increased reporting of EHV cases, the incidence of the disease is not on the rise.

48 SUMMER ISSUE 2017

General Symptoms of EHV Fever is a key symptom of both EHV-1 and -4, and in some cases it might be the only warning sign, according to the American Association of Equine Practitioners and the Equine Disease Communication Center. But horses can also display other symptoms in conjunction with an elevated temperature.

Signs of the infection can include • • • • • • •

Fever, the single most significant symptom Lethargy Nasal discharge accompanying fever Coughing Swelling in legs Hind-end weakness or lack of coordination Conjunctivitis, or swelling and redness in the pink area at corner of the eye

• “They won’t get neurologic without having had a fever,” Slovis said. “They’ll have fevers of 103 to 105 degrees, not a mild fever, but a significant fever. So if there’s a horse with a fever, don’t blow it off, especially if they just came back from a competition.

Anyone with a fever should be isolated. The incubation period is 21 days, so if your horse has been exposed, they should spike a fever in a 21-day period. So keep checking their temperatures.

“Now that we have sophisticated testing, we can break it down and identify one strain versus another,” Slovis added.

“But the bottom line is that herpes can cause severe illness

PHOTO: TAYLOR PENCE

Equestrians fear EHV with good reason.

But there are measures you can take to help protect your horse.

USEQUESTRIAN.ORG 49

HORSE HEALTH

Don’t share water buckets. If you must fill your bucket with a communal hose, don’t let the end of the hose dip into the water.

What Can You Do to Prevent EHV? 1. Vaccinate.

“For the backyard horse that goes on an occasional trail ride, once or twice a year is more than adequate,” said Slovis.

“For the horses that are competing more often, they’re going to need to get it done about every 120 days, about three times a year. That’s a good ballpark: early spring, late summer or early fall, and then again in the middle of winter.”

But don’t just think about your horse’s own activities. Consider what the horses around him are doing, too. You may only ride your horse at home, but if his stablemates travel regularly to compete, his exposure risk will be greater.

“If you board at a high-traffic barn, you might have to do the two- or three-times-a-year vaccine program,” Slovis explained.

“Your animal won’t be stressed like an animal that travels a lot more, but if there’s intense traffic in and out of that barn, maybe three times a year is good for your horse, too.”

For information on vaccinating your horse against EHV, consult your veterinarian.

2. Plan ahead.

“You don’t want to vaccinate a horse two days before a show.

Do it at least seven days before a show and ideally two to three weeks before,” advised Slovis. “Some horses may get sore in the neck area, which is possible with any vaccine, so plan ahead.

50 SUMMER ISSUE 2017

Some horses may have an active herpes infection and you might not even know, and when you go to vaccinate them their body will react tremendously: the legs will swell up, they’ll get a fever, they’ll feel blasé.”

3. Monitor your horse’s temperature.

Know your horse’s baseline temperature, and monitor your horse’s temperature daily during and after a competition. “A horse with a temperature might act perfectly fine, so taking the temperature can give you a heads-up,” Slovis explained. “It’s good basic information to have.”

4. Establish good biosecurity on the farm, at competitions, and in the trailer.

Even for a vaccinated horse, it’s always important to use good biosecurity protocols to reduce the chances of exposure to or spread of the disease.

• •

•

• •

Don’t share water troughs, buckets, or sponges.

If a barn or event facility has a communal hose, don’t use it. Use your own (and don’t share it) or remove the hose and fill your water and bathing buckets directly from the faucet. “People will often dip the end of the hose in a water bucket, and if a horse has the virus, this will contaminate the end of that hose,” said Slovis.

Clean and then disinfect hay nets, bags, or troughs after use, and don’t share them between horses. “The virus can live in that environment for a time under ideal conditions, and that can set you up for future infection,” said Slovis. “You can use any disinfectant. Even commercial household cleaners like bleach wipes can kill herpes.”

Clean and disinfect areas in the trailer where a horse’s nose or nasal discharge might be.

If you handle multiple horses, wash your hands before moving from one horse to the next.

For biosecurity guidance, see the USEF brochure “Biosecurity Measures for Horses at Home and at Competitions.”

PHOTO: TAYLOR PENCE PHOTO

and severe disease, and I can’t tell you which horse is going to get sick and which horse isn’t, if they have it. Each horse is different, and it depends on things like their immunity, their age, and their stress level. Just because a horse has it, doesn’t mean it will come down with neurological signs, and it doesn’t mean it won’t come down with neurological signs.”

Neurological symptoms also can vary in degree, and horses can recover if the neurological signs are mild. “It all depends on the severity,” said Slovis.

The good news, Slovis said, is that the neurologic form of equine herpesvirus is also rare.

There is

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52 SUMMER ISSUE 2017

PHOTO: COURTESY OF BOYD MARTIN

Olympic eventer Boyd Martin got his first taste of cross-country riding on a Welsh pony named Willy. “He taught me how enjoyable the sport is,” Martin said.

Lasting Lessons Top equestrians remember the ponies who taught them about sport—and life.

STORY BY GLENYE OAKFORD

Equestrians never forget their first ponies. Woolly or sleek, magnificent or mischievous, they are the teachers who reveal the most fundamental and enduring wisdom about life with horses: that it is joyous, that it is hard work, that it is a partnership which demands compromise but also makes us stronger.

These special animals arrive from a remarkable variety of sources—sometimes handed down from siblings, sometimes expensively acquired, often bought cheaply from an auction or an ad or leased from the local riding establishment. They’re not always vetted. Sometimes they’re bought in haste by a non-horsey parent finally worn down by years of their child’s requests for a pony. Sometimes they arrive in an equestrian’s adulthood, a gift from spouse or to self, a dynamic and potentially life-changing force in a package no bigger than 14.2 hands.

The outsized effect they can have is extraordinary. They test our resolve and teach us to try again. And they reward us not just with ribbons and trophies, but with less tangible victories, too, like the whinny when they see us, the quick response to our signal through the reins, the shared language and confidence they inspire. Those are gifts equestrians never forget, whether they go on to a lifetime of happy trail-riding, competition at local shows, or Olympic glory.

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Left: Future Olympian Kerry Millikin (mounted) and her sister Liz both became successful international three-day eventers after growing up with Kismet. The mare also was the first pony for Peter Wylde, who later won team gold with the 2004 Olympic Show Jumping Team.

Right: “She was tolerant and she was kind, so a kid could love her,” Kerry Millikin said of Kismet, shown here with Liz Millikin.

Opposite: “I could not believe that I’d found Kismet,” Kerry Millikin said of their 2003 reunion at Beaver Brook Farm in Massachusetts.

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“she gave you confidence” kismet

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF KERRY MILLIKIN

Kerry Millikin, Liz Millikin, Peter Wylde

When Kismet the $150 backyard pony joined the Millikin family around 1969, she began an extraordinary career as a kids’ first pony. Three of her charges went on to become internationally competitive equestrians: Kerry Millikin, individual bronze medalist in three-day eventing at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta; her sister Liz, who was long-listed for the U.S. Eventing Team for the 1996 Games; and show jumper Peter Wylde, who won team gold at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.

Kismet’s story is something of a fairytale—complete with a happy ending.

Kerry Millikin, then about eight, first got to know “Kizzy” over the paddock fence in a neighbor’s yard.

“I was horse-crazy, and I was really shy,” Millikin said. “I used to go down the street and sit on the fence and watch the horses. Kismet was just the sweetest pony. She was brown with black legs, and she had a beautiful big eye and a little bit of a star on her face.

Her forelock was always so thick you could barely ever see it. And she had this white spot on her left forearm.

“And then she came up for sale. I pulled on mom’s shirttail and said, ‘Kizzy’s for sale! Kizzy’s for sale!’”

It took a little while to convince her non-horsey

father, but Kizzy met her mother’s criteria: she didn’t kick or bite, and she could be caught. Eventually, the Millikins gave in—and when she arrived, Kizzy had a foal by her side. “Kizzy got led off, and then the foal came cantering out. Here I am, my first pony, and we get Kizzy and her foal! Isn’t that a riot?” she laughed. “We got her for 150 bucks: Kizzy, the foal, and a plastic Western saddle and bridle.”

There were responsibilities attached, of course.

“The deal was that I had to take care of her, and that was fine with me,” Millikin said. “That’s all I wanted, was to be with her. I didn’t know how to tack her up. I didn’t know anything.”

Millikin soon learned, thanks to lessons with Windrush Farm owner Marj Kittredge and to the kids’ own adventures with Kizzy.

“She’d do what we called ‘Kizzy turns,’” Millikin said. “We’d be riding her bareback, and all of a sudden she’d put her head down and turn, and we’d go flying off. The bareback riding was the best for teaching us to ride! We learned so much.

“We used to go riding out in the forest and pretend we were frontiersmen. There was a state park, and we’d pack a knapsack with lunch and take the ponies out. Kizzy was great for that.”

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Left to right: “Kismet means fate in Arabic, and it was fate that we ended up with her,” Kerry Millikin, now a sporting artist, said of Kismet the pony.

“She was every day of my life that wintertime, and that created what I have done for the rest of my life,” Peter Wylde said of Kismet.

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PHOTOS: COURTESY OF KERRY MILLIKIN, SHAWN MCMILLEN PHOTOGRAPHY

When Kerry outgrew Kizzy, the little mare went to her younger sister, Liz, who went on to become an international threeday eventer, too.

“Isn’t that amazing?” Kerry Millikin said. “Kismet means fate in Arabic, and it was fate that we ended up with her. From her I learned the love of the horse. She was tolerant and she was kind, so a kid could love her. You get a lot of confidence from a pony like that.”

Kismet came to Peter Wylde for a short time, but her effect on him was profound.

“I was seven and had just started riding, and my very close friend lived across the street from me and had some horses,” Wylde said. “They were friends of Kerry Millikin, and Kerry had Kismet. They were looking for someone to take Kismet for the wintertime, and my friend’s family said if I could pay $50 a month, she could live at their place for the wintertime.”

Wylde convinced his parents to pay the board, and for the next five months or so, Kizzy was his to care for, love, and ride.

“I really, really wanted this pony, and she sort of became my best friend,” he said.

Galloping Kismet through the nearby Norfolk Hunt steeplechase course and its variety of small logs, stone walls, ditches, and drops, Wylde says, taught him to jump.

“The other thing I’ll never forget is cleaning her stall,” he said. “I would sit cross-legged in her stall with a little wicker basket and little brown cloth cotton gloves and pick the poos out of her

stall with my hands, because they were too small for a pitchfork, and a pitchfork was too big for me!

“It was my first experience with an equine, and, you know, that goes a long way,” Wylde said of his months with Kizzy.

“It’s very formative. To start off with your first relationship with an equine being almost your best friend, to develop the appreciation as a kid that these animals are characters in themselves and have personality—there’s a real value to that.

“She was every day of my life that wintertime, and that created what I have done for the rest of my life.”

Wylde and the Millikins eventually lost track of Kizzy, until an odd twist of fate brought them together again.

In 1987, Wylde was visiting a student at Beaver Brook Farm in Holliston, Massachusetts, when a fuzzy brown pony came past with a young girl in tow on the leadline. “It was just this typical ponyand-kid moment,” Wylde remembered.

“The pony was dragging her across the driveway, and then the little girl, who was also about six years old, said, ‘Kizzy, stop it! Kizzy, stop it!’ I had been talking to her grandmother, and I said, ‘What did she just call that pony?’ She said: ‘She calls her Kizzy. The pony’s name is Kismet.’

“Here I was, 22 years old. I hadn’t seen Kismet since I was seven. And I must say I welled up a little bit. There was the big moment with me being reunited with this pony, my first pony, and seeing her

teaching another little kid how to be a horse person.”

In November 2003, Kerry Millikin— unaware of Wylde’s earlier Kismet moment—visited Beaver Brook to watch a young cousin’s riding lesson. “After she rode, her mom said, ‘Oh, you’ve got to come see this old pony!’” Millikin recalled.

“She said it had been Peter Wylde’s old pony, and my eyes lit up. I thought she was long-dead, because I’d kind of lost touch with her.

“It was getting dark, and you could hardly see. But I could see that white spot on her forearm. And then I could see her eyes. And, this is funny, but I could smell her smell. As a kid, I used to lie down and sleep with her with my arms around her, and she always had this thick mane, and, you know, you’re always hugging your pony. I said, ‘Oh, my God, it’s Kizzy’s smell!’ I got choked up when I realized that I’d found Kismet. I couldn’t believe it.”

Kismet died in 2008, Wylde said. She was older than 40 and had spent only a fraction of her life with him and the Millikin sisters, but Kismet left a deep and lasting mark on them.

“For some people, horses are machines that you just get on and ride,” Wylde said.

“But some people really develop this understanding of the character and the personality. I think that’s what makes someone a really good horse person, that ability to bond and connect with animals.

I credit her with a lot of that.”

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Rebecca Hart and Roseanna at Hart’s first show, at Hobby Horse Farm in Pennsylvania. “I had my purple Troxel helmet and a green sport coat,” Hart recalled. “George Morris would have been appalled! But it was so much fun, because I had worked so hard to get there.”

Today, Hart (below left) is a Paralympic dressage rider.

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“she taught me that you had to work for it.” miss roseanna

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF REBECCA HART, GETTY IMAGES

Rebecca Hart Paralympic dressage rider Rebecca Hart was a self-described “barn rat” as a child, working in exchange for lessons at Hobby Horse Farm in Fairview, Pennsylvania, with trainer Ray Herhold.

It was there that Hart first met Miss Roseanna, a strawberry roan lesson pony of unknown origin that became Hart’s favorite.

Miss Roseanna was “never malicious,” Hart remembers, but she could be strict, and that gave Hart a foundation in some important aspects of horse-handling and riding.

“She taught me many things!” Hart recalled.

“She taught me how to avoid teeth and also how to fall off, how to tuck and roll. But she was one of the sweetest and kindest ponies out there, even though she taught you how to be proper around horses and to pay attention.

“If you were going to a jump and it wasn’t the right moment, she’d stop on you, like she was saying, ‘Sorry, but you put me in a bad spot, and you’ve got to help me here, too.’ You had to learn to sit up, look at your line, and figure out how many strides that was and where your take-off spot was.

If you didn’t, you might be jumping that jump without her!”

But it wasn’t all tough love.

“There was a creek near the barn, and you’d go down this giant hill to get to what we called ‘the flats,’ which was basically a small creek that ran through Fairview,” Hart said. “We’d go splash

around in the creek and then we’d go galloping up the hill. It was a grand time.

“I think she taught me some very important life lessons that people can really gain from horses.

She taught me the value of hard work and that riding is a privilege and not a right. She taught me that you could have a ton of fun doing it, but you had to work for it.

“She taught me how to enjoy the serious side of horses by introducing me to the show world that I have grown to love, and I truly appreciate the sport and the people. But, at the same time, it’s okay to go splash through water puddles and have fun. It’s good to enjoy the horse and learn the character and personality that each individual horse has.

She taught me to embrace that and enjoy them as partners. You don’t always have to be so strict.

You can just enjoy the process of figuring out the communication and the language that is riding.”

These are concepts Hart, now a Paralympian, still applies to her riding and training program.

“I brought those lessons that Miss Roseanna taught me into my career,” Hart said. “We always make sure that we take the horses on hacks down the road. We need them to enjoy their job and their sport just as much as we do. Miss Roseanna taught me that, and I didn’t even know that’s what I was learning until I looked back on it.”

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“i learned the kindness of hackneys”

King’s Cock Robin took Georgia Blevins to victory in their first horse show at Kentucky’s Simpson County Fair, circa 1972.

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king’s cock robin

PHOTOS: COURTESY GEORGIA BLEVINS, HOWARD SCHATZBERG

Georgia Blevins

Georgia Blevins hadn’t done much with horses or ponies when her husband T.J., a dentist in Bowling Green, Kentucky, brought a Hackney Pony home to Bowling Green, Kentucky, from the Tattersalls auction house.

“I had never driven a pony, never even been in a buggy,” she said. “When he came back home, he said, ‘I bought a Hackney Pony.’ I said, ‘Good for you.’”

It turned out to be good for Georgia, too, although she didn’t know it at the time. The pony, named King’s Cock Robin and aged about 10 at the time, had been trained by Hackney legends Rex and Shirley Parkinson. But, for Blevins, King’s Cock Robin took some getting used to.

“We lived in town, and we had a little shed behind our house,” she explained.

“It wasn’t a barn—it really was more of a shed—but it had a little space that could be a stall.

“He just seemed like kind of a toy, but we were kind of scared of him, we really were!” she said. “We had two small children at the time, and they were scared of him, too! I don’t remember anymore what made us so

nervous, but I guess it was just that we’d never had a Hackney Pony before. My husband grew up with American Saddlebreds, but, of course, he was gone to work during the day, and we would have to go out and feed Cock Robin and clean out his stall and everything. It was all brand-new!”

But Cock Robin wasn’t just a toy; he was a seasoned show pony. The Blevinses put him in training, and one day T.J. decided Georgia ought to give showing a try.

“There was a little county fair horse show, and my husband said, ‘We’ll take him to the show,’” Blevins recalled.

“He grew up with horses; I did not. He knew how to put a harness on and all that, but I did not. He said, ‘Just sit in there. You can do it!’ So I did.

“I was really scared,” she said of her 1972 show-ring debut. “I’d never been behind any horse in my life, and I didn’t know if he was going to kick or rear up or what he might do! But he didn’t do anything wrong. He was very nice. And he won! He knew exactly what to do, because he’d won lots and lots of shows before, championships

and everything. I showed him a few more times, and I won every time we showed. And that was the beginning of me showing ponies. ” Blevins hadn’t planned to become an equestrian, but her driving career took her to places she’d never imagined going, from competing in Hackney classes to showing speedy roadsters to driving much larger American Saddlebreds in fine harness classes. Georgia and T. J. Blevins developed a winning show stable, racking up World’s Championships and showing both Hackney Ponies and American Saddlebreds with much success. In 2006, they were inducted into the American Hackney Horse Society’s Hackney Hall of Fame.

For Georgia, a lot of credit goes to that first Hackney Pony, who turned out to be such a perfect gentleman.

“I probably would never have done this if it hadn’t been for Cock Robin,” she said. “My time with him was such a fun time, and I did get to where I liked Hackneys! Cock Robin certainly gave me confidence. He was such a nice pony and knew exactly what to do, even if I didn’t.”

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Will He Do It showed future three-day eventing Olympian Boyd Martin how fun equestrian sport could be.

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“he was the master of everything” will he do it

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF BOYD MARTIN, MIKE MCNALLY

Boyd Martin Olympic three-day eventer Boyd Martin got his start on a Welsh pony named Willy, short for Will He Do It, that his family saw advertised for sale on a bulletin at a three-day event. Willy would prove life-changing for the then 12-year-old boy growing up in Australia.

“My mum and sister rode a lot, and I didn’t ride much,” Martin recalled. “He was for sale for Aus$1,200, and that was a fair amount in Australia. I tried him. I hopped on him, went straight to canter, and did one big lap around a grass field.

I came back and said to my mum and dad, ‘We’ll take him!’ And that’s how I ended up with Will He Do It. My mum and dad both chipped in to buy him.”

Willy took Martin everywhere, and along the way Martin developed not only his riding skills, but also his love of equestrian sport and horsemanship.

It wasn’t so much about the competition, Martin explained. It was about the horses.

“He was a master of everything: Pony Club, eventing, show jumping,” Martin recalled. “Didn’t care much for the dressage. I wasn’t that competitive, but I had a really good time with the horses and really loved working with them. As soon as we got off the school bus every afternoon, I’d run down the hill, throw his saddle on, and go racing around the national parks. It took an hour and a half to get to Pony Club, and then I rode him all day, and I then rode for an hour-and-a-half home again, every Sunday.”

Martin might not have been competitive, but he was having fun—and at least part of Martin and Willy’s fun together is memorialized in a video that the young Martin and a pal made a couple of decades ago and which is now posted on boydandsilvamartin.com.

“My first one-day event was at St. Ives showgrounds in Australia, just down the road from home,” Martin said. “We put Willy on the two-horse [trailer], towed him there in the four-wheel drive, and tied him up at the trailer next to a big hay bag.

I did dressage, and then on cross-country I fell off twice. The first time, he spun around and I fell off him. I had to take off after him on foot, and I found him munching hay next to the trailer. I got on him again and galloped back onto the course.

“I got all the way to the water jump,” he continued. “I galloped really fast at it, and Willy put on the brakes. I flew over his head and ended up in the water. Again, Willy took off to the trailer, so I took off on foot again and found him there eating his hay. I hopped back on him and finished the course.

“But then I fell off in the show jumping at a combination. I got back on and finished that, too.

So I fell off a total of three times in my first event, and I remember I clocked up a penalty score of something like 380. I got 60 penalties per fall, and obviously tons of time penalties!

“But I still had a good time and enjoyed every minute of it.”

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Learn More About Pony Breeds Check out these US Equestrian affiliates

SHETLAND American Shetland Pony Club // shetlandminiature.com

HACKNEY

CONNEMARA

American Connemara Society // acps.org

American Hackney Horse Society // hackneysociety.com

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WELSH

Welsh Pony & Cob Society of America // wpcsa.org

Dr. Ruth Wilburn and Welsh champion pleasure driving pony Rollingwoods Cookie Thief.

PHOTOS: CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT) CASEY MCBRIDE, TASS JONES PHOTOGRAPHY, © RANDY MOSS, JANE JACOBS, (OPPOSITE) JANICE THOMPSON/PONY PRINTS PLUS

PONIES AREN’T JUST FOR KIDS There’s a thriving competitive scene for adults who show ponies, both in harness and under saddle.

“That’s the nice thing about ponies: kids can ride them and adults can drive them or ride the bigger ponies,” said Dr. Ruth Wilburn, owner of Rollingwoods Farm in Olive Branch, Mississippi, who breeds Welsh Ponies for children and adults and also competes them herself.

“They’re not just for kids. There’s a size and a shape for everybody, and they’re easier. One, they don’t eat as much, and, two, they’re practical. I was at a show once with my trainer, and he had a German groom there who said, ‘I love these ponies! You can put the harness on from one side. You don’t have to go around to the other side—you can just reach over!’ And ponies last a long time, too. When ponies are 20, a lot of times they’re just getting good.”

“They have all the same qualities as horses: they can move big for their size,” said Debra M’Gonigle, the owner of Mohawk Farm in Woodstock, Illinois, who has successfully competed pony-sized Morgans at the upper levels of dressage and last year won the FEI Open Championship at the 2016 National Dressage Pony Cup with her Forsite Renoir. “They can have the same big movements for the size that they are. If you train with the proper dressage approach and you’re consistent, you can have a pony moving like Valegro at 13.3 hands, carrying a 5’5” rider. What ponies bring to the table is the same movement and the same qualities, everything you look for in a competitive dressage horse.”

M’Gonigle also believes ponies are more forgiving on the human body.

“At my age, and I’m over 50, I don’t suffer from hip problems, back problems, knee problems, shoulder and wrist problems, because I’ve always stayed with the smaller horses,” M’Gonigle said. “I ride them day in and day out.

My love of ponies is that we can handle a horse that size and it doesn’t damage our physical being, because the horse’s movement isn’t bigger than what our bodies can sustain.”

M’Gonigle finds pony-sized equines a great choice for smaller riders and equestrians with families and/or full-time jobs that prevent them from riding every day. M’Gonigle’s first pony was a 14-hand Morgan mare named Black Magic who taught her, as M’Gonigle says, “What more do you need?”

“You don’t have to have the biggest thing out there, and they’re a lot more fun when you don’t have to do quite so much work to them to keep them fit and keep them going,” agreed Wilburn, who notes that Welsh ponies, Welsh cobs, and crossbred ponies come in a variety of sizes suitable for a range of riders. And ponies bring something else to the table, too, says Wilburn: a great adult equestrian community.

“I’ve made so many friends through the ponies and driving that I would never have made if I hadn’t gotten involved in this,” she said. “I’ve been all over the U.S. showing ponies, and pony people and driving people are all very much about the animal. It’s not about the prize or the money, and if you need help, they’re there to help. If a piece of equipment breaks, there are five people there to hand you a piece of equipment. There’s a lot of camaraderie in the pony world and the driving world.”

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PHOTO: BRENDA CARPENTER

US Equestrian has many programs that protect the joy of horse sports and the safety of all our athletes.

TEN WA Y S US EQUESTRIAN PROTECTS ATHLETES US Equestrian’s commitment to safety and fairness applies to both horse and human, and not only at competitions

BY GLENYE OAKFORD

PHOTO: SHANNON BRINKMAN PHOTO

Many United States Equestrian Federation programs and policies are specifically about safety and a level competitive playing field. Quite a few of those—like the Rule Book and our licensed officials program—are highly visible to equestrian competitors. But US Equestrian works in many other ways to protect horses, ponies, and the equestrians who love them, from promoting concussion awareness to supporting disaster relief. Here are 10 of the ways US Equestrian has your back—and your horse or pony’s back, too—both in and out of the show ring.

The Equine Drugs and Medications Program The USEF’s Equine Drugs and Medications Program has been protecting equine welfare and the integrity of equestrian competition for more than 45 years.

What makes the program unique is how comprehensively it maintains all three components of successful drug testing: sample collection, sample analysis, and ongoing research, a key to staying current in enforcing medication rules.

A network of independent contract veterinarians and technicians around the country collect blood and urine samples from horses competing at USEF and Fédération Equestre Internationale events in the United States. The Equine Drugs and Medications Program’s own Equine Drug Testing and Research Laboratory analyzes about 18,000 samples a year; the lab is one of only five labs worldwide that serve as FEI Reference Laboratories, and it’s the only one in the western hemisphere.

“The Equine Drugs and Medications Program works to keep horses safe and helps to maintain a level playing field for competitors,” said Dr. Stephen Schumacher, the program’s chief administrator. “The integrity of equestrian sport depends on all of us, and the Equine Drugs and Medications Program plays a key role in that, not only by providing a deterrence to would-be cheaters but also by providing educational resources for everyone.”

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A Fair Hearing Process USEF’s hearings are confidential and closed, and they always take place before an impartial panel whose members have no conflict of interest pertaining to the members or subject matter before them. Each panel consists of a diverse group of individuals from a cross-section of breeds, disciplines, and geographic locations.

A representative from the USEF’s Regulation Department is also available to walk participants through the hearing process. This representative is a neutral resource who can answer questions, from the moment the matter is initiated until it is closed.

“There’s always a US Equestrian representative who knows the process well that the parties can contact for guidance,” said Sonja Keating, US Equestrian’s senior vice-president and general counsel. “They’re neutral, and they’re available to help shepherd people through the process.”

For more information about the hearing process, visit the video page for “US Equestrian: Protecting Horse Welfare” in USequestrian.org’s online Learning Center. The extensive resources available there include a brochure about the hearing process, “Protecting the Sport: Guide to Federation Rule Enforcement and Hearing Process.”

SafeSport for Equestrians The SafeSport initiative provides information, resources, and a protocol that helps members of the equestrian community recognize, respond to, and reduce abuse or unsafe conduct, such as bullying, physical misconduct, or sexual abuse.

USequestrian.org’s Safety and the SafeSport Policy page features links to SafeSport training and to the new U.S. Center for SafeSport, the first national nonprofit solely dedicated to preserving the safety and wellbeing of athletes. The center now has exclusive jurisdiction over all claims of sexual misconduct, meaning that US Equestrian will refer any reports it receives on to the center for investigation and resolution.

Located in Denver, Colorado, the center has adopted a SafeSport Code for the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Movement that also applies to all of its 47 national governing bodies, including US Equestrian. Under that code, all US Equestrian participants and officials have a mandatory duty to report sexual misconduct to the center. Congress is also considering legislation that would make reporting such misconduct a requirement under federal law, too.

US Equestrian still has jurisdiction over other, non-sexual misconduct, such as cyberbullying and online harassment. And US Equestrian also is working to develop a training module that focuses on the role of SafeSport in equestrian activities.

“The SafeSport policy aims to create a culture and an environment where everyone is safe while they are training and competing,” said Keating.

“We believe it’s very important for parents, in particular, to be aware of the SafeSport initiative and know how to recognize and report misconduct.”

PHOTO: STUNNING STEEDS

The SafeSport Code includes a mandatory duty to report misconduct

For more on the Equine Drugs and Medications Program, including quick links to the 2017 Guidelines for Drugs and Medications, penalty guidelines, and the USEF Medication Report Form, visit the video page for “Best Practices: Five Steps to Avoid Horse Drug Violations” in USequestrian.org’s online Learning Center.

The SafeSport policy aims to protect all equestrians from abuse and unsafe conduct, including cyberbullying and physical misconduct.

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USEF provides many resources about recognizing and responding to concussion.

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PHOTO: PRETTY PIXELS PHOTOGRAPHY

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The Safety and the SafeSport Policy page at USequestrian.org also features contact information about reporting misconduct, incident report forms, the SafeSport policy, and details about the U.S. Center for SafeSport’s practices and procedures.

Individuals can report misconduct online through the downloadable SafeSport Incident Reporting Form located on the Safety and the SafeSport Policy page.

Concussion Awareness It can happen to any equestrian: a sudden spook, a miscalculation at a jump, or any bump on the head might cause a concussion. US Equestrian is committed to making equestrians—as well as parents, coaches, and competition officials—aware of concussion signs and appropriate responses to a potential concussion.

There are many concussion-related resources available at USequestrian.org. The site has a dedicated Concussion Safety page with an array of tools, articles, and links to head injury information. To get to the Concussion Safety page, hover your cursor over the Compete tab, click Rules & Regulations, and scroll down to the Concussion tile. The Learning Center features a video hosted by Dr. Lola Chambless, an assistant professor of neurosurgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and an equestrian herself. Chambless discusses how to reduce the risk of concussion and traumatic brain injury, what to do if an equestrian sustains a fall or a blow to the head, and the importance of not returning to the sport too early after experiencing a head injury.

Also available in the Learning Center: links to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s comprehensive “Heads Up” concussion resources and a checklist of concussion symptoms from US Equestrian magazine.

Beyond its commitment to raising awareness and providing education about concussion and traumatic brain injury, US Equestrian also is promoting safer sport through its Return to Competition rule, published in the Rule Book on page 232.

“Most people assume that all physicians are trained in concussion management, but that isn’t the case,” Keating said. “Part of the awareness we’re promoting is knowledge about how to obtain proper care instructions for a concussed person, whether it’s for the person who sustained the concussion himself or a parent or caretaker. We have learned that recovery is different in females than it is in males. And it is different in kids than it is in adults.”

Safeguarding Horse Welfare “Our equine athletes are our most trusted partners in the sport, and the horse welfare and abuse rules are intended to ensure that they are protected from physical abuse or harmful training practices that might inflict pain at the time or can cause harm over time,” Keating explained. “Our rule enforcement and hearing process is a mechanism for people to report abuse or welfare concerns, and we do everything we can to protect the identity of people reporting incidents. We want to remove as many barriers to reporting as we can.”

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USEF rules and enforcement protect both human and equine athletes

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Clean, Consistent Competition The USEF’s Rule Book—and its procedures to enforce those rules— set and maintain a high standard for equestrian competition. They also ensure a level, fair playing field and a safe environment for all competitors.

Our competition standards ensure consistency: participants know what to expect from USEF-sanctioned shows and at different levels of competition, from footing to the number of warm-up rings to jump height to the conduct of the day’s schedule.

The Suspension List, another tool to promote fair competition, is a resource both for members and for show officials. The list appears in part in the back of US Equestrian magazine and also is available in a searchable format on the USequestrian.org website, From the home page, hover over the Compete tab; a link to the searchable Suspension List appears under Rules & Regulations tabs.

USEF accepts reports of a variety of violations—including violations of amateur status, suspension conditions, and drugs and medications rules—both by phone or by email. If you have knowledge of drugs and medications violations, contact Dr. Stephen Schumacher at (859) 225-2075 or sschumacher@usef.org. For other violations, contact Emily Pratt in the Regulation Department at (859) 225-6956 or epratt@usef.org.

The Licensed Officials Program US Equestrian trains and licenses officials in accordance with USEF policy, a process that supports competitors by ensuring high standards and a level, consistent playing field for equestrian competitors

PHOTO: HOWARD SCHATZBERG

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The USEF takes allegations of cruelty, abuse, and neglect seriously and has no tolerance for this type of behavior. If you witness an act or training practice that jeopardizes the safety and welfare of a horse or pony, whether at a competition or on private property, you can file a report using our online forms on USequestrian.org. From the US Equestrian home page, hover over the Compete tab, then look to the right for Resources & Forms; click Report Equine Abuse.

USEF also accepts abuse reports by phone and email to Emily Pratt, Director of Regulation, at (859) 225-6956 or epratt@usef.org. At the time of the incident, take photos if possible, as well as detailed notes, and report the incident as soon as possible to the USEF. If the incident occurs at a competition, report it to a steward there.

The investigation and hearing process is confidential and protects both parties by examining the facts of the situation. “Situations are not always as they appear,” Keating noted. “So, through this rule enforcement hearing process, there’s an investigation and the facts come to light. If a person is accused of violating a rule, there’s a thorough process for them to tell their side of the story and provide context.”

“Horse welfare at horse shows is often silenced by the need to win or stay competitive,” observed Mary Ann Simonds, an equine behavioral ecologist and performance coach who has studied and written about stress management of equine athletes. “The USEF is the key facilitator for ensuring horses are treated humanely. Professionals in our horse show world often look the other way for fear of being blackballed, and, thus, having a reporting system in place with the USEF for horse abuse is key to equine welfare and fair sport.”

USEF has about 2,200 licensed officials who facilitate about 2,400 USEF-sanctioned competitions.

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Our Equine Disaster Relief Fund provides help for horses and ponies affected by wildfires, floods, and other natural disasters.

PHOTO: SHANNON BRINKMAN PHOTO

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at USEF-sanctioned events. We couldn’t achieve our mission without the 2,200 licensed officials who help make about 2,400 USEF-sanctioned competitions happen each year. These highly knowledgeable individuals work closely with competition organizers as part of the team conducting the event. They must understand and enforce competition rules and regulations; be aware of and apply rulings and findings that affect US Equestrian competitions and competitors’ eligibility to compete; and keep their knowledge current through the many continuing education opportunities that US Equestrian provides.

Our licensed stewards, judges, and technical delegates not only ensure high standards and fair competition. They also provide a safe environment, whether in the competitive arena or back in the event stabling, and make certain that competitions take place in accordance with USEF rules, regulations, and standards.

“USEF’s licensed officials are the Federation’s eyes and ears at USEF-licensed competitions,” explained Sally Ike, US Equestrian’s managing director of licensed officials and education. “Their role is key to ensuring a level playing field.”

The Equine Disease Communication Center US Equestrian hosts the call center and website for the Equine Disease Communication Center (EDCC), an industry-funded hub for efficient communication about equine infectious diseases and outbreaks.

Based at the American Association of Equine Practitioners headquarters in Lexington, Kentucky, the EDCC offers a free Outbreak Alert email service that notifies subscribers about confirmed infectious disease outbreaks and updates to previously reported outbreaks, like the lifting of quarantines. Alerts and other information also post to the EDDC’s Facebook and Twitter accounts, @EquineDiseaseCC. The EDCC website at equinediseasecc.org also provides such resources as a directory of state veterinary offices, AAEP vaccination guidelines, information about domestic and foreign equine diseases, and biosecurity recommendations.

The Equine Disaster Relief Fund Galvanized by the devastating hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the USEF established the Equine Disaster Relief Fund in 2007. Donations to the fund help horses and ponies of any breed, as well as donkeys and mules, who are victims of disasters such as hurricanes, floods, blizzards, fires, and tornadoes. US Equestrian holds donations in a dedicated account and disburses funds only on the authorization

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PHOTO: TAYLOR PENCE

The Human Sports Science and Medicine Program The USEF’s High Performance Human Sports Science and Medicine (HSSM) Program aims “to deliver athletes who are fit for purpose in body and mind and able to make lifestyle decisions that will enhance their ability to maximize their potential.” Funding for this program is provided to US Equestrian by the United States Olympic Committee and the United States Equestrian Team Foundation. The HSSM program is in its infancy and was initially developed during the build-up to the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. A key aim of the program is to develop a network of practitioners that can deliver support to equestrian athletes at all levels and from all disciplines.

One of the program’s initial steps was to retain physiotherapist Andy Thomas, who has worked for more than a decade with elite athletes to identify weaknesses and asymmetries, then develop strength and conditioning exercises to address them. Since last year, Thomas has conducted baseline evaluations of nearly 50 High Performance athletes in a variety of disciplines, including Olympic and Paralympic disciplines, as well as saddle seat and driving. The program currently is certifying other therapists who will form a nationwide resource network.

The idea behind this program isn’t only to maximize physical performance. “There cannot be a ‘one size fits all’ approach to HSSM, so it must be individualized for each athlete, and, as with equine sports science, the focus is on ‘prehabilitation’ rather than rehabilitation,” explained Will Connell, US Equestrian’s director of sport. “The ultimate aim is for the athletes to drive their own HSSM program, accessing the expertise they need as and when they need it.”

Plans call for the program to expand to include a wide range of resources for both the human and the equine athlete, including sports psychologists, nutritionists, saddle-fitters, and farriers, among others. Ultimately, the resulting centralized “knowledge database” could benefit equestrians at all levels.

PHOTO: TAYLOR PENCE

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of US Equestrian’s chief executive officer. These funds support local emergency response teams, veterinary hospitals, humane centers, and other organizations directly involved in helping horses affected by natural disaster.

Contributions have supported disaster relief and care efforts by such organizations as Louisiana State University’s School of Veterinary Medicine, the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center, Habitat for Horses, and the Mississippi Animal Disaster Relief Fund, among others.

For more information about the Equine Disaster Relief Fund or to donate by phone, call us at (859) 258-2472. You can also donate online at U ​ Sequestrian.org/donate or by mail to USEF Equine Disaster Relief Fund, 4047 Iron Works Parkway, Lexington, Kentucky, 40511.

Physiotherapist Andy Thomas with dressage Olympian Kasey Perry-Glass.

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FIT FOR PURPOSE

A “fit� horse can mean something very different to each of the 29 breeds and disciplines recognized by US Equestrian. We asked top trainers in five disciplines to define a fit horse for their sports and share their exercises and tips for developing fitness in the equine athlete.

STORY BY SARAH E. COLEMAN

Endurance competitor Christoph Schork combines dressage, cavaletti, and hill work in his training regimen.

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PHOTO: COURTESY OF CHRISTOPH SCHORK

MAX AMAYA, Show Jumping Stonehenge Stables, Colts Neck, N.J. stonehengestables.com Originally from Buenos Aires, Max Amaya has risen rapidly through the show jumping world since his permanent relocation to the United States in 2001. In addition to being a stellar rider himself, having competed in the World Equestrian Games and the Pan American Games as well as over 15 FEI Nations CupTM competitions, Amaya is a phenomenal instructor, helping develop riders like Jessica Springsteen, Brianne Goutal, Chelsea Moss, and Christy DiStefano, among many others.

What is a “fit horse” for show jumping?

“The first thing I notice [in a fit horse] is the muscle tone and weight of the animal—whether the horse is overweight or skinny,” said Amaya. Because Stonehenge Stables doesn’t have a scale, Amaya added, he measures the horses to determine their weights and whether they are in good body condition.

To Amaya, an aerobically fit horse is one that can be worked for 40 to 55 minutes at a time, with walk breaks to recover his breath. For Grand Prix competition, where there can be up to 16 jumping efforts over fences as tall as 5’3”, a horse must be able to maintain 15 to 20 minutes of constant work.

How do you get your horses fit?

When you’re jumping at the highest levels, the more you show, the fitter the horses get, Amaya explained.

But fitness isn’t only about exercise: a key component is nutrition and ensuring that the horses are getting enough calories to allow them to perform their work. Amaya works closely with an equine nutritionist to get the most out of his feeding program. “Nutrition is key and makes an important impact,” he says.

Additionally, Amaya tries to jump his horses as little as he can at home, focusing on gymnastics and the use of his equine treadmill to try to limit the concussion on the horses’ limbs. Animals returning from shows will get about four or five days of turnout and light hacking before going back to work.

Fit Tip: Cavaletti “Pretty much every day we flat the horses,” said Amaya.

“We use cavaletti (low obstacles that a horse can step over without jumping); these make them use their minds and bodies.” The horses get to feel their back and their muscles, Amaya explained, but the exercise limits the exertion on their limbs and tendons. Amaya feels that cavaletti are a great way to both build and maintain fitness when integrated into daily flatwork.

“THE MORE YOU SHOW, THE FITTER THE HORSES GET.” –MAX AMAYA, SHOW JUMPER

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PHOTO: SHAWN MCMILLEN PHOTOGRAPHY

ow do you get a horse fit for your sport? Equestrians’ answers to that question vary widely, depending on a host of factors: the sport they participate in, their goals, the horse’s age, and more. But when we talked about equine fitness with endurance rider Christoph Schork, show jumper Max Amaya, carriage driver Suzy Stafford, dressage rider Allison Brock, and three-day eventer Jennie Brannigan, we came away with some insight and advice that cuts across discipline boundaries—and can benefit you and your horse, whether you’re a pleasure rider or a top-level competitor.

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International driving competitor Suzy Stafford uses cross-training to promote fitness and to prevent a horse from getting bored.

A United States Pony Club member growing up, Suzy Stafford loved the sport of eventing.

After an injury derailed her riding aspirations, she switched her focus to carriage driving—both pleasure showing and combined driving, which consists of a dressage phase, a marathon phase that takes place across country, and an obstacle (or “cones”) phase that tests obedience, agility, and accuracy. Today, Stafford is a notable trainer, instructor, and clinician. She has been on the United States Equestrian Federation long list for combined driving with seven different horses and is one of the world’s best High Performance drivers, with a series of 82 SUMMER ISSUE 2017

national and international titles to her name.

She competes nationally in the breed ring with both Morgan and Friesian horses.

What is a “fit horse” for carriage driving?

“A fit horse is an equine prepared to handle the job asked of it, both physically and mentally,” Stafford explained. “In the combined driving context, they should have the same percentage of strength, suppleness, and endurance, as the discipline is a multi-phase event, much like a triathlon.”

How do you get your horses fit?

Stafford prepares her horses differently for each phase. “On average, the horse is worked five or six days a week,” she said. “One day is always a ‘walk-only’ day for one hour. One day is a ‘fitness’ day. The rest of the days depend on your horse’s weak phase and specific needs.”

PHOTO: JENNIFER MANDERSHEID PHOTO

SUZY STAFFORD, Carriage Driving and Combined Driving Stafford Carriage Driving, Chesapeake City, Md. staffordcarriagedriving.com

Dressage requires carrying strength, power, and suppleness, so suppling exercises are ideal in the carriage, as well as when riding. “It is not absolutely necessary, but certainly helpful, if you can work on lateral suppleness under saddle,” Stafford said. “Carrying power and strength can be done by utilizing up and down transitions in the carriage on level ground, as well as on small hills.

“This is very difficult,” she cautions, “so be sure your base fitness is established.”

Combined driving’s marathon phase requires strength, agility, lasting power, endurance, and sprinting-type capabilities. “On average, I will calendar out six weeks prior to an event and start my fitness training for the marathon,” Stafford

explained. “Depending on where the horse is starting at a base fitness [level], I will adjust the schedule as needed.”

It’s important to have the horse pull the weight similar to what he will have in competition on these days (generally one day a week, under Stafford’s regimen) as the goal is to peak on the day of competition, Stafford said.

“The cones phase requires agility, supplenesss, and obedience,” she explained. “Training for cones is similar to dressage, with adding focus exercises in the workouts. I work cones patterns to keep the horse supple and listening at a slightly accelerated pace.”

Fit Tip: Cross-training “I find the horses get less bored

in their work, and it also takes away anticipation in different aspects of the phases,” she explains. “I will ride the horses on occasion (once a week), and I utilize long-lining and longeing over cavaletti in all three gaits to help carrying power, balance, focus, and agility.

“I also take note when going to competitions that my horse is prepared for the terrain,” she added. “For example, if the course is very hilly and your facility is flat, [I would recommend that] you would take the time six weeks prior to train on hills, if you are not able to at home.” If you’ll be competing on sand but you normally drive on grass, it’s helpful to trailer away to find footing similar to what you are going to encounter at the show, Stafford noted.

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CHRISTOPH SCHORK, Endurance Global Endurance Training Center, Moab, Utah globalendurance.com Christoph Schork grew up in Germany competing in dressage and show jumping, but he shifted gears after he came to the United States in 1980. After completing his first Ride & Tie (rideandtie.org) in the early 1980s, Schork switched to endurance riding in 1985. Schork has logged over 32,500 lifetime endurance competition miles, and he’s achieved more than 320 first-place finishes and well over 140 Best Conditioned awards.

What is a “fit horse” for endurance?

Schork prefers that his equine endurance horses don’t compete until they are seven. His horses don’t begin conditioning work until they are five--so the horses have two years of foundation and conditioning to help them get fit before they ever compete. “We don’t start conditioning work until the horses are five because it takes that long for their growth plates to fuse, especially in their backs,” he explained. For Schork, a fit horse is one that is ready to compete and has a fitness foundation that will allow it to be successful.

How do you get your horses fit?

“We do a lot of arena work,” said Schork. “We start in the arena and get all the basics down … then we use cavaletti and do lots of dressage, which is good for development of muscles and joints and builds a well-rounded horse.”

Next, he takes the horses out to the hills, where they will do lots of walking; Schork’s endurance horses will not do speed work until the second year of training. The horses return to the arena later for cross-training, using dressage.

Fit Tip: Hill work “One of the best ways to get endurance horses fit is by walking them up and down steep hills, which, in a way, is like dressage work: it requires discipline and really makes them collect and strengthen the hindquarters,” Schork explained. “We will also stop them and back them up on the way up or down the hill. It’s amazing how race-fit you can get the horse just by walking, which uses muscles similar to the ones the horses use when they canter.”

Schork also recommends sidepassing, a lateral exercise on the flat, and cavaletti work.

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PHOTO: COURTESY OF CHRISTOPH SCHORK

It’s not all work for Christoph Schork and his endurance horses—fun breaks can cool and relax a horse.

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“I USE MY HILLS EVERY DAY” –JENNIE BRANNIGAN, EVENTER

Left to right: Eventer Jennie Brannigan uses a heart monitor to help gauge her horses’ fitness.

Allison Brock augments arena work with long turnout times and work outside in open spaces.

Brock, a team bronze medalist at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, has won multiple times at the Adequan® Global Dressage Festival and represented the United States for Nations Cup team gold in 2015. She is an athlete representative for three Olympic disciplines: dressage, show jumping, and eventing.

She also serves on the US Equestrian board of directors.

What is a “fit horse” for dressage?

“I think that is answered very specifically for each horse,” Brock said. “When I have a top International Grand Prix horse, I am looking for a horse that can warm up for a short period of time [20 to 30 mins], hit a Grand Prix test with everything they have for the next eight 86 SUMMER ISSUE 2017

minutes, and not feel tired the next day—and be able to do it again the next two days.”

How do you get your horses fit?

A lot of top horses actually gain fitness while competing, says Brock. “While training, we tend to not overdo it for fear of injuries. I personally like my competition horses to get worked either in the arena or outside in the fields, be turned out for as long as they are happy, and then either get tack-walked or hand-walked at the end of the day,” she explained. “While training, I try to ‘stretch’ my horses in the dressage work … so I challenge them through the exercises but don’t over-face them or exhaust them.”

Brock also spends as much time outside the arena as inside, working on hills and in wide open spaces.

Fit Tip: Keep them moving Horses need to move regularly and also have the time to recover from a hard workout, Brock

PHOTOS: SHANNON BRINKMAN PHOTO, SARA HELLNER

ALLISON BROCK, Dressage Allison Brock Dressage, Keswick, Va., and Wellington, Fla. allisonbrockdressage.com

says. “You can do a lot by walking them for long periods of time. I think keeping a horse stationary in a stall for 23 hours a day is really hard on them—they’re designed to move.”

JENNIE BRANNIGAN, Eventing Brannigan Eventing, Coatesville, Pa., and Ocala, Fla. branniganeventing.com Jennie Brannigan is a trainer, rider, and coach. One of the United States’ top young event riders, she competed in the North American Junior and Young Rider Championships in 2008 and was named to the USEF High Performance Training List in 2013. Among her other achievements are a 2014 USEF CCI3* National Championship and a 2010

United States Eventing Association Horse of the Year award with Cambalda. In addition to eventing, Brannigan also exercises racehorses for Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Michael Matz at Maryland’s Fair Hill Training Center.

What is a “fit horse” for eventing?

“I use a heart-rate monitor when I do gallop sets so I can really see what they can handle,” Brannigan said. “I shoot for a 190 heart rate for an upperlevel horse, but not above 200 beats per minute. I also monitor their respiration, as well as how they return to their ‘normal’ so I have a good idea when they are competing how they truly are [physically]. Each horse is an individual, so, in general, if the horse can handle moderate, normal training

easily—which includes both jumping and flatwork—he is fit.”

How do you get your horses fit?

Brannigan uses the terrain she has available to get her horses fit. “I really use hills, even on a ‘normal’ day,” she explained.

“I adjust every horse’s workload to the horse I have,” she added, noting that her training schedule is not a onesize-fits-all program. “Even when I am having a dressage day, I still get the horse out of the ring and use the hills.”

Fit Tip: Hill work “I use my hills every day, if I am in an area where I can,” she said. “I may work on dressage, then go and trot a hill three times. I may jump-school or have a light jog day, but if I have hills available to me, I get the horse on them.”

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US EQUESTRIAN Celebrates its Centennial The last 100 years have seen tremendous growth, but US Equestrian remains true to its original principles of unity and integrity in equestrian sport STORY BY KATHLEEN LANDWEHR

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The United States Equestrian Federation celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2017, a year filled with exciting changes. President Murray Kessler’s new strategic plan has brought a new direction, encouraging everyone to experience the joy of horse sports and take advantage of improved member benefits. The recent changes have been dramatic, but US Equestrian has adapted to changes throughout its 100-year history, always with an eye to improving equestrian sport. And although the organization’s name has changed over time, from the beginning, the association made clean sport a top priority.

In his 1960 book “Our Highest Purpose: A History of the American Horse Shows Association 1917-1960,” Adrian Van Sinderen laid

year, the association listed 35 member shows.

World War I came about as the association was beginning to develop. Horse shows did not stop but donated their profits to charities, such as hospitals and the Red Cross, a charitable tradition that continues at many shows today. In 1919, horse shows sent $124,475 to wartime causes.

By Vanderbilt’s death in 1925, the association had extended its influence westward, enrolling a total of 67 shows. Alfred B. Maclay succeeded Vanderbilt as president and ushered in the first rule book—a six-page pamphlet, which also included the constitution—in 1927.

February 1933 marked a milestone when the Association of American Horse Shows,

PHOTO: ADAM BRENNAN/ PHOTOSBYAB.COM

THE FIRST RULE BOOK WAS A SIX-PAGE PAMPHLET. out what is still US Equestrian’s guiding principle: “Our highest purpose is to draw together the horsemen of the North, South, East, and West in a unity of intention to maintain clean competition and fair play in the show ring.”

On January 20, 1917, coaching stalwart and prominent Hackney breeder Reginald C. Vanderbilt led a meeting in New York City attended by representatives of 50 horse shows from across the country whose intention was just as Van Sinderen described. At this meeting, the Association of American Horse Shows, Inc., came into existence, elected Vanderbilt president, named directors, and began the process to create a set of rules. Later in the year, the AAHS elected 26 well-known shows to membership.

The association’s first annual meeting took place on January 29, 1918, and it gives a snapshot of equestrianism at the time. The organization adopted rules for novice and amateur classes and classifications of horses, including breeding, heavy harness, light harness, saddle, hunter, military, and draft. A certificate of incorporation was adopted in June. The following

Inc., changed its name to the American Horse Show Association, Inc. (the title was slightly amended again, to the American Horse Shows Association, in 1938). At the same meeting, the AHSA established two types of membership: show and individual. In 1934, the association established an office at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City.

In 1935, the AHSA appointed a committee to look into the matter of joining the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI). The committee, subject to the agreement of the Cavalry Association, recommended that the AHSA take over the United States’ membership in the FEI, which it did in 1937.

A decade after its founding, the association had experienced heady growth, and when Maclay handed the reins to Pierre Lorillard, Jr., in 1936, it had 183 member shows and 520 individual members. Lorillard held office for only one uneventful year as individual membership continued to trend upward. At the 1937 annual meeting, the AHSA produced a new rules pamphlet and elected Adrian Van Sinderen.

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Founding president Reginald C. Vanderbilt (left) appears in an American Horse Shows Association history penned by another acclaimed president, Adrian Van Sinderen.

US Equestrian’s hallmark is its commitment to a level playing field for all.

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A decorated World War I veteran with a penchant for writing, Van Sinderen wasted no time in applying his energy to expanding the membership into new regions—something he believed was vital to the AHSA’s existence. By June, from its new headquarters at 90 Broad Street in New York City, the AHSA had produced a new Rule Book that revealed several major changes. The United States was divided into five zones, each with a vice president and a regional committee of five members, in an effort to build and strengthen an association of national scope. The new Rule Book also featured several new breeds and disciplines, and the AHSA launched a program to license judges.

Under Van Sinderen, the AHSA also created the Enforcement Committee to hold hearings and mete out penalties in 1952 and began accepting affiliate associations starting in 1953. The number of zones increased from seven to 11, with Hawaii becoming the 11th zone in 1959. AHSA developed a process for licensing stewards and launched plans for a High Score Awards program, with the winners receiving their trophies at the annual meeting.

Known today as the Horse of the Year Awards, the program now honors over 1,600 champions.

In “Our Highest Purpose: A History of the American Horse Shows Association 1917-1960,” Van Sinderen expressed the hope that the organization would “continue to be a common bond

PHOTOS: USEF ARCHIVES, HOWARD SCHATZBERG

IN ITS FIRST 100 YEARS, THE FEDERATION’S MEMBERSHIP HAS GROWN TO 100,000.

In 1939, the first Van Sinderen perpetual equitation trophy debuted. Horse Show magazine began publication with a monthly circulation of 1,200 copies. And membership had indeed climbed from 1936 levels, with 187 member shows and 800 individual members.

During the trying times of World War II, the going understandably became harder. Van Sinderen encouraged horse show organizers to continue their efforts to maintain enjoyable activities, especially as a comfort to children and a way to provide additional donations to charitable organizations. But in 1942 the number of member shows dropped to 57. The AHSA asked for donations and cut expenses to stay afloat, and by the war’s conclusion in 1945, the membership numbers had recovered to 111 member shows and 1,272 individual members, up from 62 and 837 the previous year, and continued through the 1950s, topping 5,000. Canada’s horse show association also joined the AHSA as a seventh zone after World War II, until it was financially stable enough to operate on its own.

which cements in close friendship and understanding the men, women, and children who love horses in all of the 50 states of our beloved country”—something today’s US Equestrian still lives by.

Developments continued apace under postVan Sinderen presidents. Albert E. Hart, Jr., after much research and effort, introduced the Equine Drugs and Medications Program in 1970, and Richard E. McDevitt then began developing the program’s regulatory structure after he took office in 1976.

In 1978, McDevitt met one of his greatest challenges when he approved a rule that required testing of show horses for reserpine, a powerful tranquilizer. His leadership paved the way for equine welfare discussion and protection for years to come. One of McDevitt’s greatest contributions was in his steadfast commitment to keeping a fair and just process for all cases brought before the Hearing Committee.

In 1988, two years after retiring from competition, three-time Olympian James C. Wofford

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became the first international competitor to take the role of AHSA president. His first initiative was a new membership structure that continues to thrive. Wofford also developed the association’s Planning Committee to give the governance specific goals and strategic methods for achievement.

Jane Forbes Clark was the first woman elected president of the AHSA in 1991. During her time as president, a lengthy equine insurance fraud scandal ultimately resulted in the suspension of 22 members. Clark, the board of directors, and the Hearing Committee went to great lengths to ensure the fair treatment of its members and appropriateness of the penalty during the hearing process.

David O’Connor—the Olympic, Pan American, and World Equestrian Games medal-winning equestrian—brought the newly formed organization’s mission to life and created a financially successful national federation from his election in 2004. O’Connor directed the leadership of the organization’s largest member group, the hunter and jumper disciplines, to form an affiliate that would represent all levels of those sports’ participants under the USEF umbrella. The result was the United States Hunter Jumper Association, recognized on July 6, 2004, and still the USEF’s largest affiliate.

On O’Connor’s watch, the USEF also developed a more transparent hearing process and

PHOTO: SARAH BENNETT

SAFETY AND FAIRNESS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN PARAMOUNT. Clark also spearheaded the opening of a new Drugs and Medications Laboratory and oversaw advances in its testing procedures.

She served on the FEI Executive Board and the United States Olympic Committee’s board and was deeply involved in the planning and execution of the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, too.

After many years in New York, the AHSA moved its headquarters to Kentucky’s horse country in 1997 during Alan F. Balch’s presidency. The new address at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington wasn’t the only change: in 2001, the AHSA changed its name to USA Equestrian to better describe the member organization it had become. With more than 80,000 individual members, more than 2,700 member competitions, and 100 affiliate organizations, USA Equestrian oversaw 26 breeds and disciplines. Then, in 2003, USA Equestrian and the United States Equestrian Team developed a new organization, a unified family woven together from the many parts of equestrian governance and leadership: the United States Equestrian Federation.

stricter equine drugs and medications rules, including a ban on the use of more than one nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory substance.

More recently, the USEF—now US Equestrian with its rebranding in 2017—has streamlined operations while maintaining its firm stance as a guardian of integrity in equestrian sport.

Chrystine Tauber’s presidency, which began in 2013, saw USEF’s governance restructured to create a more agile and efficient organization. But the USEF’s long commitment to fairness and safety in equestrian sport remained at the fore. Tauber appointed numerous task forces—including the Horse Welfare Initiative, Competition Classification, Horse Recording and Identification, Steward/TD, and Ranking List Task Force—and drove initiatives and rule changes. Among other things, they extended responsibility beyond the trainer for any prohibited substances found in a competition horse, comprehensively rewrote rules regarding competition licensing to create a more logical process, and required microchipping in the hunter/jumper

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US Equestrian’s “Discover the Joy” tour is bringing equestrian sport even closer to fans at events around the country, like this meet-andgreet with Olympic dressage rider Kasey Perry-Glass at the FEI World Cup Finals™ in Omaha, Nebraska.

US Equestrian’s vision is to bring the joy of horse sports to as many people as possible.

Its mission is to provide access to and increase participation in equestrian sports at all levels by ensuring fairness, safety, and enjoyment.

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disciplines. Other key initiatives instituted during the Tauber presidency included the creation of the Compliance Department, launch of the SafeSport program, involvement in the Equine Disease Control Call Center, creation of a Competition Organizers’ Dashboard and Licensed Officials Webinars, and the Prohibited Practices Rules, among others.

In 2016, Tauber chaired a Strategic Planning Oversight Committee that would bring about a new era for the organization. The committee created new vision and mission statements for the USEF and guided the development and implementation of a dynamic, new strategic plan. The plan was bold: a complete rebranding, including a

directly to the people with its “Discover the Joy” tour that brings US Equestrian to events around the country, where fans and current equestrians can interact with the USEF and learn more about its affiliate breeds and disciplines.

“It’s a complete makeover of the USEF,” Kessler said, “with the Learning Center and clinics and a new website and process improvements, a new membership category and a new advertising campaign, rolling membership, and more meaningful benefits. And all of that’s got to turn around and deliver a measurable increase in revenue, members, more equestrian events on television, growing prize money, more sponsorship, and more volunteer engagement.”

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IT’S A COMPLETE MAKEOVER OF THE USEF. host of new member benefits, designed to help USEF grow support both inside and beyond the competition world to the wider community of fans, affiliates’ members, and grassroots equestrians.

Murray Kessler—a member of the Strategic Planning Oversight Committee and the force behind the exciting strategic plan to grow equestrian sport and membership— became USEF’s 12th president in 2017. In January 2017, he introduced the highly accessible US Equestrian brand to welcome both serious competitors and fans of equestrian sport alike. The US Equestrian website he unveiled featured a new Learning Center, a source of educational videos and supplemental resources geared toward both the equestrian newcomer and the advanced competitor. He revealed a $25 fan membership to bring in non-competing members. And he launched an ad campaign with an inclusive and inspiring theme: “Discover the Joy of Horse Sports.”

Today, US Equestrian is taking that message

US Equestrian has evolved immensely over the 100 years of its history. Today, US Equestrian’s membership has grown to 100,000. In 1917, the fledgling organization recognized only 26 horse shows; a century later, US Equestrian licenses nearly 2,400 competitions—an increase that brought a need to create a variety of new rules and procedures to maintain a safe and level playing field (suffice to say, the Rule Book has grown well beyond a six-page pamphlet). Those are numbers Reginald Vanderbilt could scarcely have imagined when he called the first Association of American Horse Shows meeting to order back in 1917. But Vanderbilt certainly would have recognized the golden threads connecting his Association of American Horse Shows with today’s US Equestrian: the enduring campaign for clean, safe sport for equestrians and their horses, and the effort to unify people from all breeds, disciplines, and walks of life who love horses and the sports that exhibit their beauty, strength, and wonderful nature.

USEQUESTRIAN.ORG 95

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FOR THE RECORD

Hearing Committee Rulings and Administrative Penalties OFFICIAL NOTICES Contributed by the Regulation Department unless otherwise indicated. The following official notices are only intended to give penalty information for a given case and not to disclose the factual basis for each violation or penalty. The Hearing Committee decides each case based on the evidence presented at the heating and takes into account many factors that may raise or lower a given penalty. For example, the Hearing Committee takes into account such things as whether the violation was intentional or unintentional, the nature of the violation, the credibility of witnesses, penalties in similar cases, past violations of Federation rules by a respondent, and many other mitigating factors.

US Equestrian members can access the United States Equestrian Federation Suspension List online, which is searchable by name, at USequestrian.org: hover over the Compete tab on the homepage. In the menu that appears, click Suspension List under Rules & Regulations. To read complete Hearing Committee and Administrative Penalty rulings online, hover over the Compete tab and under Rules & Regulations, click Rulings & Findings. Hearing Committee rulings and Administrative Penalty rulings also are searchable by name.

For information on US Equestrian’s Equine Drugs and Medications Program, best practices, and how to avoid drug violations, visit our online Learning Center.

HEARING COMMITTEE RULINGS Below are the official rulings reached by the Hearing Committee following hearings held in these matters and/or plea agreements made.

This is official notice of actions taken by the United States Equestrian Federation, Inc. Hearing Committee on November 29, 2016.

MICHAEL CARPENTER of Sutton, MA, violated Chapter 4, GR410 of this Federation, in connection with the Grand National and World Championship Morgan Horse Show held on October 10-17, 2015, in that as trainer, he exhibited the horse STONECROFT TRIUMPHANT after it had been administered and/or contained in its body flunixin in a plasma concentration exceeding the maximum permitted level.

With regard to determining the proper penalty for the violation, the evidence in this case did not provide a plausible explanation for how the claimed administration the night before the class could have resulted in the significant overage here. The Hearing Committee found this case to be similar to an earlier case where the argument against return of winnings was presented.

In the earlier case, the Hearing Committee concluded that uniformity in its return of winnings approach is important. The importance of providing a level playing field is fundamental to all levels of competition, large or small.

Regardless of Respondent’s intentions, the proof demonstrated that this horse was administered over the recommended dosage of flunixin. Accordingly, the Hearing Committee ruled unanimously that the winnings must 100 SUMMER ISSUE 2017

be returned, along with the other penalties set forth below.

For this violation of the rules, the Hearing Committee members present directed that MICHAEL CARPENTER be censured pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1a and fined $750 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j. It was further directed that for this violation of the rules, all trophies, prizes, ribbons, and monies, if any, won by STONECROFT’S TRIUMPHANT at said competition must be returned for redistribution pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1g.

This is official notice of actions taken by the United States Equestrian Federation, Inc. Hearing Committee on November 29, 2016.

REBECCA (KAMFONIK) ST. ONGE of Bolton, MA, violated Chapter 4, GR410-411 of this Federation, in connection with the Fieldstone Summer Showcase Horse Show held on August 18-22, 2015, in that she, as trainer, exhibited the horse STARRY NIGHT after it had been administered and/or contained in its body mephobarbital and phenobarbital.

In determining the proper penalty for the violation, the Hearing Committee credited Respondents’ testimony, their efforts to investigate the incident and take corrective measures, and their provision of detailed statements from the involved individuals and veterinarians. At the same time, Federation rules clearly state that trainers (and other Persons Responsible), in the absence of substantial evidence to the contrary, are responsible for the condition of the horses under their care, whether or not they participate in or even are aware of a prohibited drugging, and they

are responsible for safeguarding their horses from even inadvertent administrations. Based on the foregoing, the Hearing Committee unanimously ruled that the following penalties are appropriate for the violation.

For this violation of the rules, the Hearing Committee members present directed that REBECCA (KAMFONIK) ST. ONGE be censured pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1a and fined $1,000 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j. It was further directed that for this violation of the rules, all trophies, prizes, ribbons, and monies, if any, won by STARRY NIGHT at said competition must be returned for redistribution pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1g.

This is official notice of actions taken by the United States Equestrian Federation, Inc. Hearing Committee on November 30, 2016.

DOREEN NORRIS of Berlin, PA, violated Chapter 4, GR410-411 of this Federation, in connection with the Children’s Benefit Horse Show held on April 1-3, 2016, in that she, as trainer, exhibited the horse CALLAWAY’S LANDSLIDE after it had been administered and/or contained in its body acepromazine and 2-(1-hydroxyethyl) promazine sulfoxide.

In determining the proper penalty for the violation, the Hearing Committee considered Ms. Norris’ testimony to the effect that she admitted to the administration of acepromazine in order to help her horse overcome nervousness in the trailer. She indicated that she was not familiar with the rule or requirements concerning Medication Report Forms. The Hearing Committee considered that administration

of acepromazine for help with trailering is not a therapeutic use that would allow resort to the Medication Report Form process.

Therefore, even if Ms. Norris had been aware of that process, any Medication Report Form filed by her would have been ineffective.

The Hearing Committee further considered Ms. Norris’s explanation that she made an honest mistake and was not attempting to gain a competitive advantage.

However, ignorance of the rules is not a valid defense, particularly given the nature of the Drugs and Medications rule with regard to trainers. Federation rules clearly state that trainers (and other Persons Responsible), in the absence of substantial evidence to the contrary, are responsible for the condition of the horses under their care, whether or not they participate in or even are aware of a prohibited drugging, and they are responsible for safeguarding their horses from even inadvertent administrations.

The Hearing Committee further noted that acepromazine is a forbidden substance and is a central nervous system depressant that has a sedative effect on horses. Due to its obvious potential to effect the performance of competing horses, the Hearing Committee takes the presence of this drug very seriously. Based on the evidence in this case, the Hearing Committee ruled unanimously that the following penalty is appropriate for the violation.

For this violation of the rules, the Hearing Committee members present directed that pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1b and GR703.1f, DOREEN NORRIS, be found not in good standing, suspended from membership, and forbidden from the privilege of taking any part whatsoever in any Licensed Competition for

two months, and is excluded from all competition grounds during Licensed Competitions for that period: (1) as an exhibitor, participant or spectator; (2) from participating in all Federation affairs and activities, (3) from holding or exercising office in the Federation or in any Licensed Competition; and (4) from attending, observing or participating in any event, forum, meeting, program, clinic, task force, or committee of the Federation, sponsored by or conducted by the Federation, or held in connection with the Federation and any of its activities.

The two-month suspension shall commence on April 1, 2017, and terminate at midnight on May 31, 2017. Any horse or horses owned, leased, or of any partnership, corporation or stable of hers, or shown in her or her name or for her or her reputation, (whether such interest was held at the time of the alleged violation or acquired thereafter), shall also be suspended, pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1c.

The Hearing Committee also directed that DOREEN NORRIS be fined $2,000 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j.

It was further directed that for these violations of the rules, all trophies, prizes, ribbons, and

monies, if any, won by CALLAWAY’S LANDSLIDE at said competition, must be returned for redistribution pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1g.

This is official notice of actions taken by the United States Equestrian Federation, Inc. Hearing Committee on November 30, 2016.

CRAIG WALLER of Wellington, FL, violated Chapter 7, GR 702.1d, Chapter 8, GR839.4a and GR839.5, and JP102.1d, JP102.3, and JP102.4 of this Federation, in connection with the WEF 10 Horse Show held on March 16-20, 2016, in that following a refusal on course he used his whip excessively on his mount, AMIGO, during Class #1036 (Low Amateur/Owner Jumper 1.20m).

In determining the proper penalty for the violation, the evidence in this case demonstrated that the horse had a refusal which resulted in Mr. Waller being unseated from the horse. The Hearing Committee found that Mr. Waller struck the horse out of anger or frustration and used excessive force.

The Officials at the competition determined upon proper review that Mr. Waller’s actions must be “deemed excessive” under the rule and the Hearing Committee’s review of the evidence

confirmed that shared judgment.

Accordingly, the Hearing Committee unanimously determined that the following penalties are appropriate for the violation.

For these violations of the rules, the Hearing Committee members present directed that pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1b and GR703.1f, CRAIG WALLER be found not in good standing, suspended from membership and forbidden from the privilege of taking any part whatsoever in any Licensed Competition for three months, and is excluded from all competition grounds during Licensed Competitions for that period: (1) as an exhibitor, participant or spectator; (2) from participating in all Federation affairs and activities, (3) from holding or exercising office in the Federation or in any Licensed Competition; and (4) from attending, observing or participating in any event, forum, meeting, program, clinic, task force, or committee of the Federation, sponsored by or conducted by the Federation, or held in connection with the Federation and any of its activities.

The three-month suspension shall commence on March 1, 2017, and terminate at midnight on May 31, 2017. Any horse or horses, completely or in part owned, leased, or of any partnership,

corporation or stable of his, or shown in his name or for his reputation, (whether such interest was held at the time of the alleged violation or acquired thereafter), shall also be suspended pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1c for the same time period.

The Hearing Committee further directed that CRAIG WALLER be fined $3,000 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j.

This is official notice of actions taken by the United States Equestrian Federation, Inc. Hearing Committee on November 30, 2016.

LEE WOODSON of Apex, NC, violated Chapter 4, GR411 of this Federation, in connection with the Raleigh Spring Premier Horse Show held on March 23-26, 2016, in that as trainer, she failed to properly submit an Equine Medication Report Form to document the valid therapeutic administration of acepromazine and 2-(1-hydroxyethyl) promazine sulfoxide to the horse SABLE & LACE, which was appropriately withdrawn for the requisite twenty-four-hour period before competing.

In determining the proper penalty, the Hearing Committee considered that Ms. Woodson had her veterinarian examine

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FOR THE RECORD and treat her horse which had extreme swelling and drainage in the left eye. Unbeknownst to Ms. Woodson, her vet administered acepromazine to assist with the examination of the eye.

Ms. Woodson took the horse back to the Competition the following day and competed. The horse did not compete within 24 hours of administration, but Ms. Woodson had no reason to believe that she should file a Medication Report Form. Upon receipt of the vet’s bill, she discovered that acepromazine was administered to her horse and she promptly contacted the Federation to self-report the issue.

The Federation’s counsel, agreed that the administration was for a legitimate therapeutic purpose and that the mare was withdrawn from competition for 24 hours, thus if a Medication Report Form had been timely filed, the Federation would not have pursued with a Charge. The Hearing Committee viewed this case as truly involving the understandable failure to file a Medication Report Form, and determined that the penalty must reflect that fact. The Hearing Committee found Ms. Woodson to be credible and credited her for quickly investigating the matter and self-reporting to the Federation when she discovered the administration by her veterinarian.

The Hearing Committee noted that acepromazine is a forbidden substance and is a central nervous system depressant that has a sedative effect on horses. Due to its obvious potential to effect the performance of competing horses, the Hearing Committee takes the presence of this drug very seriously. That being said, acepromazine is proper for use in horses when given in a proper amount for a therapeutic purpose, withdrawn for the requisite 24-hour period, and commemorated with a timely Medication Report Form. Based on the evidence, the Hearing Committee unanimously determined that the following penalties are appropriate for this violation.

For this violation of the rules, the Hearing Committee members present directed that LEE WOODSON be censured pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1a and fined $1,000 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j.

This is official notice of actions taken by the United States Equestrian Federation, Inc. Hearing Committee on December 16, 2016.

The Committee Members present received and accepted a plea agreement tendered pursuant to Chapter 6, GR617, in connection with the GMHA June Dressage Competition held June 18-19, 2016, wherein DORIS CARLSON, of Brimfield, MA, violated Chapter 8, GR839.4a, of this Federation, in that she overused 102 SUMMER ISSUE 2017

her whip while warming up her mount, WILHELMENA LH. For this violation it was determined that DORIS CARLSON be censured pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1a, and fined $2,000 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j.

This is official notice of actions taken by the United States Equestrian Federation, Inc. Hearing Committee on January 10, 2017.

The Committee Members present received and accepted a plea agreement tendered pursuant to Chapter 6, GR617, in connection with the Dressage At The Gaits Horse Show held on June 3, 2016, wherein LISA RAGO, of Livermore, CA, violated Chapter 7, GR702.1d of this Federation, in that she acted in an unsportsmanlike manner by inappropriately taking to social media to express her disagreement with the competition’s refund policy.

For this violation it was determined that LISA RAGO be censured pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1a, and fined $250 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j.

This is official notice of actions taken by the United States Equestrian Federation, Inc. Hearing Committee on January 31, 2017.

The Committee Members present received and accepted a plea agreement tendered pursuant to Chapter 6, GR617 of the rules in connection with the Chattahoochee Hills Dressage June II Horse Show held on June 26, 2016, wherein RYAN (BELL) KNOL of Madison, GA, violated Chapter 4, GR410-411 of this Federation, in that he, as trainer, exhibited the horse D’ARISTOCRAT after it had been administered and/or contained in its body hydroxyzine and cetirizine.

The facts and mitigating factors in this case supported the following penalty even though it is below the suggested range for Category II Violations outlined in the Drugs and Medications Penalty Guidelines. Accordingly, for this violation of the rules, the Hearing Committee members present directed that RYAN (BELL) KNOL be censured pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1a and fined $1,250 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j.

It was further directed that for this violation of the rules, all trophies, prizes, ribbons, and monies, if any, won by D’ARISTOCRAT at said competition must be returned for redistribution pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1g.

This is official notice of actions taken by the United States Equestrian Federation, Inc. Hearing Committee on March 2, 2017.

The Committee Members present received and accepted a plea agreement tendered pursuant to Chapter 6, GR617, in connection with the NEDA Fall Dressage Festival: Great American Insurance Group/United States Dressage Federation Region 8 Dressage Championships Licensed by United States Equestrian Federation, Inc.; CDI Saugerties; USDF New England Breeders Championship Horse Show held September 22-25, 2016, wherein the NEW ENGLAND DRESSAGE ASSOCIATION, of Charlestown, MA, as Competition Management, and BETH JENKINS, of Sherborn, MA, as Competition Manager, violated DR121.9 and Chapter 7, GR702.1d, of this Federation, in that they allowed the Ring Steward to interfere with an exhibitor’s on-deck warmup period in order to check the length of her spurs prior to her entering the competition arena.

For this violation it was determined that the NEW ENGLAND DRESSAGE ASSOCIATION and BETH JENKINS be censured pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1a.

The Hearing Committee further directed that the NEW ENGLAND DRESSAGE ASSOCIATION be fined $1,000 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j.

This is official notice of actions taken by the United States Equestrian Federation, Inc. Hearing Committee on May 3, 2017.

The Committee Members present received and accepted a plea agreement tendered pursuant to Chapter 6, GR617, in connection with the Pin Oak Charity Horse Show held March 29 – April 3, 2016; the Santa Fe Summer Series – Santa Fe Fiesta Horse Show held August 3-7, 2016; and the Santa Fe Summer Series – Grand Prix de Santa Fe Horse Show held August 10-14, 2016, wherein SILVER OAK FARMS and SYDNEY CUNNIFF, of Bartonville, TX, violated Chapter 9, GR913.3, of this Federation, in that they were reported three times for making non-negotiable payments toward entry fees. For this violation it was determined that SILVER OAK FARMS and SYDNEY CUNNIFF be censured pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1a, and collectively fined $750 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j.

ADMINISTRATIVE PENALTIES This is official notice of the imposition of Administrative Penalties pursuant to Chapter 4, GR412 and/or Chapter 6, GR616 offered by the Federation and accepted by the following parties, and approved by the Hearing Committee in lieu of hearings.

GRETCHEN ANDERSON of New Boston, NH, violated Chapter

4, GR410 of this Federation, in connection with the US Pony Finals held on August 8-14, 2016, in that she, as trainer, exhibited the horse, MANHATTAN, after it had been administered and/or contained in its body dexamethasone in a plasma concentration exceeding the maximum permitted level. For this violation it was determined that GRETCHEN ANDERSON be censured pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1a and fined $750 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j. It was further directed that for this violation of the rules, all trophies, prizes, ribbons, and monies, if any, won by MANHATTAN at said competition must be redistributed pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1g.

ARABIAN HORSE ASSOCIATION of Aurora, CO, violated Chapter 10, GR1004.1 of this Federation, in connection with the U.S. National Arabian & Half-Arabian National Championship held on October 21-29, 2016, in that as Competition Management, they allowed Joel Brainard to officiate as the Reining Judge without a license or a Guest Judge Card.

For this violation, it was determined that ARABIAN HORSE ASSOCIATION be censured pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1a and fined $1,000 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j.

LISA AUSTIN of Baltimore, MD, violated Chapter 4, GR410 of this Federation, in connection with Waredaca T3D Event & HT held on October 20-23, 2016, in that she, as trainer, exhibited the horse, CMA LOOKNDOWNTHEBARREL, after it had been administered and/or contained in its body phenylbutazone and flunixin. For this violation it was determined that LISA AUSTIN be censured pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1a and fined $1,000 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j.

It was further directed that for this violation of the rules, all trophies, prizes, ribbons, and monies, if any, won by LOOKNDOWNTHEBARREL at said competition must be redistributed pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1g.

CAWTHRA BURNS of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, violated Chapter 4, GR410-411 of this Federation, in connection with the Aiken Spring Classic Finale Horse Show held on April 27-May 1, 2016, in that, she, as trainer, exhibited the horse POSH after it had been administered gamma-aminobutyric acid in excess of normal physiological levels. Throughout the investigation, Ms. Burns was forthcoming and cooperative in the efforts to resolve this matter involving an inadvertent use of GABA in the horse. For this violation it was determined that pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1b and GR703.1f, CAWTHRA BURNS be found not in good standing, suspended

from membership and forbidden from the privilege of taking any part whatsoever in any Licensed Competition for six months and is excluded from all competition grounds during Licensed Competitions for that period: (1) as an exhibitor, participant or spectator; (2) from participating in all Federation affairs and activities, (3) from holding or exercising office in the Federation or in any Licensed Competition; and (4) from attending, observing or participating in any event, forum, meeting, program, clinic, task force, or committee of the Federation, sponsored by or conducted by the Federation, or held in connection with the Federation and any of its activities. The six-month suspension shall commence on February 1, 2017, and terminate at midnight on July 31, 2017. Any horse or horses owned, leased, or of any partnership, corporation or stable of hers, or shown in her name or for her reputation, (whether such interest was held at the time of the alleged violation or acquired thereafter), shall also be suspended, pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1c for the same period. CAWTHRA BURNS was also fined $6,000 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j. It was further directed that for these violations of the rules, all trophies, prizes, ribbons, and monies, if any, won by POSH at said competition must be redistributed pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1g.

KRISTEN CAROLLO of Bedford Hills, NY, violated Chapter 4, GR411 of this Federation, in connection with the US Pony Finals held on August 3-9, 2015, in that as trainer, she failed to timely submit an Equine Medication Report Form to document the valid therapeutic administration of hydroxyzine to the horse, CANTERBROOK PRINCE CHARMING, which was appropriately withdrawn for the requisite twenty-four-hour period before competing. For this violation of the rules, the Hearing Committee members present directed that KRISTEN CAROLLO be censured pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1a and fined $750 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j.

KATHLEEN CARR of Sharpsburg, MD, violated Chapter 4, GR410-411 of this Federation, in connection with Morven Park Fall Horse Trials held on September 30, 2016 – October 2, 2016, in that she, as trainer, exhibited the horse QLE POSITRON after it had been administered and/or contained in its body cetirizine. The facts and mitigating factors in this case supported the following penalty even though it is below the suggested range for Category II Violations outlined in the Drugs and Medications Penalty Guidelines. For this violation it was determined that KATHLEEN CARR be censured pursuant to Chapter 7,

GR703.1a and fined $750 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j. It was further directed that for this violation of the rules, all trophies, prizes, ribbons, and monies, if any, won by QLE POSITRON at said competition must be redistributed pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1g.

CIARA CUMMISKEY of West Greenwich, RI, violated Chapter 4, GR410-411 of this Federation, in connection with New England Morgan Horse Show held on July 26-30, 2016, in that she, as trainer, exhibited the horse, QUEEN’S GYPSY SOUL, after it had been administered and/or contained in its body caffeine. For this violation it was determined that CIARA CUMMISKEY be censured pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1a and fined $1,000 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j. It was further directed that for this violation of the rules, all trophies, prizes, ribbons, and monies, if any, won by QUEEN’S GYPSY SOUL at said competition must be redistributed pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1g.

BITE THE DUST

SHARON ENTEEN of Woodstock, GA, violated Chapter 4, GR410 of this Federation, in connection with the Kentucky Summer Horse Show held on July 27-31, 2016, in that she, as trainer, exhibited the horse, BREAKING NEWS, after it had been administered and/or contained in its body dexamethasone in a plasma concentration exceeding the maximum permitted level. For this violation it was determined that SHARON ENTEEN be censured pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1a and fined $750 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j. It was further directed that for this violation of the rules, all trophies, prizes, ribbons, and monies, if any, won

by BREAKING NEWS at said competition must be redistributed pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1g.

EMILY ESAU-WILLIAMS of Encinitas, CA, violated Chapter 4, GR410 of this Federation, in connection with the U.S. Junior Hunter National Championship-West Horse Show held on July 25-26, 2016, in that she, as trainer, exhibited the horse, NOTORIOUS, after it had been administered and/or contained in its body dexamethasone in a plasma concentration exceeding the maximum permitted level. For this violation it was determined that EMILY ESAUWILLIAMS be censured pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1a and fined $1,500 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j. Ms. Esau-Williams had a previous infraction for this drug, therefore, the above violation and penalty are a Category I, Second Offense under the Drugs and Medications Penalty Guidelines. It was further directed that for this violation of the rules, all trophies, prizes, ribbons, and monies, if any, won by NOTORIOUS at said competition must be redistributed pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1g.

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USEQUESTRIAN.ORG 103

FOR THE RECORD CARLOS J. FIGUEROA of Farmington, MO, violated Chapter 4, GR410-411 of this Federation, in connection with the Piedmont Classic Horse Show held on June 16-19, 2016, in that, he, as trainer, exhibited the horse DETALLE DE GP after it had been administered and/or contained in its body 2-(1-hydroxyethyl) promazine sulfoxide. For this violation it was determined that pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1b and GR703.1f, CARLOS J. FIGUEROA be found not in good standing, suspended from membership and forbidden from the privilege of taking any part whatsoever in any Licensed Competition for three months and is excluded from all competition grounds during Licensed Competitions for that period: (1) as an exhibitor, participant or spectator; (2) from participating in all Federation affairs and activities, (3) from holding or exercising office in the Federation or in any Licensed Competition; and (4) from attending, observing or participating in any event, forum, meeting, program, clinic, task force, or committee of the Federation, sponsored by or conducted by the Federation, or held in connection with the Federation and any of its activities. The three-month suspension shall commence on May 1, 2017, and terminate at midnight on July 31, 2017. Any horse or horses owned, leased, or of any partnership, corporation or stable of his, or shown in his name or for his reputation, (whether such interest was held at the time of the alleged violation or acquired thereafter), shall also be suspended, pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1c for the same period. CARLOS J. FIGUEROA was also fined $3,000 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j. It was further directed that for these violations of the rules, all trophies, prizes, ribbons, and monies, if any, won

by DETALLE DE GP at said competition must be redistributed pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1g.

ALISON FISHER of Millersville, MD, violated Chapter 4, GR410-411 of this Federation, in connection with Winston National Horse Show held on August 17-21, 2016, in that she, as trainer, exhibited the horse, SO CAN I, after it had been administered and/or contained in its body carisoprodol and meprobamate. The facts and mitigating factors in this case supported the following penalty even though it is below the suggested range for Category III Violations outlined in the Drugs and Medications Penalty Guidelines. For this violation it was determined that pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1b and GR703.1f, ALISON FISHER be found not in good standing, suspended from membership and forbidden from the privilege of taking any part whatsoever in any Licensed Competition for two months and is excluded from all competition grounds during Licensed Competitions for that 104 SUMMER ISSUE 2017

period: (1) as an exhibitor, participant or spectator; (2) from participating in all Federation affairs and activities, (3) from holding or exercising office in the Federation or in any Licensed Competition; and (4) from attending, observing or participating in any event, forum, meeting, program, clinic, task force, or committee of the Federation, sponsored by or conducted by the Federation, or held in connection with the Federation and any of its activities. The two-month suspension shall commence on August 1, 2017, and terminate at midnight on September 30, 2017. Any horse or horses owned, leased, or of any partnership, corporation or stable of hers, or shown in her name or for her reputation, (whether such interest was held at the time of the alleged violation or acquired thereafter), shall also be suspended, pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1c for the same period.

ALISON FISHER was also fined $2,000 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j. It was further directed that for these violations of the rules, all trophies, prizes, ribbons, and monies, if any, won by SO CAN I at said competition must be redistributed pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1g.

MELISSA HIRT of Maple City, MI, violated Chapter 4, GR410 of this Federation, in connection with the Showplace Fall Classic Horse Show held on September 13-18, 2016, in that she, as trainer, exhibited the horse ICARUS after it had been administered and/or contained in its body methocarbamol in a plasma concentration exceeding the maximum permitted level. For this violation it was determined that MELISSA HIRT be censured pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1a and fined $750 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j.

It was further directed that for this violation of the rules, all trophies, prizes, ribbons, and monies, if any, won by ICARUS at said competition must be redistributed pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1g.

KIP HOLLOWAY of Dyke, VA, violated Chapter 4, GR410-411 of this Federation, in connection with the Morven Park Fall Horse Trials held on September 30, 2016 – October 2, 2016, in that, she, as trainer, exhibited the horse DORA CYMBELINE after it had been administered acepromazine and 2-(1-hydroxyethyl) promazine sulfoxide. For this violation it was determined that pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1b and GR703.1f, KIP HOLLOWAY be found not in good standing, suspended from membership and forbidden from the privilege of taking any part whatsoever in any Licensed Competition for two months and is excluded from all competition grounds during Licensed Competitions for that period: (1) as an exhibitor, participant or spectator; (2) from participating in all

Federation affairs and activities, (3) from holding or exercising office in the Federation or in any Licensed Competition; and (4) from attending, observing or participating in any event, forum, meeting, program, clinic, task force, or committee of the Federation, sponsored by or conducted by the Federation, or held in connection with the Federation and any of its activities. The two-month suspension shall commence on September 1, 2017, and terminate at midnight on October 31, 2017. Any horse or horses owned, leased, or of any partnership, corporation or stable of hers, or shown in her name or for her reputation, (whether such interest was held at the time of the alleged violation or acquired thereafter), shall also be suspended, pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1c for the same period.

KIP HOLLOWAY was also fined $2,000 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j. It was further directed that for these violations of the rules, all trophies, prizes, ribbons, and monies, if any, won by DORA CYMBELINE at said competition must be redistributed pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1g.

DANIEL JAYNE of Bartlett, IL, violated Chapter 4, GR410 and GR414 of this Federation, in connection with the Equifest I Horse Show held on July 27-31, 2016, in that he, as trainer, exhibited the horse, ON TOUR, after it had been administered and/or contained in its body dexamethasone in a plasma concentration exceeding the maximum permitted level.

Furthermore, Mr. Jayne injected the horse with dexamethasone intramuscularly within 12 hours prior to competing. For these violations it was determined that DANIEL JAYNE be censured pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1a and fined $1,750 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j. This penalty was enhanced due to the level of finding as well as the additional violation of GR414. It was further directed that for this violation of the rules, all trophies, prizes, ribbons, and monies, if any, won by ON TOUR at said competition must be redistributed pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1g.

NATALIE JONES of Cave Creek, AZ, and CYNTHIA BURKMAN, of Scottsdale, AZ, violated Chapter 4, GR410-411 of this Federation, in connection with the AHA Region I Championship Horse Show held on May 18-22, 2016, in that they, as trainers, exhibited the horse ARSENAL BV after it had been administered and/ or contained in its body cyproheptadine and cyproheptadine N-oxide. The facts and mitigating factors in this case supported the following penalty even though it is below the suggested range for Category II Violations outlined in the Drugs and Medications Penalty Guidelines. For this violation

it was determined that NATALIE JONES and CYNTHIA BURKMAN be censured pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1a and each fined $1,000 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j. It was further directed that for this violation of the rules, all trophies, prizes, ribbons, and monies, if any, won by ARSENAL BV at said competition must be redistributed pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1g.

LEANN KELLY of Valatie, NY, violated Chapter 4, GR410-411 of this Federation, in connection with Princeton Show Jumping Sept. II Horse Show held on September 21-25, 2016, in that she, as trainer, exhibited the horse LEANDER after it had been administered and/or contained in its body dexamethasone in a plasma concentration exceeding the maximum permitted level, trichloromethiazide, chlorothiazide, and hydrochlorothiazide. For this violation it was determined that LEANN KELLY be censured pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1a and fined $1,000 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j. This fine was enhanced because the medication administration to the horse was not withdrawn for at least 24 hours prior to competing. It was further directed that for this violation of the rules, all trophies, prizes, ribbons, and monies, if any, won by LEANDER at said competition must be redistributed pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1g.

LINDA LANGMEIER of East Granby, CT, violated Chapter 4, GR410-411 of this Federation, in connection with the Saratoga Springs I Horse Show held on May 4-8, 2016, in that she, as trainer, exhibited the horse S&L PLAY IT AGAIN after it had been administered and/or contained in its body hydroxyzine and cetirizine.

The facts and mitigating factors in this case supported the following penalty even though it is below the suggested range for Category II Violations outlined in the Drugs and Medications Penalty Guidelines. For this violation it was determined that LINDA LANGMEIER be censured pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1a and fined $1,000 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j. It was further directed that for this violation of the rules, all trophies, prizes, ribbons, and monies, if any, won by S&L PLAY IT AGAIN at said competition must be redistributed pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1g.

AMY LEACH of South Elgin, IL, violated Chapter 4, GR411.1 of this Federation, in connection with the GAIG/USDF Region 2 Championships Licensed by USEF and Dressage at Lamplight Horse Show held on September 22-25, 2016, in that she, as trainer and owner, failed to file a Medication Report Form for the horse, RADCLIFFE, within the time restrictions allowed. For this

violation it was determined that AMY LEACH be censured pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1a and fined $750 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j.

AMANDA LYERLY of Chardon, OH, violated Chapter 4, GR410-411 of this Federation, in connection with the Capital Challenge Hunter Jumper Horse Show held on October 3-9, 2016, in that, she, as trainer, exhibited the horse FREDRICK after it had been administered benzoylecgonine.

In some circumstances, certain substances may fall outside of the Drugs & Medications Penalty Guidelines. It should not in any way be considered less important or less dangerous than other Forbidden substances. Rather, it is simply a substance which is more likely to have been ingested by horses for a purpose other than the enhancement of sport performance, for example, through inadvertent exposure. Following a review of this matter, it was determined that the facts and mitigating factors in this case supported the following penalty even though it is below the suggested range for Category IV Violations outlined in the Drugs and Medications Penalty Guidelines. For this violation it was determined that AMANDA LYERLY be censured pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1a and fined $5,000 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j. It was further directed that for this violation of the rules, all trophies, prizes, ribbons, and monies, if any, won

by FREDRICK at said competition must be redistributed pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1g.

ERIC NAVET of Rancho Sante Fe, CA, violated Chapter 4, GR410 of this Federation, in connection with Showpark Summer Festival Horse Show held on July 20-24, 2016, in that he, as trainer, exhibited the horse, REVANN DE LOJOU, after it had been administered and/or contained in its body ketoprofen in a plasma concentration exceeding the maximum permitted level. For this violation it was determined that ERIC NAVET be censured pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1a and fined $750 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j. It was further directed that for this violation of the rules, all trophies, prizes, ribbons, and monies, if any, won by REVANN DE LOJOU at said competition must be redistributed pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1g.

ELIZABETH NIEMI of Pawling, NY, violated Chapter 4, GR410-411 of this Federation, in connection with the Centerline Events Spring @ HITS II Horse Show held on June 18-19, 2016, in that she, as trainer, exhibited the horse, ROSEVIEW’S LEX LENNARD, after it had been administered and/or contained in its body flunixin and firocoxib. For this violation it was determined

that ELIZABETH NIEMI be censured pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1a and fined $1,000 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j. It was further directed that for this violation of the rules, all trophies, prizes, ribbons, and monies, if any, won by ROSEVIEW’S LEX LENNARD at said competition must be redistributed pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1g.

EMMIE PRETTYMAN of Springdale, MD, violated Chapter 4, GR410-411 of this Federation, in connection with the Maryland Horse & Pony Show held on September 14-18, 2016, in that, she, as trainer, exhibited the horse NO REGRETS after it had been administered and/or it contained in its body acepromazine, 2-(1-hydroxyethyl) promazine sulfoxide, flunixin and phenylbutazone. For these violations it was determined that pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1b and GR703.1f, EMMIE PRETTYMAN be found not in good standing, suspended from membership and forbidden from the privilege of taking any part whatsoever in any Licensed Competition for three months and is excluded from all competition grounds during Licensed Competitions for that period: (1) as an exhibitor, participant or spectator; (2) from participating in all Federation affairs and activities, (3) from holding or exercising office in the Federation or in any Licensed Competition; and (4) from attending, observing or participating in any event, forum, meeting, program, clinic, task force, or committee of the Federation, sponsored by or conducted by the Federation, or held in connection with the Federation and any of its activities. The three-month suspension shall commence on August 1, 2017 and terminate at midnight on October 31, 2017. Any horse or horses owned, leased, or of any partnership, corporation or stable of hers, or shown in her name or for her reputation, (whether such interest was held at the time of the alleged violation or acquired thereafter), shall also be suspended, pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1c for the same period. EMMIE PRETTYMAN was also fined $3,500 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j. It was further directed that for this violation of the rules, all trophies, prizes, ribbons, and monies, if any, won by NO REGRETS at said competition must be returned for redistribution pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1g.

DAVID RAND of Falmouth, ME, violated Chapter 4, GR410 of this Federation, in connection with New England Morgan Horse Show held on July 26-30, 2016, in that he, as trainer, exhibited the horse, IGF COEUR ET AME, after it had been administered and/or contained in its body flunixin in a plasma concentration

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USEQUESTRIAN.ORG 105

FOR THE RECORD exceeding the maximum permitted level. For this violation it was determined that DAVID RAND be censured pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1a and fined $1,000 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j.

The fine was enhanced due to the level detected. It was further directed that for this violation of the rules, all trophies, prizes, ribbons, and monies, if any, won by IGF COEUR ET AME at said competition must be redistributed pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1g.

VALERIE RENIHAN of Wellington, FL, violated Chapter 4, GR410-411 of this Federation, in connection with the Washington International Horse Show held on October 25-30, 2016, in that, she, as trainer, exhibited the horse CALUMPI after it had been administered benzoylecgonine. In some circumstances, certain substances may fall outside of the Drugs & Medications Penalty Guidelines.

It should not in any way be considered less important or less dangerous than other Forbidden substances. Rather, it is simply a substance which is more likely to have been ingested by horses for a purpose other than the enhancement of sport performance, for example, through inadvertent exposure. Following a review of this matter, it was determined

that the facts and mitigating factors in this case supported the following penalty even though it is below the suggested range for Category IV Violations outlined in the Drugs and Medications Penalty Guidelines. For this violation it was determined that VALERIE RENIHAN be censured pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1a and fined $5,000 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j. It was further directed that for this violation of the rules, all trophies, prizes, ribbons, and monies, if any, won

by CALUMPI at said competition must be redistributed pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1g.

SA RA H RO B E RTSO N o f Rochester Hills, MI, violated Chapter 4, GR410 of this Federation, in connection with the Waterloo Hunt Horse Show held on June 28-29, 2016, in that she, as trainer, exhibited the horse, ZANDRO, after it had been administered and/or contained in its body dexamethasone in a plasma concentration exceeding the maximum permitted level. For this violation it was determined that SARAH ROBERTSON be censured pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1a and fined $750 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j. It was further directed that for this violation of the rules, all trophies, prizes,

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106 SUMMER ISSUE 2017

ribbons, and monies, if any, won

by ZANDRO at said competition must be redistributed pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1g.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN DRESSAGE SOCIETY of Elbert, CO, violated Chapter 3, GR301.1; Chapter 9, GR901.2 and GR902.3 of this Federation, in connection with the Rocky Mountain Series Sport Horse Breeding Horse Show held September 14, 2016, in that as Competition Management, they allowed the schooling show ‘X Halt Salute RMDS Show’ to be held on the same day as their Federation Licensed Competition and they utilized the same Judges and Secretary to officiate at both competitions. For this violation, it was determined that ROCKY MOUNTAIN DRESSAGE SOCIETY be censured pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1a and fined $750 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j.

MARGAUX RODRIGUES of Scottsdale, AZ, violated Chapter 13, GR1306.4f and GR1306.4g, of this Federation, in connection with the Arabian National Breeder Finals Horse Show held September 28 – October 1, 2016, in that she inadvertently showed horses for which a family member’s business receives remuneration for

boarding, training, and/or showing. For this violation, it was determined that MARGAUX RODRIGUES be censured pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1a, and fined $500 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j. It was further directed that Margaux Rodrigues must return for redistribution all trophies, prizes, ribbons, and monies, if any, won by her at said competition for the entries that were owned by clients of her family member, and must pay a $300 fee to the competition in connection with this penalty pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 7, GR703.1g.

JESSE SALDANA of Santa Rosa, CA, violated Chapter 4, GR410 of this Federation, in connection with the Region III Championship Arabian Horse Show held on July 11-16, 2016, in that she, as trainer, exhibited the horse, CONSENSUS FIXATION, after it had been administered and/or contained in its body dexamethasone in a plasma concentration exceeding the maximum permitted level.

For this violation it was determined that JESSE SALDANA be censured pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1a and fined $750 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j. It was further directed that for this violation of the rules, all trophies,

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FOR THE RECORD prizes, ribbons, and monies, if any, won by CONSENSUS FIXATION at said competition must be redistributed pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1g.

SUSAN SAPINO of Newtown, NJ, violated Chapter 4, GR410 of this Federation, in connection with Centerline Events Spring @ HITS II Horse Show held on June 18-19, 2016, in that she, as trainer, exhibited the horse, THE SUN ALSO RISES, after it had been administered and/or contained in its body flunixin in a plasma concentration exceeding the maximum permitted level. For this violation it was determined that SUSAN SAPINO be censured pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1a and fined $750 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j. It was further directed that for this violation of the rules, all trophies, prizes, ribbons, and monies, if any, won by THE SUN ALSO RISES at said competition must be redistributed pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1g.

JEFFERY SCHALL of Elk River, MN, violated AR105.3 of this Federation, in connection with the U.S. National Arabian & Half-Arabian National Championship Horse Show held on October 21-29, 2016, in that, he,

as trainer, exhibited the horse BLACK OPZZ after it had been administered and/or contained on its body gingerol. For this violation it was determined that JEFFERY SCHALL be censured pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1a and fined $2,500 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j. It was further directed that for this violation of the rules, all trophies, prizes, ribbons, and monies, if any, won by BLACK OPZZ at said competition must be redistributed pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1g.

JILL SHULMAN of Greenwich, CT, violated Chapter 4, GR410-411 of this Federation, in connection with the HITS on the Hudson IV Horse Show held on July 20-24, 2016, in that she, as trainer, exhibited the horse NEW CHALLENGE’S RUSSEL after it had been administered and/or contained in its body hydroxyzine and cetirizine. The facts and mitigating circumstances in this case supported the following penalty even though it is below the suggested penalty range for a Category II violation as outlined in the Drugs and Medications Penalty Guidelines. For this violation it was determined that JILL SHULMAN be censured pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1a and fined $750 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j. It

was further directed that for this violation of the rules, all trophies, prizes, ribbons, and monies, if any, won by NEW CHALLENGE’S RUSSEL at said competition must be redistributed pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1g.

TAMRA SMITH, of Murrieta, CA, violated Chapter 7, GR702.1d, of this Federation, in connection with the Twin Rivers Fall Horse Trials held September 23-25, 2016, in that she was witnessed over-schooling the horse, FLEUR DE LIS, after the horse reared and slipped on the way to the warmup area. For this violation, it was determined that TAMRA SMITH be censured pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1a, and fined $1,000 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j.

A M A N DA STA R BUC K o f Ridgefield, CT, violated Chapter 4, GR410 of this Federation, in connection with the Valley Classic Horse Show held on July 27-31, 2016, in that she, as trainer, exhibited the horse, SAMBA, after it had been administered and/or contained in its body dexamethasone in a plasma concentration exceeding the maximum permitted level. For this violation it was determined that AMANDA STARBUCK be

censured pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1a and fined $750 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j. It was further directed that for this violation of the rules, all trophies, prizes, ribbons, and monies, if any, won by SAMBA at said competition must be redistributed pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1g.

ELIZABETH STOKES of Castle Rock, CO, violated Chapter 12, GR1211.7c of this Federation, in connection with the Round Top Horse Trials held July 9, 2016, in that as Competition Management, she failed to have a farrier on grounds or on call throughout the event. Before reaching its decision, the Federation noted that the scheduled farrier notified Ms. Stokes three days prior to the start of the competition that he could not attend and Ms. Stokes was unsuccessful in finding a replacement with such short notice. For this violation, it was determined that ELIZABETH STOKES be censured pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1a and fined $300 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j.

SHERRY TEMPLIN of Scottsdale, AZ, violated Chapter 4, GR410 of this Federation, in connection with Showpark Summer Festival Horse Show held on July

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FOR THE RECORD 20-24, 2016, in that she, as trainer, exhibited the horse, BRENNER, after it had been administered and/or contained in its body flunixin in a plasma concentration exceeding the maximum permitted level. For this violation it was determined that SHERRY TEMPLIN be censured pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1a and fined $750 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j. It was further directed that for this violation of the rules, all trophies, prizes, ribbons, and monies, if any, won by BRENNER at said competition must be redistributed pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1g.

NICOLE WRIGHT of Cos Cob, CT, violated Chapter 4, GR410.3b of this Federation, in connection with the Grand Fall Classic Horse Show held on September 22-24, 2016, in that she, as trainer, exhibited the horse NATHAN after it had been administered and/or contained in its body firocoxib and phenylbutazone. For this violation it was determined that NICOLE WRIGHT be censured pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1a and fined $1,000 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j. It was further directed that for this violation of the rules, all trophies, prizes, ribbons, and monies, if any, won by NATHAN at said competition must be redistributed pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1g.

MICHAILA ZANDRI of London, Ontario, Canada, violated Chapter 9, GR907.4 of this Federation, in that she knowingly and falsely recorded the age of the pony SO ENCHANTED with the Federation for the purpose of obtaining a standard measurement card. Before reaching a decision, the Federation recognized that Ms. Zandri was both forthcoming and cooperative in the efforts to resolve this matter. Accordingly, on the basis of the information provided, the Federation issued the following penalty. For this violation it was determined that pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1b and GR703.1f MICHAILA ZANDRI be found not in good standing, suspended from membership and forbidden from the privilege of taking any part whatsoever in any Licensed Competition for one month, and is excluded from all competition grounds during Licensed Competitions for that period: (1) as an exhibitor, participant or spectator; (2) from participating in all Federation affairs and activities, (3) from holding or exercising office in the Federation or in any Licensed Competition; and (4) from attending, observing or participating in any event, forum, meeting, program, clinic, task force, or committee of the Federation, sponsored by or conducted by the Federation, or held in connection with the Federation and any of its activities. The one-month suspension shall commence on August 1, 2017, and terminate at midnight on August 31, 2017. Any horse or horses, completely or in part owned, leased, or of any partnership, corporation or stable of hers, or shown in her name or for her reputation (whether such interest was held at the time of the alleged violation or acquired thereafter), shall also be suspended pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1c for the same time period. It was further directed that MICHAILA ZANDRI be fined $3000 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j and that MICHAILA ZANDRI must present the pony, SO ENCHANTED, for a proper measurement by a USEF Licensed Steward.

CORRECTION: On p. 67 of our Horse of the Year issue, the photograph for the USHJA Zone 3 Large Green Pony Hunter champion incorrectly accompanied the Zone 3 Adult Equitation champion’s listing. We regret the error.

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