NEWS

The Board of Directors of the Virginia Horse Center Foundation has announced that Glenn T. Petty has been appointed as the new CEO of the Foundation. An experienced business leader and horseman, Petty will succeed John Nicholson and assume responsibilities on May 3, 2021. Nicholson will be retiring to his hometown of Lexington, Kentucky. Petty spent 25 years as manager of the Governor James B. Hunt Jr. Horse Complex at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds, and most recently was executive vice president of the Arabian Horse Association for 12 years. He has experience working at the national and regional level with a wide array of breed and sport associations including the United States Equestrian Federation, the US Hunter Jum

** Following is a news update released by the Arabian Horse Association. ** The Canadian National Show Commission has decided to suspend the 2021 Canadian National Championship Arabian and Half/Anglo Arabian Horse Show, which was scheduled for August 2021. This is a decision that was not made lightly and it is with a great deal of sadness that we make this announcement. However, the decision was made with tremendous consideration and discussion regarding the status of the Canadian border, current quarantine and provincial travel restrictions, and the health and safety of exhibitors and staff. It is our sincere desire to announce this change early enough for our exhibitors, vendors, sponsors, and patrons to make the necess

US Equestrian has announced that it has expanded the eligibility requirements for the Higher Education Equestrian Scholarship, which provides five $1,000 scholarships to graduating high school seniors committed to continuing their involvement in equestrian sport while in college. US Equestrian is now accepting applications for the scholarship. Applicants must be active US Equestrian competing or fan members preparing to enter any college or university full-time in fall 2021. The scholarship is open to all 29 recognized breeds and disciplines. Previously, applicants were required to be enrolled in an equine-re

** Following is a letter released by the Arabian Horse Association to its members. ** Dear Members, The Arabian Horse Association is committed to our member services including our website and DataSource.  We have endured a ransomware attack and our business technology staff have been extremely determined in our resolution of this disruption. The Purebred Arabian Trust has been notified of this ransomware attack. AHA continues to experience computer system issues due to the ransomware attack discovered early last Saturday morning.  In the spirit of an overabundance of caution, we are taking each step carefully to verify that no PII (Personally Identifiable Information) data has been comp

The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) has announced the members of its newly populated Amateur Task Force for 2021. These respected members of the equestrian community, most of whom are amateurs themselves, bring diverse equestrian experience across multiple breeds and disciplines within the sport. The task force includes Judy Werner (Chair), Penelope Ayers, Lisa Blackstone, José Colón, Caitlin Creel, C.A. Tony Lee III, and Christy Parker. USEF Chief Marketing and Content Officer Vicki Lowell and Director of Regulations Emily Pratt will serve as advisors to the task force. The purpose of the USEF Amateur Task Force is to review the existing rules defining USEF amateur status for participants

Known as the largest horse show in the world, the 66th annual Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show is set to begin on Thursday, February 11, and runs through Sunday, February 21. The USEF Network will livestream two sessions from the Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show on Friday, February 12, and Saturday, February 13, thanks to US Equestrian’s media partnership with Horse & Country TV. This 11-day competition is set to showcase the beauty and versatility of the Arabian horse. Hosted by the Arabian Horse Association of Arizona (AHAA), the show traditionally welcomes more than 2,000 ho

After six years of recovery, growth and progress for the Virginia Horse Center Foundation, its chief executive officer, John Nicholson, has announced that he plans to retire, giving the Board of Directors an opportunity to develop a leadership transition plan. As a result of the pandemic, the planned transition was delayed by one year and is being announced today. “I am honored to have served as The Virginia Horse Center’s chief executive officer," said John Nicholson. "And I will continue to work in this role until the future leader is in place. I would like to thank the team of incredibly hardworking employees of the VHCF. It has been a privilege to work with a truly remarkable group of peop

The United States Equestrian Federation has announced the members of its newly repopulated Competition Task Force for 2021. These respected members of the equestrian community come to the task force with a diverse set of business skills and equestrian experience across multiple breeds and disciplines within the sport. The task force includes a mix of equestrian experts, including Tom O’Mara (Chairman), Rob Burk, Elisabeth Goth, John Madden, Britt McCormick, Stan Morey, Bill Moroney, and Sissy Wickes. In recognition of the importance of athlete representation, the USEF Athletes Advisory Committee will appoint athletes to the task force to complete the population. Howard Pike and USEF General Counse

The Arabian Horse Association has released some updates for members heading into the upcoming competition season. 2021 QUALIFICATIONS Qualifications have been waived for the 2021 Regional and National Championship Shows. Qualifications for 2022 and beyond will move to a “Participation” based system and the chart will finalized at the August 2021 Board of Directors meeting. LEVELING The new view for Leveling is now available under your login. Click on the AHA Horse/Rider Points and Competition Records link under the “I want to…” section. Proceed to “Rider Search” and select “Leveling Points” to view your current record for the 2021 c

The Arabian Horse Association reminds its members that if they submit stallion reports by January 31, submission is free. After January 31, the cost will be $50 per stallion.  Stallion reports are required for all U.S. registered purebred Arabian stallions bred to all U.S. registered purebred Arabian mares. Click here to download the report then mail, email or fax it to 303-696-4599. Please contact a Registry Service Representative at 303-696-4500, #2, for assistance with any questions. -- via AHA

The United Professional Horsemen's Association Ribbons of Service program is an example of how young people can use their passion for horses to help the children of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and learn to give back to their communities. To date, UPHA youth members have raised more than $550,000 for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and almost $150,000 to other nonprofit charities.  COVID-19 restricted Ribbons of Services participants' traditional fundraising and community service efforts. However, they rose to the occasion and created new ways to raise funds and perform their community service hours. 2020 proved just as successful as participants volunteered 1,988.5 hours in community serv

US Equestrian has congratulated the top endurance athletes from the 2020 competition season. Cheryl Van Deusen (New Smyrna Beach, Fla.) has won the Maggy Price Endurance Excellence Award, which is presented annually to the top U.S. senior endurance rider. Katie Bumgarner (Raleigh, N.C.) will receive the Brunjes Junior/Young Rider Trophy as the top U.S. junior or young rider in the sport. Van Deusen had a successful season with her own EBS Regal Majjaan, a 15-year-old Arabian gelding. Together they completed CEI3* rides at Greenway Gallivant in Florida and Broxton Bridge in South Carolina early in the 2020 competition season. With her 16-year-old Arabian gelding, Hoover the Mover, Van Deusen earned second-place finishes in th

The Arabian Horse Association has announced a new show to spotlight, promote and help introduce the roll-out of the entire Ranch Horse Division to the Arabian Breed. There have been questions and misinterpretations of what the Arabian Horse Association’s Ranch Horse Championships show will be, the classes held and the impact on other shows.   First, the AHA Ranch Horse Championships is not a National Championship Show. It is intended to highlight the Ranch Horse Division at a show produced and managed by Arabian Horse Association. The hope is that it will hold a level of prestige above a local show, somewhat equivalent to that of a Regional Championship Show. Second, there will be no change