January 2012

Steffen Peters and Ravel at Aachen 2011

Cincinnati, OH - To cap off a record-setting year, dressage superstar Steffen Peters added one more record to his résumé on Saturday night at the United States Equestrian Federation's Pegasus Awards dinner, and this after a one-two win on Friday in California on Ravel (80.426) and placing a close second in his first Grand Prix on Akiko Yamasaki's new mount for Peters, the 10 year old Westfalen gelding Legolas 92 with an 80.213%. Peters became the first person to score the USEF's Equestrian of the Year title three times. Peters (San Diego, CA) won the top honor in 2008 and 2009 based largely on his accomplishments with Akiko Yamazaki's phenom Ravel - but in 2011, Ravel had some help. Peters capitalized on his first trip to the Pan American Games and scored Team and Individual Gold in a tremendous effort with Jen and Bruce Hlavacek's Weltino's Magic. From California to Aachen, Germany Peters was undefeated in 2011 with the now 9-year-old Westphalian gelding.

Horse of the Year Neville Bardos (Photo: Courtesy of USEA)

Cincinnati, OH - For the first time ever, the USEF crowned two horses with its highest honor, one from an International Discipline and one from a National Discipline. Neville Bardos and Sjoerd were named 2011 Horses of the Year at tonight's USEF annual Horse of the Year celebration. Honored for their accomplishments in 2011 their roads through the last 12 months, while both exceptional, have been very different.
Videos of all of the Horses of Honor are available here.
Neville Bardos - Eventing
Horse of the Year Neville Bardos (Photo Courtesy of USEA)
He shouldn't have lived. But he did. He shouldn't have returned to his life as an event horse. But he returned better than ever. Trapped in a burning barn for 45 minutes, Neville Bardos made a miraculous recovery from injuries sustained in a fire that claimed the lives of six other horses at his rider Boyd Martin's barn in West Grove, PA. The now 13-year-old Australian Thoroughbred gelding won the USEF National CCI3* championship in 2009 and was 10th at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games - leading the U.S. effort. But his life changed dramatically in the early hours of Memorial Day in 2011.

When it comes to investing in your horse business, your time investment is every bit as important as your financial investment. Like financial investments, high value activities can be identified by their ROI (return on investment). This year, consider taking an investment approach to how you manage your time. Here are five activities that typically deliver the highest return on investment for horse professionals.
1. Invest Time in You
Your expertise is a valuable business asset. It is the foundation that your horse business is built on. Your level of expertise and ability to produce results largely determine your pay scale, career trajectory and ultimately the longevity of your business. Your health and expertise are of paramount importance to your business. Investing time in activities that build your skills and expertise, as well as taking time to rest and refuel, is a smart bet.

While many of us are easing into the new year, people who work in all aspects of equestrian sport converge at the United States Equestrian Federation Annual Convention, where rules are voted on, decisions are made, progress is reported, and year end and lifetime honors presented. The USEFNetwork.com, will be broadcasting live the 2012 Pegasus Awards, live from the USEF Annual meeting Saturday Night, January 14, 2012 beginning at 7:30 pm ET. With that and photos of the Horse of the Year Champions Dinner held on Friday, USEF shares with the world the wonderfully produced, historical record of equestrian sport in America, and those being honored including disciplines, breeds, luminaries, sponsors, organizers and officials and staff who work hard to contribute so much to the growth of equestrian sport.