Congratulations to Danito, the March 2019 USEA Horse of the Month! Owned by Ruth Bley and ridden by Tamra Smith, Danito is a 10-year-old Hanoverian chestnut gelding (Dancier x Wie Musik). Danito won the CCI3-S at the Fresno County Horse Park on February 15, the first FEI event of 2019. No stranger to earning the blue ribbon, Danito has 12 wins to his USEA record including a win in 2014 at Lone Tree Farm’s Young Event Horse (YEH) competition with John Michael Durr in the irons.
Thanks to our friends at EquiRatings, we can share that Smith and Danito’s win at Fresno put Danito in a category with top event horses like Veronica and Mystery Whisper.
Smith explained what he’s like around the barn, his favorite treats, and described him as a horse with “a heart of gold.”
About Danito:
EquiRatings Statistic
Danito’s win at the Fresno County Horse Park gives him three wins from three international runs with Tamra Smith. This means they become only the 20th combination since 2008 to win their first three international runs as a combination. Two other combinations on this list are Veronica and Lauren Kieffer and Mystery Whisper and Phillip Dutton.
New in 2019, the USEA is recognizing an event horse each month on the USEA website and social media. The USEA Horse of the Month is determined based on statistics and event results and announced at the beginning of every month. The March Horse of the Month was selected based on the performance of the first FEI event of 2019, Fresno County Horse Park CCI. Danito and Tamra Smith won Fresno’s CCI3-S wire to wire, earning him the title of USEA Horse of the Month in March 2019!
The United States Eventing Association (USEA) is excited to announce Shires Equestrian Incorporation, specifically their brand, ARMA, has renewed their corporate sponsorship with the USEA for the next three years.
A skilled farrier is an essential part of a horse's success in and out of the show ring. No matter if your horse is shod all the way around or happy barefoot, as the old adage goes, a horse is only as healthy as his/her hoof. With February being International Hoof Care Month, we thought it was a great time to reach out to some top grooms and farriers in the industry for some tips and tricks on how you can keep your horse's hooves in tip-top shape, all while making your farrier very happy!
After a very successful inaugural year, the 2025 USEA Interscholastic Eventing League (IEL) Championship is quickly approaching. Grab your fellow barn mates, classmates, Pony Club members, and friends in grades 5th through 12th to create an IEL Club today. The best way for members to prepare for this exciting event is to participate in IEL Team Challenges held at venues across eight different USEA Areas throughout the year.
Due to the response at the 2024 USEA Intercollegiate & Interscholastic Eventing Championships at Stable View in Aiken, South Carolina, the decision has been made to add an extra day of competition to the 2025 event schedule. The new dates for the 2025 USEA Intercollegiate & IEL Championships are Friday, May 2 through Sunday, May 4. Click here to view the event omnibus now.