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Mar 04, 2019
USEA Horse of the Month: Danito
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:
- Barn Name: “We call him Cheeto. Burrito. Flaming Hot Cheeto. It’s kind of whatever is rhyming at the time.”
- Favorite treat: “He likes everything, even Cheetos.”
- Favorite phase in eventing: “He’s pretty fun in all three phases. Cross-country is my favorite and he seems to love it the most.”
- Introvert or extrovert: “He’s a bit of an introvert. Intellectual type. Kind of the nerd in the class. He reminds me of the dorky guy who nobody really thinks is that hot, but after you meet him and get to know him he’s the hottest guy around.”
- Fun fact: “He is only 15.3 hands with a heart of gold. He knows when it’s show time and really has a special spark about him.”
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.
About the USEA Horse of the Month
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!
Mar 30, 2023
Profile
Historic Results and Determination Propel Smith to 2022 Bates USEA Lady Rider of the Year Title
From horse trials in her home state of California where she prepared herself and her horses to take on the best in the nation and around the world to five-star events overseas where she represented the United States on some of eventing’s biggest stages, Tamie Smith had a remarkable season and finished 2022 as the Bates USEA Lady Rider of the Year for the second year in a row.
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Competitions
Fast Facts: The Event at TerraNova
TerraNova Equestrian Center in Myakka City, Florida, held its first CCI4*-S competition in the fall of 2021 and is now gearing up for the location’s third-ever FEI event and inaugural spring event this weekend during The Event at TerraNova which takes place March 30-April 2.
Mar 29, 2023
Competitions
Weekend Quick Links: March 30-April 2
Are you following along with the action from home this weekend? Or maybe you're competing at an event and need information fast. Either way, we’ve got you covered! Check out the USEA’s Weekend Quick Links for links to information including the prize list, ride times, live scores, and more for all the events running this weekend.
Mar 29, 2023
Grants
Learning about Young Event Horses: Setting Goals
Many riders across all levels have found that working with young horses has provided them with the most valuable experiences in eventing. The opportunities for young event horses have never been more exciting. The Dutta Corp. USEA Young Event Horse East Coast and West Coast Championships continue to grow in profile as the culmination of a calendar of qualifying events is expanding to more areas of the country. More American riders and their young horses are aiming for the FEI WBFSH Eventing World Breeding Championships at Mondial du Lion in Le Lion D’Angers, France, particularly thanks to programs like the Holekamp/Turner YEH Lion d’Angers Grant. That’s become one of the most attended sporting events in the entire country. It’s given young event horses from the United States a chance to represent the growth of the American eventing community’s dedication to properly developing talent in the sport.
