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 "happiest horse trial on Earth," the USEA Intercollegiate Eventing Championship, got a whole lot happier this year with the inclusion of the inaugural USEA Interscholastic Eventing Championship. Just shy of 200 entries competed at the 2024 joint championships which took place from May 4-5 at Stable View in Aiken, South Carolina. There were pom poms and banners and glitter galore, but team spirit was of the greatest abundance as young riders from the 5th grade through college gathered together to share their pride for their team.
The United States Eventing Association, Inc. (USEA) is pleased to announce #WeRideTogether is returning as an “Official Educational Partner of the USEA,” “Contributing Sponsor of the American Eventing Championships,” “Contributing Sponsor of the Intercollegiate and Interscholastic Championships,” and “Contributing Sponsor of the EA21 Program.”
The 2024 USEA Intercollegiate & Interscholastic Eventing Championships were an incredible success, marking a new era of partnership for the two programs which aim to encourage the USEA’s junior and young adult members to continue to pursue their passion for eventing throughout their educational years and beyond.
On this week's edition of the USEA Podcast, interim podcast host Rosie Russell touches base with this year's Defender/USEF CCI5*-L National Champion Lauren Nicholson who was the highest-placed U.S. rider in the 2024 Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event. Rosie talks with Lauren about her history with her longtime partner Vermiculus, their preparations for Kentucky, their outstanding performance at the five-star event, and so much more!