E-News from National
April 2006
 
--Attention Youth Members
--From the Bookstore
--Special Rolex Activities
--Scholarship Opportunities for Pony Club Members
--Activities Update

Attention Youth Members:
We're investigating a redesign of the USPC website. Since YOU know what type of website is most interesting to YOUTH, maybe you would take a minute and send us a link of YOUR FAVORITE WEBSITE (next to USPC, of course!!!) so we can take a look at the graphics and offerings that appeal most to our youth audience. Please be sure to type FAVORITE WEBSITE on the subject line, and send it to mary@ponyclub.org Thanks for your help! Mary Pierson, USPC Communications Director
 
From the Bookstore:
The USPC Bookstore is proud to invite you join our new online mailing list. Subscribers will get monthly emails featuring books and other items available at special prices. Listings will include new books, classic titles, clothing, gifts, and more. Sign up now for your special E-membership at http://mail.uspc.ponyclub.org/bookstore
 
Special Rolex Activities:

FREE LECTURES/DEMO DURING ROLEX: 

Lexington, Kentucky April 27, 28 and 29 – Hagyard Equine Medical Institute will offer three lectures and a demonstration at no charge to Rolex attendees on April 27, 28 and 29. The lectures will offer a variety of educational information pertaining to sport horses and their specific health challenges. A demonstration on large animal emergency response techniques will provide horse owners with an understanding of safe and efficient procedures to be used when faced with dangerous situations. All lectures will take place in the Hagyard Equine Medical Institute tent located near the Sheila Johnson Arena and the demonstration will be held in the Van Lennep Indoor Arena located on Kentucky Horse Park grounds. 

A summary of the lectures offered during the Rolex event include:

Sport Horse Diagnostics -  Upper Airway Endoscopy and the Equine Treadmill, Thursday, April 27, 12:30 p.m., by Dwayne Rodgerson, DVM, MS, DACVS. This lecture will contain information on the use of the equine treadmill to diagnose upper airway disorders in the performance horse.

Large Animal Emergency Response, Friday, April 28, 12:30 pm, by Nathan Slovis DVM, DACVIM. The purpose of this event is to educate horse owners about safe, effective techniques that should be used during emergencies such as trailer accidents, barn fires, rescue and transport of a downed horse as well as water and mud recovery. 

Large Animal Emergency Response Demonstration, Friday, April 28, 4:00 p.m. by Nathan Slovis DVM, DACVIM. Dr. Slovis, Director of the Hagyard Equine Medical Institute Emergency Response Team, will use a full-size equine mannequin to manually review some emergency response techniques discussed in the lecture, including transport of a downed horse. 

Sport Horse Potpourri – Things to know about Your Performance Horse, Saturday, April 29, 12:30 p.m., by Duncan Peters, DVM, MS. Dr. Peters, FEI certified in dressage, eventing, jumping and reining, will discuss several health issues related to the sport horse and methods that can be used to help owners better manage specific challenges, keeping their horse at its optimum performance level. 
Hagyard Equine Medical Institute is located across the street from the Kentucky Horse Park. For additional information, please contact LaTonna Wilson at (859) 685-3707 or lwilson@hagyard.com.
 
Scholarship Opportunities for Pony Club Members
If you are planning to attend the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event in April, Georgetown College in Georgetown, KY (10 minutes from the Horse Park) is hosting a VIP Event for their Equine Scholars Program on April 28th from 5 – 7 p.m.  It will be held in the Hall of Fame Room on the second floor of the Cralle Student Center.   You will learn more about the Georgetown College Equine Scholars Program, and have the opportunity to tour the campus, hear from students involved with the program and speak one-on-one with the Program’s directors and financial aid representatives.

By attending the Equine Scholars VIP Day and applying to Georgetown College and the program, you will receive an annually renewable scholarship!! This could be in addition to the Pony Club Scholarship that Georgetown College also offers. For more information about the Equine Scholars VIP Event during Rolex contact Randa Remer at (502) 863-8121 or Marian Vester at development@ponyclub.org . This is a great chance to check out one of our Pony Club Scholarship Colleges in person and talk to current students.

Also visit the Scholarship page on the Pony Club web site to check out other colleges and universities offering Pony Club Scholarships, in addition to the scholarships offered through Pony Club.  There are many types of equine programs from curriculum based to riding based, with a wide variety of educational opportunities.  Many of these schools will be represented in the trade fair at Championships, and usually attend our Annual Meeting.  This is a great chance to talk to the representatives to find out more about the programs.  However, it is always advisable to make a visit to each campus to see and talk with students and college representatives. 

For more information about Pony Club scholarships contact Marian Vester at development@ponyclub.org . 

Activities Update:
2006 North American Junior Championship for Dressage Qualifying Criteria and Selection Procedures Now Available 

The United States Dressage Federation (USDF) is pleased to announce that the 2006 FEI North American Junior Championship for Dressage (NAJC) Qualifying Criteria and Selection Procedures for dressage competitors are now available.  All competitors interested in qualifying for the 2006 NAJC should obtain a copy of the 2006 NAJC Qualifying Criteria and Selection Procedures for dressage competitors, at http://www.usdf.org/Programs/FEINorthAmericanJuniorChampionships/ or by contacting Sheila Forbes, USDF Director of Programs, at (859) 271-7879 or sforbes@usdf.org.  Included in the procedures is information on how to declare your intent to qualify for this event.  A competitor’s declaration of intent must be postmarked and sent to USDF no later than April 15, 2006.
 
The 2006 NAJC will be held in conjunction with the North American Young Riders’ Championship, August 1-6, at the Virginia Horse Center, in Lexington, VA.  Each of the nine USDF regions will have the opportunity to field a team of FEI-level Juniors and a team of FEI-level Young Riders to compete at these events.   They will also feature competitors from Central America, the Caribbean Islands, and Bermuda, as well as each province of Canada. Dressage competitors from the United States must qualify for their respective regional teams by satisfying the requirements outlined in the USDF/USEF approved criteria and selection procedures.  FEI Juniors must qualify by obtaining three scores in both the FEI Junior Team Test and the FEI Junior Individual Test.  They are also required to compete in at least one FEI Junior Freestyle Test. Scores earned between August 1, 2005, and July 1, 2006, may be used to qualify.
 
Founded in 1973, the United States Dressage Federation is a nonprofit membership organization dedicated to education, the recognition of achievement, and the promotion of the sport of dressage. For more information about USDF membership or programs, visit www.usdf.org, e-mail usdressage@usdf.org, or call (859) 971-2277.
 
2006 Lendon Gray Youth Dressage Festival

Friday, August 11 to Sunday, August 13, 2006
Hits on the Hudson Show Grounds, Saugerties, NY

The USPC plans to send one or two teams to Lendon Gray's Youth Dressage Festival this year. The plan is to send a team for the FEI Division as well as a lower level team. For full particulars on the competition go to www.dressage4kids.com. While most of the cost of this competition will be the responsibility of the competitor, the Dressage Committee is doing fundraising to assist with entry fees and stabling costs.

To qualify for the USPC Team you will need to file a declaration of intent to compete as well as fulfilling the qualifying criteria. The Declaration must be filed by June 15th. The paperwork is available at http://ponyclub.org/specialopps.php.  Please send this paperwork to Wayne Quarles, USPC Activities Director, Activities@ponyclub.org or by mail to 4041 Iron Works Pkwy, Lexington, KY 40511 or Fax to 859-233-4652.