Stacey Reap

Wearing six pairs of socks, she qualifies for the ASPCA Maclay National Finals.

Lauren Sogard had a little last-minute equipment failure, but that didn’t stop her from prevailing over 64 competitors in the Region 4 Midwest Maclay Regional, held Sept. 19 at the Kentucky National in Lexington.

Lindsay Clark may have brought a touch of good luck with her to Centenary College (N.J.), from her family’s New Paltz, N.Y., Lucky C Stables. She helped add four more impressive Cs to the school’s resume—the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association’s Collegiate Cup team championship and the coveted USEF/Cacchione Cup for her individual performance as top open rider.

“We were really consistent. Every one of our riders was really strong,” said Michael Dowling, who was previously Centenary’s assistant coach and took over the head coach position from Andrea Wells this year.

The organization’s leaders are planning for the future but not forgetting the past.

For an organization steeped in 55 years of tradition, it can be difficult to loosen the grasp on the past, but members and leaders of the U.S. Pony Clubs continue to demonstrate that they are willing to make room for innovation, while maintaining the group’s core belief system. Exemplifying that mindset were the yellow “Why Change?” stickers sported by attendees of the USPC’s Annual Meeting, held Jan. 21-25 in Greenville, S.C., and organized by the Carolina Region.

On Sept. 25, Haylie Jayne, 16, duplicated her older siblings' titles in the ASPCA Midwest Regional by taking top honors in the class, held at the
Kentucky National in Lexington, while her 18-year-old brother, Charlie, was hot on her heels in second. Charlie won Region 4 in 2001, sandwiched by sister Maggie's victories in 2000 and 2002.

Julie Welles, 17, capitalized on the relationship she's formed with Gabby Slome's Lando to win the ASPCA Northeast Regional, held Sept. 25 at the Grand
Fall Classic in Westbrook, Conn.

Welles, of West Simsbury, Conn., typically finds herself astride whatever steed trainer Missy Clark brings to a show. She also rides the variety of mounts available at the Ethel Walker School (Conn.), where she is a student and trains with Linda Langmeier, and her mother is the assistant director of riding.

As a veterinarian and a farrier, Scott Morrison, a podiatrist and co-owner of Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Ky., sees a lot of troubled feet and more than his fair share of quarter cracks. He thinks many of these problems can be attributed, at least in part, to the lifestyle many of these horses lead.

Though proper repair techniques can be an integral part of the process, long-term resolution of most quarter cracks requires a close look at the primary cause of the defect—foot dysfunction....

The Connecticut teen beats some stiff competition to qualify for the ASPCA Maclay National Finals.

A look at the issues driving the markets and how they translate into the heart-fluttering feed bills horse owners now face.

Anyone feeding a horse today knows that hay and grain prices have surged to new heights.

The organization has a renewed focus on the basics.

The past few years have brought many innovative changes to what some might consider a very traditional organization, the U.S. Pony Club.

The upper-level rating system has been revamped and now includes the option for members to rate in show jumping- and dressage-focused tracks. The age limit for membership has been increased to 25 from 21.