August/Septemer 2026 Issue

August/September 2026 | EAST COAST EQUESTRIAN 54 Continued from page 42 and PlatinumJumper Championships. The South Region brought together riders from Zones 3, 4 and 7, giving juniors and amateurs a chance to ride in team formats and test themselves under championship pressure. ### Young Dressage Riders Get Their Continental Stage USDF announced its 2026 FEI North American Youth Dressage Champi- onships athletes on July 15, with the competition July 27-Aug. 2 at Great Lakes Equestrian Festival. Region 1 names include Children’s riders Blakely Begonia and SamanthaWood; Juniors Miriam Bacon, Claire Pratt, Hayden Kane and Meagan Kelliher; and Young Riders Laila Edwards and Isabella Figanika. ### The U25WorldChampionshipAdds A Podium Note July also gave U.S. eventing an inter- national development story. At the FEI Eventing World Championship for Young Horses and U25 riders in Millstreet, Ireland, Olivia Dutton and Jewelent rose through the standings to earn individual bronze in the U25 division. ### Pimlico’s Future Moves From De- bate To Details In Maryland, the racing story moved from broad debate into practical de- tail. Pimlico redevelopment planning continues, with Maryland Stadium Authority materials pointing toward the Preakness returning to Pimlico in 2027 and additional clubhouse work aimed for 2028. ### The Horse Census Comes Back Around One of the quietest butmost important industry stories is the return of broad national equine data. USDA’s NAHMS Equine 2026 study begins Phase I on Aug. 1 and will contact randomly selected equine operations in all 50 states with five or more equids. It will look at care, health management, disease occurrence, veterinary use and at-risk or transitioning horses. For an industry that often relies on old numbers, a new snapshot matters. ### More State Notes In West Virginia, SB 1060 updated Thoroughbred racing laws by ex- panding eligibility for West Virgin- ia-certified horses and doubling the restricted-race funding cap from $1 million to $2 million. New Jersey had two business items in July: Monmouth Park is set to receive a $10 million purse supplement for 2027, while NYRA Bets went live in the state on July 1. In Pennsylvania, Philadel- phia’s updated carriage-horse rules permanently bans all commercial and noncommercial horse-drawn carriage operations, imposes heavy daily fines for violations, and took effect on June 26. ### Ocala Keeps Building Toward A Bigger Role World Equestrian Center - Ocala continues to expand its national rel- evance, and the larger conversation around the 2027 PanAmerican Eques- trian Confederation Championship of the Americas adds to that trajec- tory. Scheduled for January 2027, the event is expected to bring dressage, show jumping and eventing into one multi-discipline championship. Ocala is becoming an ecosystem for sport, spectators, commerce and year-round equestrian life. ### Polo Summer is Social Maryland Polo Club in Jarrettsville marked its 40th season, Poolesville maintainied its “Polosville” identity through Congressional and Seneca polo, and Pennsylvania clubs kept their cards full, from Brandywine and Lancaster to Tinicum Park and Northpointe. New York added its own layer, with Meadow Brook’s July USPA schedule on Long Island and Mashomack’s summer tournaments in Millbrook. Polo is also community — tailgates, ponies, families, friends and fast chukkers at dusk. Check out your local club’s schedule. the feed AUG/SEPT 2026 November 2025 Marks 49 Years Family Owned o vember 2025 Marks 49 Years Family Owne d Nov mber 2025 Marks Years Family Owned