Juniors and Young Riders! Here’s your chance to work and train with Gina Miles or Boyd Martin for two weeks!

About The Youth Board Advancement Grant:
The USEA Youth Board will be awarding Youth Board Advancement Grants at the end of the summer to two deserving Junior/Young Riders. These grants will provide an opportunity for each selected rider to spend two weeks working and training at a high performance barn.

The goal of the USEA Youth Board Advancement Grants is to place deserving young riders in an environment where they will have the opportunity to experience first hand what it takes to compete successfully at the upper levels.

The Youth Board will award one young rider the opportunity to immerse him or herself at a high performance eventing operation on the east coast and one young rider to do the same at a location on the west coast, based on his or her location of residence. International rider and trainer Boyd Martin will represent the east, while 2008 Olympic Silver Medalist Gina Miles will represent the west. 

Awarded riders will coordinate with respective trainers to determine a time and schedule that works for both parties.

"Silva and I are very excited to be involved with the live-in training program of one of tomorrow's future champions," said Boyd Martin. "We believe that true understanding of what happens behind the scenes of training top event horses can be gained by this live-in experience. But make no mistake, whom ever gets the grant, it won't be a holiday camp! There will be a lot of hard work and intense training sessions with your horse. But at the end of the day, if we can play a small part in helping one young rider become an American eventing champion, then it's worth it."

The grants will cover all costs associated with the time each rider spends with Boyd and Gina. Riders will be selected based on the following criteria:

Criteria:
1. Riders must be between the ages of 10 and 21 years old and active competitors in the sport of eventing, or demonstrate the desire to compete regularly and advance.

2. While there is no requirement for minimum level of competition completed, riders must NOT have competed beyond the Preliminary level.

3. Riders should demonstrate a strong aspiration to compete at a North American Junior and Young Riders' Championship and/or at the Advanced level

4. Applicants must complete the Youth Board Advancement Grant Application and submit to Youth Board representative Nate Chambers by AUGUST 17, 2009. Grant receiving riders will be selected August 31, 2009. Mailing address for submissions is included on the application.

5. Selected riders will be asked to keep a diary of their experiences at their respective high performance barn, which will be published in the USEA’s online and/or print magazines.

The Application:
The application consists of questions about you, your horse, and your riding experience. You will also be asked to write a 500 word essay describing why you would like to receive this grant. You will also need to submit your horse's 2009 competition record which can be accessed via Dahsboard: https://dashboard.useventing.com/dashboard/ 

Download the Youth Board Advancement Grant Application here:
http://www.useventing.com/resources/files/docs/youth_board_grant_application.pdf

For questions, please contact Youth Board representative Nate Chambers: NCEventing@aol.com