United States Eventing Association

There aren’t many riders who can say they competed at five of the world’s seven five-star events in 2023, but the 2023 World Equestrian Brands USEA Rider of the Year Boyd Martin can. With nine starts across the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event, Longines Luhmühlen Horse Trials (Germany), Defender Burghley Horse Trials (England), MARS Maryland 5 Star, and Pau (France), Martin earned five top-5 finishes.

Bethany Hutchins-Kristen headed into 2023 with hopes of earning the SmartPak USEA Stallion of the Year award for a second year in a row on her homebred Geluk HVF, and after a stellar season, including a top-10 finish at the TerraNova CCI2*-L (Myakka City, Florida), she took home the top prize with an 18-point lead.

Katie Crowley didn’t have intentions of breeding horses, but when her Hosteiner mare Travita proved to have a bit too much fire to handle, it was suggested that breeding her might settle her some.

The little gray Connemara cross gelding Delilah’s Boy has made quite a big name for himself in eventing. Since starting his eventing career in 2019, the now 13-year-old pony has celebrated 11 wins and countless top-3 finishes at the Novice and Beginner Novice levels, including a win at the U.S. Pony Club Championships in 2019 with former owner/rider Macie Sykes. It was his fabulous 2023 season, however, that earned Delilah’s Boy the title of the 2023 SmartPak USEA Pony of the Year with young rider Kendal Fansler of Clarksville, Maryland, in the irons.

Liz Halliday admits she’s not one to spend too much time in the past, but after a very “transitional” 2023, she’s taken the time to reflect on the changes in her life and the amazing horse power she has in her barn. Halliday topped the USEA leaderboard’s 2023 Bates USEA Lady Rider of the Year standings with results on 13 different horses from Novice to the CCI5*-L level.

The USEA is saddened to share the passing of the 2023 USEA Ironmaster Award winner Karen Nyrop. Karen was known around the country for not only her services as a veterinarian, but also as a passionate horsewoman and a very dear friend. She was always quick to accept the call of duty and offer up her time as a delegate for FEI veterinary commissions at the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event, the Maryland 5 Star, and countless other competitions in both the United States and Canada. KAren was actively involved with the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) and the USEA Equine Safety and Welfare Committee.

It was 2017, and Christa Schmidt found herself in the market for a nice Preliminary/one-star horse to help her make some of her amateur aspirations come true when Karen O’Connor told her about a Holsteiner gelding by the name of Capitol H I M (Con Air x O-Heraldika).

United States Eventing Association (USEA) members from all over the country gathered on Saturday night for the 2023 USEA Annual Meeting & Convention Year End Awards Ceremony. The evening’s ceremony was led by Master of Ceremonies Jim Wolf and recognized riders, horses, and game-changers in the sport of eventing with multiple awards and grants.

Hosting the Annual Meeting of Members each December has been a requirement set forth by the United States Eventing Association (USEA) by-laws (then the United States Combined Training Association) since 1959. This year, USEA members are gathering in St. Louis, Missouri, for the USEA Annual Meeting & Convention from Dec. 7 - Dec. 10 for four jam-packed days of educational seminars and open forums full of conversation surrounding our sport. Lunch on Friday, however, served as an opportunity for attendees to gather together for the USEA Meeting of Members once again.

Joan Harper didn’t get her chance to shine in the saddle until she was in her 50s. A lifelong horse lover, Harper trail rode and played around at a few 4-H horse shows in her younger years, but after her daughter was introduced to Pony Club, Harper started soaking up everything she could about the sport, eventually becoming a prominent face in the North Carolina eventing community as a top-tier volunteer and course decorator.