United States Eventing Association

Following the announcement of the application process opening for the USEA Emerging Athlete U21 Program (EA21), the United States Eventing Association (USEA) is excited to announce the dates for each of the five EA21 Regional Clinics that will be hosted this summer. The purpose of the USEA Emerging Athletes U21 program (EA21) is to identify and provide consistent quality instruction to the next generation of elite event riders. The aim is to create a pipeline for potential team riders by identifying and developing young talent, providing them with training and development.

Applications for the USEA Emerging Athlete U21 Program in 2025 are now available for those who meet the requirements to apply. The purpose of the USEA Emerging Athletes U21 program (EA21) is to identify and provide consistent quality instruction to the next generation of elite event riders. The aim is to create a pipeline for potential team riders by identifying and developing young talent, providing them with training and development.

Following the conclusion of the 2024 USEA Emerging Athletes U21 (EA21) program and with applications for the 2025 program opening soon, USEA Podcast host Nicole Brown chats with EA21 Regional Coach Rebecca Brown about the growth of the program over the past three years and the many successes that arose from the 2024-2025 EA21 National Camp. Plus, Brown also breaks down how to incorporate some of the iconic EA21 exercises into your own training at home!

The 2024-2025 USEA Emerging Athletes U21 (EA21) National Camp which took place in Ocala, Florida, over the course of last week was another exciting educational experience for this year's EA21 Athletes. Take a look back at all of the coverage from this year's camp here and check out some of our favorite photos taken across the week below.

From the classroom lecture to the riding sessions, the focus on the final day brought those final finishing touches to bear on the athletes of the 2024-2025 Emerging Athletes Under 21 (EA21) National Camp held at Sweet Dixie South.

“There are 385 million people in the U.S., and only 3.8 million have horses,” David O’Connor said as he began the classroom session on day 4 of the Emerging Athletes Under 21 (EA21) National Camp. “Not all of them are into eventing.”

A change in the original schedule of the Emerging Athletes Under 21 (EA21) National Camp brought cross-country day forward to the third day instead of the original final day. Alongside his work with the U.S. Equestrian Federation and the FEI, EA21 Director of Coaching David O’Connor advises the Caisson Detachment of the 3rd United States Infantry Regiment on horsemanship and will be traveling to Arlington, Virginia, to attend the state funeral of former President Jimmy Carter. But no one was disappointed by the change.

Having established clear lines of communication yesterday on the flat, it was time to take those tools to the jumping arena during day two of the 2024-2025 Emerging Athlete Under 21 (EA21) National Camp held at Sweet Dixie South in Ocala, Florida. The curriculum for the second day focused on the rider’s responsibilities and maintaining rideability.

“There’s got to be things that you believe to your core,” EA21 Director of Coaching David O’Connor began on the first day of the 2024-2025 Emerging Athletes Under 21 (EA21) National Camp held at Sweet Dixie South in Ocala, Florida. “For me, that’s communication.”

This week 12 talented Young Rider athletes from all over the country have gathered together in Ocala, Florida, for the 2024-2025 USEA Emerging Athletes U21 National Camp (EA21), led by EA21 Director of Coaching David O'Connor! These riders were hand-selected following the five USEA EA21 Regional Clinics that took place in the summer of 2024 and will spend the week immersed in an educational experience like no other with classroom sessions, hands-on learning led by industry experts, and in-the-saddle instruction facilitated by O'Connor. The National Camp kicks off tomorrow on Dec. 31, 2024 and will run through Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025.