Sometimes all it takes is a little luck on your side to make your dreams come true. We recently asked our USEA membership to share why they feel so lucky to be partnered with the horses they compete with, and we received over 100 heartwarming stories! We compiled some of our favorites below in celebration of today’s luck-themed holiday.
The USEA Emerging Athletes U21 (EA21) program was established in 2022 with the aim of creating a pipeline for potential U.S. team riders by identifying and developing young talent and pairing them up with influential educators within the sport of eventing to improve their skills both in and out of the saddle.
The U.S. Equestrian Federation has announced the host location and dates for the 2024 and 2025 USEF Eventing Young Rider Championships (CCI1*, CCI2*-S, CCI3*-S). The Maryland International and Horse Trials will host the Championships in Adamstown, Maryland, on July 5-7, 2024, and July 6-8, 2025.
Are you an Adult Rider interested in setting new competitions goals for 2024? Would you like the opportunity to compete in a team environment and meet new friends with similar life experiences? Consider competing in a USEA Adult Team Challenge this year! Start building team camaraderie and get valuable competition experience at your Area’s Adult Team Challenges and consider setting your sights on the pinnacle competition of the year, the Adult Team Championships (ATC) at the USEA American Eventing Championships (AEC).
Losing a horse can shake a rider to their core and leave them questioning if they have the heart to carry on, but 2024 EA21 National Camp athlete Braden Speck had to learn how to channel all of his love for the sport of eventing after heartbreakingly losing three horses in a row due to uncontrollable circumstances.
One of the hottest topics in any equestrian industry is gut health. Attendees of the 2023 USEA Annual Meeting & Convention were treated to a crash course in the equine digestive system led by Doug Leavitt and Alex Brannon with USEA sponsor Nutrena Feeds. Leavitt and Brannon talked in-depth about the role probiotics and calcite can play in gut and immune support in horses and how Nutrena’s newest proprietary blend, Digestive Shield, checks all of the boxes.
Applications for the USEA Emerging Athlete U21 Program are now available. 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. The intention is to provide young athletes with access to an added level of horsemanship and riding skills in order to further their training and skill development with greater consistency.
There are currently 48 states which are covered under the Equine Activity Liability Act. This act, which does not apply in the states of California or Maryland, shifts the burden of the risk involved in equine activities onto the participant. However, as USEA Board of Governor member and attorney Yvonne Ocrant pointed out during her seminar, “Equine Law 101: Understanding & Minimizing Risk of Liability in Equine Activities,” which took place during the 2023 USEA Annual Meeting & Convention, there are always exceptions to every rule.
Did you know that in 2023 there were 2,535 members of the USEA Adult Rider Program? The USEA Adult Rider Program is for all adults, amateur or professional, 22 years and older. The program’s goal is to increase adult rider participation in eventing as both riders and volunteers. It aims to do so by including adults across all skill and experience levels in a supportive program that promotes education, volunteerism, friendly competition, recognition, and just plain fun.
My story of me and horses started in 2016 when was 5, and I was diagnosed with leukemia. During treatment there were many times when my immunity would be so low that I would be quarantined away from my friends and couldn’t go to school to avoid getting sick. A common cold could have been really bad for me, and many times I was so sick I didn’t want to get out of my bed.
Molly Duda picked up eventing just five years ago, and when she did, she never would have expected to have the 2023 she had.