United States Eventing Association

As the curtains close on the 2024 competition season, the USEA is looking back at an incredibly busy fall season. With the MARS Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill, two Dutta. Corp USEA Young Event Horse Championships, Area Championships in all 10 sections of the country, and more, there was no shortage of excitement, but the rise in IEL Team Challenges was certainly a highlight of the year for the USEA Interscholastic Eventing League (IEL). Since we last reported in October, 13 additional IEL Team Challenges were hosted at events across Areas II, III, IV, VI, and VIII, to bring the grand total for the year to 44 challenges.

As 2024 draws to a close, we would be remiss not to recognize the many volunteers who dedicate countless hours of their free time to the success of our sport. There were 72,374 hours logged in the USEA’s Volunteer Incentive Program (VIP) this year across the 171 events that utilized the eventingvolunteers.com platform to log volunteer time. This impressive amount of volunteer time was contributed by 4,378 amazing VIP volunteers.

Are you following along with the action from home this weekend? Or maybe you're competing at an event and need information fast. Either way, we’ve got you covered! Check out the USEA’s Weekend Quick Links for links to information including the prize list, ride times, live scores, and more for all the events running this weekend.

This time next Friday, the USEA Annual Meeting & Convention will be well underway in Seattle, Washington, at The Westin Seattle, and we want to make sure you make the most out of your trip. The Convention schedule for Dec. 12-15 is brimming with opportunities for education and socializing with your fellow eventing enthusiasts, and there are several seminars you won’t want to miss.

The following is an excerpt from "Neuroathletics For Riders: Innovative Exercises That Train Your Brain and Change Your Nervous System for Optimal Health and Peak Performance" by Marc Nölke and published by Trafalgar Square Books/HorseandRiderBooks.com.

In eventing, riders go to great lengths to protect their horses from the demands of competition. Whether it’s the complex terrain of cross-country, the sharp turns of show jumping, or the long hours of hacking and training, every stride places stress on a horse's legs. Protective boots play a key role in guarding against impact injuries and strain—but they can inadvertently trap heat, potentially leading to fatigue, discomfort, and even long-term health issues.

The United States Eventing Association (USEA) is pleased to announce the continued partnership with Nunn Finer for 2024. Nunn Finer has been a supporter of the USEA for over 30 years and their assistance helps to fund some of the overall leaderboard cash prizes.

High-performance sport, gender-equality, and female empowerment take center stage in the exciting film, "Hoof Dreams," which follows the journeys of top international eventers Tamie Smith, Lauren Billys, and Julia Krajewski on the road to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. At this year's USEA Annual Meeting & Convention in Seattle, Washington, meet Emmy-nominated filmmaker and director of "Hoof Dreams," Jessie Deeter, and one of the movie's stars, Smith, in-person during an exclusive screening for USEA Members on the evening of Saturday, Dec. 14. Purchase your ticket here.

The Southern Arizona Eventing Association (SAzEA) Fall Horse Trials in Tucson, Arizona, was the host to the final USEA Area Championship of the 2024 season. The Area X Championship offered four divisions at the Training, Novice, Beginner Novice, and Starter levels. Get to know each of the horse and rider pairs who rose to the challenge in Arizona this year below!

With the end of the year just a few weeks away, the dream team of USEA Podcast Host Nicole Brown, USEA CEO Rob Burk, USEA President Lou Leslie, and Equiratings' Diarm Byrne, all got together to look back on the ups and the downs of the 2024 U.S. eventing season. This is an episode you won't want to miss as we gear up for what is to come in 2025!