United States Eventing Association

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.

There is so much to be thankful for this holiday season: our horses, family, barn besties, coaches, grooms... the list goes on and on! However, we would be remiss not to reflect on how grateful we are for our supporters, too. This Black Friday weekend, consider shopping with the companies that support the sport of eventing year-round—our USEA Sponsors!

The horses in trainer Joe Davis’ barn at Horseshoe Indianapolis don’t just get standard hay in their nets each day. Throughout the afternoon, Davis or one of his employees opens the HayGain machine that sits at the end of his shed row and pulls out a warm, beautiful-smelling bale of freshly-steamed hay to fill their nets.

Every now and then, a video goes viral on social media of a rider heroically going around a show jumping or cross-country course with one, or no, stirrups. There’s a great one of Mark Todd going around Badminton with a broken stirrup, and you just wonder how on earth a course that difficult could be jumped like that—because it’s hard enough with two stirrups!

The past few years have seen veterinary imaging for horses grow by leaps and bounds. Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were once rare and expensive luxuries for veterinarians trying to diagnose a horse, only accessible in a few places in the country. These days, more referral clinics are getting ahold of machines to bring advanced imaging closer to more people and horses. Some of these newer machines are faster and don’t require horses to undergo full anesthesia to get images.

2020 was a year of extreme change for the world as the COVID-19 pandemic spread. After enduring lockdowns and restrictions, people’s priorities changed. For some, it was a year of transformation. Adult amateur Susan Hamblen was one of those people, ready to quit riding until she met a young pinto crossbred of unknown breeding in rural eastern Pennsylvania who would change her life.

There are lots of podcasts related to horse sports out there. You can find training advice, stable management tips, and even veterinary recommendations in various podcasts. But the podcast series “Riders Unscripted” from Ride iQ is the first, to my knowledge, that features one-on-one conversations between amateur riders and a sports psychology coach.

The United States Eventing Association (USEA) American Eventing Championships presented by Nutrena Feeds (AEC) is the annual national championship for every level of the Olympic equestrian sport of eventing. The USEA is officially accepting bids for the following service providers at the 2025 USEA AEC which takes place Aug. 26-31, at Galway Downs in Temecula, California.

“Wow, I wasn’t expecting that. He is quite the athlete!” Such comments are fairly common for Jennifer Skinner to hear about her American Quarter Horse stallion Bullys Legacy (“Diggy”). Eleven years ago Skinner, a professional barrel racing and young horse trainer in Bryan, Texas, welcomed the bay colt into the world—he’d been the culmination of dream bloodlines, bred for a career in her industry.

The United States Eventing Association, Inc. (USEA) is happy to announce that Parker Equine Insurance will return as the “Official Equine Insurance Provider of the USEA” for 2024 and 2025. As part of their corporate sponsorship of the USEA, Parker Equine Insurance will provide support for several programs as a “Gold Sponsor of the USEA American Eventing Championships,” a “Contributing Sponsor of the USEA Classic Series,” a “Contributing Sponsor of the USEA Young Event Horse Program,” a “Bronze Sponsor of the USEA Annual Meeting and Convention,” and the “Insurance Partner of the USEA Eventing Coaches Program.”