United States Eventing Association

For the first time, the annual USEA ECP Symposium will be heading West to offer this three-day, immersive educational experience to a wider audience of interested candidates. On Jan. 14-16, 2025, the ECP Symposium will be hosted by Galway Downs in Temecula, California, and all are encouraged to attend. Whether you are an interested coach, rider, parent, owner, breeder, or avid supporter of the sport of eventing, there is a place for you to learn at next year’s symposium.

Bec Braitling is passionate about continuing education in the sport of eventing— not just for riders, but for coaches as well.

The United States Eventing Associations’ (USEA) Eventing Coaches Program (ECP) is pleased to announce the dates and location of the upcoming 2025 USEA ECP Symposium, hosted by Galway Downs. The annual ECP Symposium, which is typically held in the southeast U.S., will be moving West next year to further open the door to education to a wider audience of interested candidates. The symposium will now be hosted on Jan. 14-16, at Galway Downs in Temecula, California.

Group rides are an important tool to include in the education of both riders and horses to give them a well-rounded education, enhance the rider’s skills, and give confidence to both horses and riders. Managed well, group rides also add to the enjoyment of our sport.

You wouldn’t have to do an extensive search to find many ways to utilize pole exercises to benefit horses in training and development, so this article is going to look at pole exercises in a different way—how can we use them to benefit rider development and in all three phases.

“Nobody in their right mind would start coaching riders again after enjoying such a nice, long career away,” said Cass Kordecki with a laugh as she helped pack her 12-year-old daughter Rachel Strong up to attend the Catalpa Corner Charity Horse Trials (Iowa City, Iowa). Kordecki, who is in her mid-50s now, began her eventing journey in the ‘80s, but life took her away from the sport for a while until her daughter showed a love for horses at a very early age.

Recently, while teaching the USEA EA21 Central Clinic in Kansas City, Missouri, I found myself reflecting on what it means to produce eventing horses all around this huge country where trainers, coaches, and athletes find themselves with vast differences in access to cross-country courses, schooling fields, or just open land.

What’s a Hunter Pace? The Sherwood Forest Equestrian Center's Hunter Pace is a cross-country-style course around Sherwood Forest over various natural obstacles/terrain. The course ends with a final treat for riders to take in stunning views of Mt. Hood with a loop through the old Far Hill Farms field. The beginning of the course will first start with a warm-up loop around show jumping obstacles in the outdoor ring at Sherwood Forest and then riders will continue directly onto the course. Sign up as a solo rider, pair, or team.

Why do some horses and riders always seem to find their balance and their feet when the unexpected happens? The answer may lie in the time-tested practice of gymnastic exercises. Every rider, every horse, at every level can benefit from the use of ground poles, cavalletti, and gymnastic exercises over small fences. This article is aimed at improving the balance and stability of both horse and rider. Improved balance and stability not only contribute to better show jumping and cross-country jumping, but are the foundations of more secure and safer riding.

Sleeping Fox Farm Eventing is honored to host three-time Olympic medalist Phillip Dutton (USA) for a two-day clinic at Leg Up Farm in Mount Wolf, Pennsylvania. The event will take place June 1-2, and will start at 8:00 a.m. each day.