United States Eventing Association

As riders, balance and core strength are key components to success in the saddle, and there are many small things that riders can do outside the saddle to improve those factors.

Boyd Martin is an absolute asset to the sport of eventing in the United States. A frequent member of the U.S. Eventing Team at international championships, Martin consistently produces horses to the top level of the sport and carves out time to give back to the community by teaching at his own Windurra USA in West Grove, Pennsylvania in addition to traveling to teach clinics nationwide.

Jay Duke believes that good horsemanship is good horsemanship. It doesn’t matter if a rider dons a hunt coat, a cross-country vest, or dressage coattails. A Canadian Show Jumping Team veteran, renowned clinician, and founder of the Jay Duke Equestrian Virtual Lesson Subscription Program, Duke has become a popular choice for eventers as well as show jumping athletes for his ability to bring out the best in horses and riders.

Cindy Deporter led a session at the 2018 USEA Annual Meeting & Convention focused on providing problem-solving tools for officials. A varied panel of speakers helped to answer questions about specific scenarios and engaged in short role-playing sessions to demonstrate potential scenarios and how best to respond.

A combination that can be found on almost every cross-country course starting at the Novice level is the coffin combination. As the levels go up, so does the difficulty of the coffin question. The distances become shorter, coffins become bigger, and the terrain becomes steeper - even the name itself sounds intimidating.

The dressage test is the first of the three phases in eventing. Intended to demonstrate "the harmonious development of the physique and ability of the horse," the dressage test contains a prescribed list of movements to be carried out in front of a judge, or judges, and which is then given a penalty score that horse and rider carry through to the end of the competition.

The first step to understanding how best to care for the horse’s joints is to understand the anatomy of the joint – all the different pieces that come together to make the joint healthy and able to accomplish its job. There are five major components of the joint – the joint capsule, synovial membrane, synovial fluid, articular cartilage, and the subchondral bone.

The next step for potential judges after attending the training sessions is your apprentice judging. Apprentice judging takes all of the important information learned during the training session and shows how to apply it in real-world situations. While shadowing licensed officials, you get a much better understanding of how to apply the rules and what circumstances to take into consideration.

One of the most rewarding things about riding is that it provides you with years of endless, amazing memories. From the crazy times spent with your horses to the comical times spent with your trainers and mates, there’s no shortage of wonderful things to remember.

Earlier this month, five-star eventer and Olympian Boyd Martin taught a show jumping clinic at Wheatland Farm in Purcellville, Virginia where he guided participants through a series of exercises designed to improve rideability.