United States Eventing Association

Every year, the Charles Owen Technical Merit Award is presented in each of the 10 USEA areas, awarding junior and adult amateur riders for their safe and effective cross-country riding technique. The Genesee Valley Riding & Driving Club Horse Trials (GVRDC), August 17-18, 2019, hosted the Area I leg of the award and adult amateur rider Jax Maxian was named the recipient.

The Charles Owen Technical Merit Award visits each of the 10 USEA Areas each year, presenting one junior and one adult amateur rider at the Training level with an award based on safe and effective cross-country riding. The Area VIII leg of the Charles Owen Technical Merit Award took place at the Cobblestone Farms Horse Trials, August 2-4, 2019. Noah Stanlaske and Michelle Weeks earned the junior and adult amateur awards, respectively.

Area X’s leg of the Charles Owen Technical Merit Award took place at the Coconino Summer I Horse Trials in Flagstaff, Arizona on July 5-7, 2019. Over the course of the year, the Charles Owen Technical Merit Award is presented at one event in each of the 10 USEA Areas, rewarding riders for their safe and effective cross-country riding. Kimberly Storm and Leslie Villela walked away winners of the Charles Owen Technical Merit Award at Coconino.

On Sunday, June 16, Molly Sullivan and Kate Swain were named the two winners of the Charles Owen Technical Merit award for Area IX at Golden Spike Horse Trials.

One of the most highly respected event officials in the country, Wayne Quarles, will be judging Area IX’s USEA Charles Owen Technical Merit Award (COTM) at Golden Spike Horse Trials in Ogden, Utah on Sunday, June 16.

This week’s USEA Podcast episode is all about the Charles Owen Technical Merit Award. Founded in 2009 by the Professional Horseman’s Council and Charles Owen, the Charles Owen Technical Merit Award is presented to one junior and one adult amateur at the Training level who displays safe and effective cross-country riding technique.

The first of 10 Charles Owen Technical Merit competitions took place February 21-24 at the Pine Top Horse Trials in Thompson, Georgia. Over the course of the year, the Charles Owen Technical Merit Award will be presented at one event in each of the 10 USEA Areas, rewarding riders for their safe and effective cross-country riding.

The Charles Owen Technical Merit (COTM) Award aims to reward juniors and adult amateurs that demonstrate safe and appropriate cross-country riding technique and educate riders and trainers as to what constitutes safe cross-country riding.

East of Dallas and west of the Texas-Louisiana state line is Texas Rose Horse Park, a household name to Area V eventers. On November 9-10, Area V wrapped up the 2018 season with Texas Rose Horse Park Fall Horse Trials and awarded Kristin Curreri and Caleb McCombs the Charles Owen Technical Merit Awards.

Finishing the season with a positive note, Full Moon Farm was excited to host Area II’s Charles Owen Technical Merit Award. Judged by Stephen Bradley, Elizabeth Welker-Ebling on Santana II and Nicholas D’Amore on Celtic Heritage took home the Charles Owen Technical Merit Awards for their safe effective cross-country rounds.