United States Eventing Association

The U.S. Eventing Association (USEA) Board of Governors (BOG) recently approved a change to the USEA Eventing Coaches Program (ECP) levels.

In 2021, the ECP, then known as the Instructors Certification Program, changed levels to align with FEI competition levels. Since then, the ECP Committee has learned that having certification levels that included more than one competition level was making it difficult for coaches to achieve eligibility to obtain certification at Level I and II due to the requirement that a coach have at least three students competing at the top level of certification.

Nottingham IPH has refinement. He possesses a nice fine tail hair and coat and an interesting shape. He is a little in two parts—what’s in front of the shoulder and what’s behind. I’d prefer to see his near fore forwards by 6"-8” and hind feet the same apart as the front to achieve an ‘open stance.' The camera angle should be square to the girth. His stance in this photo suggests a rather straight shoulder and a straight hind leg. Interestingly, a straight shoulder often accompanies a straight hind leg. There must be a reason, but I don’t know it!

Being a successful eventer involves so much more than riding the three phases of dressage, cross-country, and show jumping. Joan Simmons, a founding member of what is now the USEA Eventing Coaches Program (ECP) and a Level III USEA ECP Certified Coach, shared her thoughts about how, more than riding, horsemanship is the foundation of a successful eventing partnership.

The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) Eventing Watch List ("Watch List”) program has undergone a review and, as a result, the process has been updated. The Watch List is comprised of USEF and/or USEA members competing in the U.S. who have been identified as displaying potentially dangerous or unsafe riding during warm-up or any phase at a USEF Eventing Licensed Competition, received an FEI Eventing Recorded Warning or Yellow Card for Dangerous Riding at any FEI event, been penalized at a national competition for Dangerous Riding, or received a Yellow Warning card for Dangerous Riding at a national competition. The goal of the Watch List is to improve rider safety and provide licensed officials (Technical Delegates and Ground Jury) the opportunity to observe athletes at future events.

Putting 70-plus eventing coaches and instructors in a room and asking them to share their opinions and experiences could be considered the definition of organized chaos. But at the 2022 and 2023 Eventing Coaches Program (ECP) Educational Symposiums, the resulting thoughtful and creative discussion has become a popular educational segment of the symposium, the fruits of which will be helpful to coaches and students alike.

As a selector in the Gorsebridge Go for Gold Event Horse Sale, we can have over 300 horses coming at us during the selection days. A standard routine is needed which does not change. My first question is, "Has the horse quality?" By quality I mean Thoroughbred % or Thoroughbred influence. I’m convinced the Thoroughbred influence brings "forward thinking" to the individual—so important in the performance horse. I reckon a Thoroughbred looks into the distance and his horizon is way out there and knows he can get there. The horse that lacks this influence has their horizon right in front of his nose, or worse still behind him.

Members of the United States Eventing Association’s (USEA) Adult Rider Program are invited to a five-star experience at the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event in 2023 by joining Derek di Grazia on a walk of the CCI5*-L cross-country course he’s designed. The USEA-hosted event will take place at 9 a.m. EST on Thursday, April 27.

Picture this: you’ve been enjoying schooling all three phases with your horse and your coach. Maybe you’ve even had success at a starter trial or combined test this spring. On the USEA calendar, you spot a recognized horse trial that will be a great first “official” outing for you and your horse. You plan to enter. Now what?

USEA Podcast host Nicole Brown and Tony Sandoval from Coach Sando Training talk about how riders can make their own conditioning, in addition to their horses, a priority. From "proper core engagement" to "box breathing," the tips and techniques they discuss will improve your time in the saddle and beyond. "Movement is medicine," Sandoval said. "It will do a lot of the things needed to keep you healthy without taking so many pills or all the things that are quick fixes. Movement is difficult. It's difficult to get into your daily practice, but once you do, it is enough medicine that you need to be able to do what you enjoy longer."

Come hear what our beloved Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event cross-country course designer has in store for us this year! Join Eric Dierks in a livestream interview with one of the world's most sought-after cross-country course designers. Listen in on how Derek puts his imagination behind his courses and what he hopes to achieve while competitors navigate their way around his challenging, thought-provoking tracks. He may even share some secrets he has planned for this year's Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event!