United States Eventing Association

For over 20 years the USEA Instructors’ Certification Program (ICP) has been educating all levels of eventing instructors to confirm their knowledge base, both theoretical and practical, upon which they will continue to build throughout their teaching lifetime. The USEA is now shining the spotlight each month on some of the 300 ICP Certified Instructors.

The United States Eventing Association (USEA) is now accepting expressions of interest to host The Dutta Corp. USEA Young Event Horse (YEH) East Coast Championships in 2020. The Fair Hill Organizing Committee (FHOC) announced that the inaugural Maryland Five-Star at Fair Hill will be postponed until 2021, which will now also impact the YEH Championships. While the FHOC is eager to continue to host The Dutta Corp. USEA YEH Championships in 2021, the USEA is now in need of a 2020 venue for the East Coast.

Since 2015, the Holekamp/Turner Grant has awarded significant funds each year that enable a USEA Young Event Horse (YEH) graduate the opportunity to represent the United States in the FEI World Breeding Eventing Championships 7-year-old CCIYH3*-L at Mondial du Lion in France. This year, the Championships will be held on October 15-18, 2020 in Le Lion d ’Angers, France.

For over 20 years the USEA Instructors’ Certification Program (ICP) has been educating all levels of eventing instructors to confirm their knowledge base, both theoretical and practical, upon which they will continue to build throughout their teaching lifetime. The USEA is now shining the spotlight each month on some of the 300 ICP Certified Instructors.

“This horse lacks the refinement you’d generally see in the upper level event horse,” Chris Ryan first observed of this 5-year-old Morgan mare. “This is more of what I’d consider a pleasure type. Remember, conformation does not rely on breed type but is a straight study of physique.”

In 2006, the third year of the USEA Young Event Horse Program (YEH), there were 18 qualifiers on the YEH calendar and 20 horses that competed in the championships held at Morven Park in Leesburg, Virginia.

“This horse is a smart blood type with lots of quality and refinement,” Chris Ryan began his assessment of this 2-year-old Arabian Sport Horse stallion. “I love the ‘forward look’ of this individual. A horse who looks forward, with his eye and ear, thinks forward and generally goes forward!"

“Correct movement is not the same as scopey or extravagant movement,” said Susan Graham White, who has years of experience judging international event horses as well as future event horses. White, a USEF ‘S’ Eventing Judge, a Level 3 FEI Eventing Judge, and the Co-Chair of the USEA Future Event Horse (FEH) Committee, explains correct and flashy movement in event horses.

When training a young event horse, you should put a lot of emphasis on building strength and muscle so your horse can properly do their job. Using your time wisely and efficiently while on your horse is important and it helps you as the rider have a plan and a goal to stick to during your ride.

Once upon a time there was a widespread belief that eventing was not a sport that you could purposely breed horses for. There are too many variables, the biggest one of which is heart, and how exactly do we test, measure, and ensure the heritability of a trait like that? Over time, though, we have proven that you can, in fact, breed horses for eventing – and it works quite reliably.