United States Eventing Association

The United States Eventing Association, Inc. (USEA) is excited to announce that applications for the second class of the USEA Young Event Horse (YEH) New Judge Education Program are now open. Qualifying candidates, which are no longer required to hold a USEF judge’s license as of 2023, are encouraged to sign up to participate in the YEH New Judge Education Program to receive certification to judge the Jumping and Galloping phases of Young Event Horse competitions.

Daija Sams always jokes that the biggest mistake her parents made was signing her up for an equestrian summer camp. “I was 7 or 8, and my parents loved to put my brother and I in random summer camps to get us out of their hair a little bit and let us try new things,” reflected the now 23-year-old Aiken, South Carolina, resident. “And of course, horses were the one thing I stuck with and I just ran with it.”

It’s that time of year again! Time to start counting down the days until the 2024 FEI WBFSH Eventing World Breeding Championships for Young Horses at Mondial du Lion in Le Lion d’Angers, France. This year’s 6-year-old CCI2*-L and 7-year-old CCI3*-L divisions will take place October 12-20.

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.

A total of 19 USEA Young Event Horse (YEH) program graduates started the 2024 Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event, held April 24-28 in Lexington, Kentucky, in both the highly competitive CCI4*-S and five-star divisions.

The Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event is just over a week away, and a slew of USEA Young Event Horse (YEH) Program Graduates are slated to make the trip to the Bluegrass State to compete in what is looking like an epic weekend of sport. Between the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event CCI5*-L and the Cosequin Lexington CCI4*-S divisions, a total of 24 former YEH participants are set to go down centerline in the Rolex Arena next week. With the Paris Olympics quickly approaching, and the event serving as one of the final selection trials for team spots, the entry lists for both divisions are full of star-studded combinations setting their sights on big goals in 2024.

For the past couple of years I’ve been moving through a confusing and disconcerting season of my career. I’ve spent my whole life fit (unless injured) and extremely active competing and training horses. A couple of years ago that all started to change with the slow onset of an illness that has taken away a lot of my ability to compete or ride at any level effectively.

John Lennon famously said that life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans. Rebecca Barber Tyler probably would agree.

After an impressive showing at the 2024 Ocala Horse Properties USEA Young Event Horse (YEH) Symposium in February, the USEA caught up with Ariel Grald to chat about her upcoming plans for Annie Eldridge's coming 5-year-old Holsteiner mare, Melypsa (Barcley x Elypsa), whom she expertly piloted around the Symposium course to become one of the panelists’ favorite demonstrations.

When Alexa Thompson (née Ehlers) looks back at her eventing career, she can without a doubt trace where she is now back to a little Thoroughbred mare she got when she was just 10 years old named Crystal Clear (Far Out Wadleigh x Rollem Katrina).