United States Eventing Association

The key to eventing’s success lies heavily in the organizers who put on our events. The USEA is proud to recognize each year the organizers who have made contributions to the sport through their organizational efforts. For 2021, the USEA Organizers Appreciation Honor Roll of Names honors nearly 200 organizers for five to 25+ years of service. The Blue Ribbon is awarded to those organizers with five to nine years of service, the Bronze Medal recognizes organizers with 10-14 years of service, organizers who have contributed 15-19 years of service are awarded the Silver Medal, those with 20-24 years of service will receive the Gold Medal, and a select few with 25 years or more of service as organizers are bestowed the title of Platinum Medal organizers.

Seeking ways to honor the horses and riders who truly have experienced a lifetime of involvement in the sport of eventing, the United States Eventing Association (USEA) is pleased to share the addition of a new award, the USEA Century Ride Achievement Award. Sponsored by Spokane Sport Horse Farm the USEA Century Ride Achievement Award was created at the start of 2021 and recognizes horse and rider combinations whose combined ages reach 100 or more.

Are you following along with the action from home this weekend? Or maybe you're competing at an event and need information fast. Either way, we’ve got you covered! Check out the USEA’s Weekend Quick Links for links to information including the prize list, ride times, live scores, and more for all the events running this weekend.

Marilyn Payne, chair of the Test Writing Task Force, presented the 2022 USEF Eventing Dressage Tests at the 2021 USEA Annual Meeting & Convention in Albuquerque, New Mexico. During her session, Payne discussed reasonings behind certain movements, updates for clarity that were being made (updated tests have since been published and may be reviewed here), and even shared video demonstrations of certain tests to help attendees get a better understanding of what to expect this competition season. Watch Payne's presentations from Convention below:

The USEA is pleased to announce that the 2022 Intercollegiate Team Challenge calendar is now available! The USEA is thrilled to have 24 intercollegiate team challenges on the calendar in addition to the 2022 USEA Intercollegiate Eventing Championships, which will take place on May 21-22 at Chattahoochee Hills H.T. in Fairburn, Georgia.

“The best description I can give of what it was like to compete [Furtive] in the long format is that he made me fearless,” said Beth Perkins. At just 18 years old, the fearless Perkins placed sixth individually at the 1974 Burghley World Championships with Furtive. Since then, Perkins has dedicated her life to the sport of eventing. She’s experienced the highs, the lows, and the changes to the sport. She’s competed at the toughest events in the world and has earned top placings and team medals along the way.

Welcome to the wild world of eventing where we ride when it rains, thank our volunteers, and always say, “have a good ride!” to our fellow competitors. Eventing is made up of three phases: dressage, cross-country, and show jumping. To help you prepare for your first horse trial, it is important that you review all of the rules outlined in the USEF Rules for Eventing, but it is especially important that you understand the purpose and intent of each of the three phases.

The mission of the USEA Instructors’ Certification Program (ICP) is to produce and improve the craft and art in the teaching of riding and horse management for the sport of eventing through the application of the highest principles of horsemanship, which ensures the ethical and humane treatment of horses and the safety of both horses and riders and extends to all those associated with the health and well-being of the horses.

During the presentation of the 2022 USEF Eventing Dressage Tests at the USEA Annual Meeting & Convention, changes were discussed to help further clarify the movement requirements in the tests. Marilyn Payne, chair of the Test Writing Task Force, worked with the USEF to clarify the language used within the movements, without substantive changes to the movements themselves.

Fellow eventer Ashley Johnson took the stage at the 2021 USEA Annual Meeting & Convention to present the research she conducted for her master's thesis on the influence of performance strategies and baseline resilience levels on the thresholds of flow state that elite eventers experienced during competition.