United States Eventing Association

When the United States Eventing Association (USEA) was formed in 1959 (then the United States Combined Training Association) the by-laws required the members to come together every December to conduct the business of the Association. What was just an annual meeting has turned into four days of meetings and fun during the USEA Annual Meeting & Convention, however, the Annual Meeting of Members is still the centerpiece of the weekend.

This afternoon USEA President Max Corcoran called to order the first meeting of the USEA Board of Governors at the 2021 USEA Annual Meeting & Convention. This is the first of two meetings of the Governors as they bookend a long weekend of committee meetings, education, and fun in Albuquerque, N.M.

Equine medical research has historically been underfunded. To address this underfunding, the Equine Medical Research Fund (EMRF) was created. Since 2014, United States Eventing Association (USEA) members have contributed a total of $284,052 one dollar at a time to the EMRF through their starter fees. An additional $22,700 was also donated by members through restricted donations.

As is tradition the USEA Board of Governors met this August to conduct the business of the United States Eventing Association (USEA). This is the first time the Board was able to meet in person since December 2019 and it was a productive two days. USEA President Max Corcoran had flown directly from Tokyo to the meeting in Dulles, Virginia, and managed to fight through her jet lag to welcome the members and share her delight of the busy year of eventing.

The Sunday morning Board of Governors typically closes out the USEA Annual Meeting & Convention, but this year the meeting was held over three hours on Tuesday night via Zoom Webinar. With an extensive agenda to cover, the USEA Board, including the four new members who were elected at Saturday’s Annual Meeting, made motions, voted, and fairly conducted the business of the Association.

Traditionally, two USEA Board of Governors meetings are held during the USEA Annual Meeting & Convention that takes place every December. This year, with the USEA Annual Meeting & Convention being held virtually, the two Board of Governors meetings have been condensed into one and will be held virtually tomorrow, Tuesday, December 15 at 6:00 p.m. Eastern time via Zoom.

Like many other things this year, the annual summer meeting of the USEA Board of Governors looked very different in 2020. The 21 Governors spent two days meeting virtually from their homes around the country. This was USEA President Max Corcoran’s first August board meeting at the helm and she opened the call by thanking the Board for their time so far this year as conference calls have been frequent.

The 21 members of the USEA Board of Governors represent all the different factions of the U.S. eventing community, including professional riders, adult amateurs, owners, organizers, officials, veterinarians, and more. There is a president, one representative for each of the 10 USEA Areas, and the remaining 10 represent the demographics of the sport.

Newly minted USEA President Max Corcoran opened the final Board of Governors meeting of the 2019 USEA Annual Meeting & Convention in Boston, Massachusetts by sharing her enthusiasm for her new position.

For 60 years the members of the USEA have been coming together to discuss the business of the Association and make important decisions to keep the sport of eventing thriving in America. The USEA Annual Meeting & Convention has turned into four days full of meetings and more, but the Annual Meeting remains the backbone.