As the incoming chair of the Professional Horseman’s Council, I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself and the Council and talk about what some of our goals are for the upcoming season.
Equestrian sport has served to inspire my life and career since I was able to say the word "horse." Eventing in particular captured my imagination with the bravery, athleticism, and horsemanship that I saw in the horses and riders galloping cross-country. I truly believe that eventing represents the best in equestrian sports; partnership, teamwork, comradery, toughness, boldness, freedom, grit.
It is with this passion for our sport and a belief that we can evolve into a safer modern sport, while still maintaining our foundational principles, that the PHC will work to help ensure the sport of eventing will continue to thrive well into the future.
Our Mission
The Professional Horseman’s Council is composed of active members of the USEA who are professionals in all aspects of the sport of eventing. The purpose of the council is to facilitate communication between professionals and the eventing community, including the governing body, officials, organizers, and competitors and to assist in the further development, growth, and safety of our sport.
Who We Are
What We Are Working On
As professionals within the sport of eventing we understand that our sport depends on the participation of amateurs, young riders and professionals in order to have a healthy, vibrant and growing sport. We will be working on outreach in order to lend support to causes that are important to the sport as a whole and which effect riders at all levels.
Unlike other mainstream sports which are spectator based, our sport is participant driven. It is truly OUR sport, so it is important to grow the number of participants and for participants of all types from lower level amateurs and young riders to high performance riders, course designers, organizers, and other professionals to be invested in the sport and in each other and together continue developing and enjoying the sport we all love.
I encourage anyone with ideas, thoughts, or comments to reach out to any of the PHC members. I can personally be reached at [email protected].
See you all on cross-country!
Matt Brown, PHC Chair
Thirty-five five-star horses presented today under sunny skies at the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event.
If all goes according to plan in the first part of the extended weekend, we will see 36 horses galloping across Derek di Grazia's CCI5*-L cross-country course at the 2024 Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event (DK3DE). We partnered up with the team at CrossCountry App to bring you a preview of both the five-star and CCI4*-s tracks this year.
Lights, cameras, action! The first formal horse inspection (which some might informally refer to as "the jog") at the 2024 Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event (K3DE) takes place this afternoon at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky. While this part of the event is a fan-favorite historically based on the impeccable turnout of the horses and the stylish and forward fashion choices of the riders (we are looking at you Boyd Martin in hopes that you bring back the American flag suit circa 2022), it serves a very important purpose: ensuring that each horse is fit, sound, and ready to compete at the five-star level.
There are so many things to love about the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event and the opportunity to peruse the booths of so many amazing vendors is definitely one of them! Don’t forget to stop by the USEA booth, located just behind the Rolex Stadium next to the large Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event booth, to stock up on all of your favorite USEA apparel.