United States Eventing Association

A New Dawn for the Classic Format

Anyone who knows me well is painfully aware that at the drop of a hat I can drone on at great length about the virtues of the classic (that is, with-steeplechase) three-day event—and can be particularly long-winded about the one-star version of the classic. Some of my most cherished memories in Eventing come from competing in—and volunteering at—such events from coast to coast, and I have little doubt that on more than one occasion I have brought a lively after-dinner conversation to a standstill with dewy-eyed reminiscences of one of my horses’ steeplechase performances or, worse yet, with one of my patented rants about the unfathomable hostility toward the long-format exhibited on a consistent basis by certain folks in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Well, here goes again, but this time I promise to be brief and to avoid even mentioning the FE--er, those nice folks in Switzerland. In fact, no need to do so, because this is a feel-good story created right here in the USA: The classic three-day event is undergoing an exciting rebirth! As detailed within the pages of the up-coming Issue of Eventing USA (see page ten), a stalwart group of five event organizers across the country is joining forces with the USEA to revamp the classic one-star and create a whole new “full-phase” experience that combines the best of the past with the cutting edge knowledge and horsemanship of the present. And best of all, this new take on the classic format targets those fast-growing segments of our membership who are clamoring for a Preliminary level “destination” goal that is geared toward those of us who compete purely for the love of the sport, namely, the dedicated adult amateur rider and the up-and-coming young rider. When combined with the already hugely successful SmartPak Equine USEA Training Three-Day Event, this exciting fresh start at the Preliminary level promises to create a logical full-format progression for
education of horse and rider alike, as well as a whole lot of fun.

Personally, I consider this one of the most positive developments during my time in the leadership of the USEA, and I pledge the continuing wholehearted support of the USEA to the continuation of the classic format at both the Training and one-star levels. And I’m sure that like Claud Rains in Casablanca, you will be “shocked, shocked” to learn that the heroes of this story include some of the smartest and toughest-minded movers and shakers in the sport. People like John Strassburger, who for several years has had the foresight to say publicly that the only way to save the one-star at the Preliminary level is to take possession of it ourselves. And Denny Emerson, who has never wavered in his convictions about the merits of Phases A, B and C—or in his willingness to voice them despite the howls of “apostasy” from certain . . . well, never mind. And Lucinda Green, who so vividly demonstrated to us in her presentation in New Orleans this past December why the long-format is well worth saving. And Roger Haller, who has seen the tremendous
value of with-steeplechase events in the education of horses and riders, and who has pushed hard at the USEF level to keep those events alive. And Jim Wofford, the sport’s most visible (and no doubt most entertaining) evangelist, the man who as much as anyone else in the world personifies the spirit of Eventing. And I would be remiss if I didn’t thank all of the people who served with me on the USEA Classic Three-Day Task Force back in those bleak days in 2004-2005 when the long format was under such a concentrated attack.

But most of all, the heroes of this story are the organizers who have hung in there and actually put on long-format one-star events over the last several years, and who are now re-committing their time, money, and energy to launch this new initiative. Here is the honor roll of these events and their organizers:
• Penny and Brian Ross, Virginia Horse Trials and Three-Day Event (May 20-24)
• Rebecca Broussard and Sarah Kelly, Rebecca Farm (July 23-26)
• Margaret Good, Morven Park (October 1-4)
• Mary Fike, Hagyard Midsouth Three-Day Event (October 15-18)
• Robert Kellerhouse, Galway Downs (October 16-18)

And for good measure, let’s add to this honor roll our SmartPak Equine USEA Training Level
Three-Day events and organizers:
• Shelley Lambert, Florida Horse Park (April 16-19 and November 19-22)
• Jodye Lindsey, Meadowcreek Park (May 22-24)
• Celia Jackson, Indiana Eventing Association (May 27-31)
• Luigi and Caroline Meneghelli, Inavale Farm (June 26-28)
• Sarah Greer, South Farm (July 3-5)
• Amanda Edison, Coconino (July 17-19)
• GMHA (August 38-30)
• Beth Stoker, Heritage Park (October 2-4)
• Mary Fike, Midsouth Three-Day Event (October 15-18)
• Gretchen Butts, Waredaca (October 22-25)
• Christina Gray, Galway Downs (October 29 - November 1)

All of the above people and events have been instrumental in keeping the classic format alive for our membership. And while I don’t mean to downplay the marvelous contributions of any of these leaders of our sport, I must single out for special praise Penny and Brian Ross. Penny and Brian have been absolutely unrelenting, both in offering as many with-steeplechase divisions as possible at their own venue, and also in pushing the leadership of the sport to find creative ways to keep the classic format going. Penny, who is one of our USEA governors, has never been afraid to stand up and “tell it like it is” in committee meetings and public forums alike, and for that vision and persistence we should all be very, very grateful.

How can USEA members help? At least three ways:
First, to those of you who have done your homework and are well-prepared to take on the challenge of a full-format three-day event at either the Training or the one-star level, I ask you to please consider making completion of a classic one of your 2009 goals. It goes without saying that we need to take advantage of the opportunity presented to us by these wonderful events, regardless of the current state of the economy. If you aspire to compete in a classic but you or your horse will not be ready to do so this year, please speak to your (ICPCertified) instructor about whether such an event might be in your long-term future and how you might get there.

Second, support these events by volunteering. The lifeblood of our sport is a volunteer effort, and while we can eliminate some of the sillier personnel needs by taking control of the rulebook (for instance, by allowing the use of electronic gate monitoring on phases A and C instead of requiring some poor soul to spend the day in the “back forty” sitting on a folding chair watching horses trot by), the fact remains that the volunteer needs of a full-format three day event will always be formidable.

Finally, get excited! I know from my regular correspondence with USEA members across the country that many of you are very passionate about this issue. Please, now is the time: show your passion, and vocally support these events.

Okay, I can’t help myself . . . I remember my first one-star three-day event in 1995: as I completed Phase A and brought my horse Beau Geste to a walk near the start box for the steeplechase, I glanced up to see my good friend Sylvia Flynn trotting off on Phase C after what plainly had been a most satisfying steeplechase run. Sylvia caught my eye, raised her arm, and shouted across the field to me, “Tally ho!” I say pass it on: Tally ho!