United States Eventing Association

Adult Amateurs, the 2016 USEA Annual Meeting and Convention is All About You!

Attention adult amateurs, the USEA is happy to report that the 2016 USEA Annual Meeting and Convention is all about you! Amateurs are the backbone of our sport. Not only the largest proportion of USEA members, but they are also often times the volunteers, behind-the-scenes supporters and smiling faces who keep U.S. eventing growing and functioning at its best. If you aren’t an adult amateur, you know one. They are balancing working with eventing because of their love for the sport. Amateurs, we salute you!

Join us in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. December 7-11, 2016 for a long weekend of discussion, learning and enjoying time surrounded by like-minded eventing enthusiasts. There will be countless seminars and forums focused on issues specifically focused on adult amateurs. These are led by industry professionals, to learn something new, or to learn more on something you’re already passionate about.

Check out a few highlights:

Amateur Open Forum, led by Dawn Robbins and Carol Kozlowski

An Amateur Forum was formed in 2016 to directly address issues brought up by amateurs at the Summit Town Hall, held at the 2015 Annual Meeting and Convention. This group is made up of members of key committees that directly impact amateurs who report to the Adult Rider Committee and ultimately the Board of Governors. This open forum gives amateur riders the opportunity to express their questions and concerns including: rules, trends in the sport and ideas for improving the amateur experience. All are welcome!

Eventing Safety: The Performance-Risk Continuum

This seminar will be hosted as a discussion, exploring the relationship between safety and performance in eventing. The discussion will involve riders, coaches, organizers, officials and designers, and there will be a strong emphasis on audience participation. It will be led by Dr. Robert Steveson, a former upper level rider who represented Canada at the 1992 Olympic Games and now currently serves as an FEI National Safety Officer for Canada.

Emergency Injury Management with Kelley Daniels

The media over the last several years has been overrun with stories about serious sometimes tragic injuries of both horse and riders at events. The eventing community has been engaged in near-constant discussion of how to make the sport safer. This presentation will explore an area essential to emergency injuries that we as a sport have not yet considered: the medical care itself. Is the eventing attitude toward healthcare the root of the problem, and if so, what can we do better?

LandSafe – Reducing Rider Risk with Danny and Keli Warrington

Until now, a vital component has been absent that can make the difference in serious injury from falls; rider education regarding fall safety. Introducing LandSafe, a comprehensive training program that teaches riders and trainers not only how to effectively navigate a fall. By focusing on key muscle strength and flexibility, on learning proper fall and response techniques, and by providing a safe environment for practicing fall scenarios utilizing proprietary simulation technology, LandSafe is certain to be a must-have educational experience for every rider.

This session provides you with an opportunity to see for yourself the difference rider education can make to a fall scenario. The segment will feature the following activities:

- Demonstration of proprietary simulation technology designed specifically for simulating rider falls from horses (including rotational falls)

- Demonstration of key gymnastic techniques that enable riders to fall safely

- Introduction to key concepts of the LandSafe program as taught by Danny Warrington, professional eventer and fall safety expert, and Keli Warrington, eventer and advanced gymnast

Come join the conversation - the stakes are too high to miss it.

Focusing on Grass Roots Eventing with Florida Horse Trials Association

Florida Horse Trials Association (FHTA) is a non-profit whose mission is to promote the sport of eventing by helping to educate riders in each phase of competition, and reward individual achievements, both at the schooling and recognized event levels. We work with organizers to encourage affordable and high quality competitions, and sanction venues throughout the state.

95% of our membership rides at the novice level or below. We are hoping that those from other states will follow our example to form their own organization to encourage lower level riders to participate and have the opportunity to socialize with riders from across the state, win prizes based on qualifying scores received during the year’s competitions, and keep up with the rules and news of the USEA – all at a very reasonable cost.

With that in mind, we want to explain to the USEA membership how we decided to start FHTA, how we manage our database and membership, procure funding, and how we are able to reward competitors with nice year-end prizes and ribbons. We plan to have a panel discussion with FHTA Carol Ogden, Area III Chairman Jane Barron, and a to-be-named upper level rider who has first-hand experience with FHTA camps or awards luncheons.

Turning Setbacks into Comebacks

Enjoy a wonderfully upbeat, motivating, and inspiring seminar with Daniel Stewart based on the best-selling book, Pressure Proof Your Riding. Discover how easy it can be to improve your focus, confidence, and courage by learning a series of unique and surprising tools that’ll help you overcome fears, pressure, mistakes, show jitters, negative memories, perfectionism, doubt and more. This humorous seminar will definitely prove that what’s going on between your ears is just as important as what happens below them!

Other amateur highlights include:

Classic Three-Day horse inspection with Cindy DePorter

Equiratings with Sam Watson and Diarm Byrne

Rider Fitness Bootcamp with Daniel Stewart

One- and Two-Day Events Why and Why Not with Dawn Robbins

Classic three-day session with Gretchen Butts

Completing a USEA Classic Series event or one-star with Dawn Robbins

Financial Bookkeeping for Eventers, led by Helen Donnell

Function vs. Fitness with Wendy Murdoch

2016 Town Hall Meetings and Summit Recap

Volunteer Initiatives Open Forum

and more... check out the full schedule here.

Rooms at the resort are beginning to fill, so don’t forget to book with the USEA room block. Click here for our Booking Website or use our call our Reservations Line (855) 689-2911. Group Code GUSEA. You can register for Convention by logging onto your Online Services Account, or sending in the Registration Form.

Diplomat Resort & Spa Hollywood

Curio Collection by Hilton

3555 South Ocean Drive,

Hollywood, FL 33019

Phone: 954-602-6000 Fax: 954-602-8275

About The USEA Annual Meeting and Convention

The USEA Annual Meeting and Convention takes place each December and brings together a large group of dedicated USEA members and supporters to discuss, learn, and enjoy being surrounded by eventing enthusiasts. The 2016 Annual Meeting and Convention will take place at the Diplomat Resort & Spa Hollywood in Fort Lauderdale, Fl. December 7-11, 2016. Rooms are filling fast, so make sure to book today! Click here for booking or use the reservation line (855) 689-2911 – and use the Group Code GUSEA.

Click here for Convention Registration Form, or sign up via Online Services.

Click here for more information on Convention

Things to do in South Florida