United States Eventing Association

The 2020 USEA Educational Symposium is less than a month away! With five clinicians over four days, this year’s Symposium will be the biggest educational event of the year. Don’t miss out on this opportunity as everyone is welcome to attend the Symposium on February 17-20 at Barnstaple South in Ocala, Florida.

The ICP Symposium will be on Monday, February 17 and Tuesday, February 18 with featured clinician Andreas Dibowski. The YEH Symposium will be on Wednesday, February 19 with Dibowski, Maren Engelhardt, and Marilyn Payne. The FEH Symposium will be on Thursday, February 20 with Susan Graham White and Robin Walker.

Monday, February 17 – ICP Symposium

Clinician: Andreas Dibowski
Location: Barnstaple South

Dressage

• Beginner Novice 9:00 a.m.
• Beginner Novice 10:00 a.m.
• Novice 11:00 a.m.

Break – Lunch provided by Barnstaple South

Dressage

• Preliminary 1:00 p.m.
• Intermediate 2:00 p.m. & 3:00 p.m.

Show Jumping

• Advanced 4:00 p.m.

There will be a wine/beer and cheese social at Derek Strine's residence around 5 p.m. (immediately after symposium) on Monday, February 17. This event is open to the public.
Address: 13885 N US Hwy 27
Ocala, FL 34482

Tuesday, February 18 – ICP Symposium

Clinician: Andreas Dibowski
Location: Barnstaple South

Show Jumping

• Beginner Novice 9:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.
• Training 10:15 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
• Preliminary 11:30 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.

Break - Lunch provided by Barnstaple South.

Cross Country

• Beginner Novice 1:00 p.m. – 2:15 p.m.
• Training 2:15 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
• Preliminary 3:30 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.

Wednesday, February 19 – YEH Symposium

Clinicians: Andreas Dibowski, Maren Engelhardt, and Marilyn Payne.
Location: HITS Post Time Farm and Barnstaple South

7:30 a.m. - Registration at HITS VIP tent

8:00 a.m. - Introduction

• Update on YEH Rules and guidelines for competitors, judges, and organizers
• Plans for 2020

8:30 a.m. - Andreas Dibowski and Maren Engelhardt on what they look for in a YEH prospect, particularly the gallop

9:15 a.m. - Gallop videos with commentary from panelists and discussion with attendees

10:30 a.m. - Methodology of judging and scoring system

11:00 a.m. – End classroom session and travel to Barnstaple (next door to HITS Post Time Farm) followed by lunch at Barnstaple.

Lunch Break – lunch provided at Barnstaple.

11:45 a.m. – Closed discussion with YEH judges

12:00 p.m. – Dressage: Evaluating the quality of gaits with Marilyn Payne. Discussion on how to improve gaits and performance with Andreas Dibowski (3 horses)

12:45 p.m. – Dressage Test Rides *YEH judges seated separately.

• 12:45 p.m. – Dressage Horse #1
• 12:55 p.m. – Dressage Horse #2
• 1:05 p.m. – Dressage Horse #3

1:15 p.m. - Evaluating and improving the gallop with Andreas Dibowski and Marilyn Payne.

• 1:15 p.m. – Gallop Group 1 (3 horses)
• 1:45 p.m. – Gallop Group 2 (3 horses)

2:15 p.m. - Break

2:30 p.m. – Jump course preview ride and discussion of course (1 horse)

3:00 p.m. – Jump Course *YEH judges seated separately.

• 3:00 p.m. - Horse #1
• 3:15 p.m. - Horse #2
• 3:30 p.m. - Horse #3
• 3:45 p.m. - Horse #4
• 4:00 p.m. - Horse #5
• 4:15 p.m. - Horse #6

4:30 p.m. - Q&A and wrap up discussion

4:45 p.m. - YEH Judges only - discussion of scores, comments, and placings

Wednesday (evening), February 19 & Thursday, February 20 – FEH Symposium

Clinicians: Susan Graham White and Robin Walker
Location: Courtyard by Marriott classroom (Wednesday) and Barnstaple South (Thursday)

Wednesday, February 19 - *FEH judges/potential judges only

6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. - classroom session at Courtyard by Marriott. Dinner provided by the USEA.

• In-depth analysis of future event horses
• Discussion of FEH program – rules, goals, judging guidelines
• Written Test

Thursday, February 20 - FEH Symposium

8:00 a.m. – Registration

8:30 a.m. – Introduction

9:00 a.m. – Mock Judge Testing - Morning session of in-hand presentations. Discussion led by Susan Graham White and Robin Walker.

• Yearlings
• 2-Year-Olds
• 3-Year-Olds
• 4-Year-Olds

11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. – Lunch at Barnstaple, provided by Equiappraisal. Discussion among judges and review of written test.

12:30 p.m. – 4-Year-Olds under saddle

1:30 p.m. – Individual Judge Testing - Afternoon session of in-hand presentations. Discussion led by Susan Graham White and Robin Walker.

• Yearlings
• 2-Year-Olds
• 3-Year-Olds
• 4-Year-Olds

3:30 p.m. – Wrap-up and Q&A

2020 Symposium Links:

• Meet the Five Clinicians of the 2020 Symposium
• ICP Symposium Registration Form
• YEH/FEH Symposium Registration Form
• YEH/FEH Demo Horse Sign Up Form

About the USEA Instructors’ Certification Program

Instructors are essential to the training of riders and horses for safe and educated participation in the sport of eventing. The USEA Instructors’ Certification Program (ICP) was initiated in 2002 to educate all levels of eventing instructor with essential training principles upon which those instructors can continue to build throughout their teaching careers. ICP offers educational workshops and assessments by which both regular instructors, Level I through Level IV, Young Event Horse (YEH) instructors, and Young Event Horse professional horse trainers can become ICP certified. Additional information about ICP’s goals, benefits, workshops, and assessments as well as names and contact information for current ICP-certified instructors, YEH instructors, and YEH professional horse trainers are available is available on the USEA website. Click here to learn more about the Instructors’ Certification Program.

The USEA would like to thank EquiAppraisal and C4 Belts for sponsoring the Instructors’ Certification Program.

About the USEA Young Event Horse Program

The USEA Young Event Horse (YEH) Program was first established in 2004 as an eventing talent search. Much like similar programs in Europe, the YEH program was designed to identify young horses that possess the talent and disposition to, with proper training, excel at the uppermost levels of the sport. The ultimate goal of the program is to distinguish horses with the potential to compete at the four- and five-star levels, but many fine horses that excel at the lower levels are also showcased by the program.

The YEH program provides an opportunity for breeders and owners to exhibit the potential of their young horses while encouraging the breeding and development of top event horses for the future. The program rewards horses who are educated and prepared in a correct and progressive manner. At qualifying events, youngsters complete a dressage test and a jumping/galloping/general impression phase. At Championships, young horses are also evaluated on their conformation in addition to the dressage test and jumping/galloping/general impression phase. Click here to learn more about the Young Event Horse Program.

The USEA would like to thank Bates Saddles, SmartPak, Standlee Hay Company, C4 Belts, and Etalon Diagnostics for sponsoring the Young Event Horse Program.

About the USEA Future Event Horse Program

The USEA introduced the Future Event Horse Program in 2007 in response to the popularity of the already established USEA Young Event Horse Program. Where the YEH program assesses 4- and 5-year-old prospective event horses based on their performance, the FEH program evaluates yearlings, 2-year-olds, 3-year-olds, and 4-year-olds for their potential for the sport based on conformation and type. Yearlings, 2-year-olds, and 3-year-olds are presented in-hand while 4-year-olds are presented under saddle at the walk, trot, and canter before being stripped of their tack and evaluated on their conformation. Divisions are separated by year and gender. At the Championships, 3-year-olds and 4-year-olds are also required to demonstrate their potential over fences in an additional free-jump division. Click here to learn more about the Future Event Horse Program.

The USEA would like to thank Bates Saddles, SmartPak, Standlee Hay Company, C4 Belts, Etalon Diagnostics, and Guardian Horse Bedding for sponsoring the Future Event Horse Program.