South Woodstock, VT: The Green Mountain Horse Association, South Woodstock, Hitching Post Farm, South Royalton and Huntington Farm, South Strafford, VT teamed up to create a new program for event riders for 2012. The Vermont Eventing Challenge is a year end awards program for riders competing in Vermont’s USEA recognized Horse Trials. Annie Penfield owner of Strafford Saddlery Shop was pleased to support the goal of the program to promote event competition at many levels in the state of Vermont, and to provide riders with a season-long goal, attainable within the area. The VT Eventing Challenge shows for 2012 were Hitching Post Farm Horse Trial (May 19 - 20) GMHA’s June Horse Trials (June 2- 3), Huntington Farm Horse Trial (July 14 - 15) GMHA August Horse Trials (August 10 - 12) Huntington Farm Horse Trial (August 18 - 19) and GMHA September Horse Trials (September 15 - 16).
This exciting new program was open to any horse and rider combination participating in the challenge events. Competitors had to declare a horse and rider combination, level of competition, and pay a nominating fee in order to be eligible for the Vermont Eventing Challenge. Horse and rider combinations are only eligible at one level per season; riders may declare multiple horses. The program was administered by the Green Mountain Horse Association in cooperation with Hitching Post Farm and Huntington Farm.
Once a horse and rider combination has been declared, the low score from each competition counted towards the Vermont Eventing Challenge. The best four out of six scores at the declared level of competition will be averaged to determine the winner of the Vermont Eventing Challenge.
Ribbons and awards were presented at the USEA Area 1 Year end Annual meeting on January 13, 2013 at the Marriott Hotel in Springfield MA.
Beginner Novice Junior: Olivia Smith and Vanderbilt, Skowhegan, ME 167 points
Beginner Novice Senior: Jan McGarry and Siseio, Chittenden, VT 163 points
Novice Senior- 1 - Cristen Roby and Top-Sider, Lyme, NH 180 points
Novice Senior – 2 – Ashley Brunell and Snowford Bellman’s Clancy, Norwich, VT 246 Novice Senior – 3 - Kiersten Wright and Jim Dandy, North Granville, NY 279 points
The Green Mountain Horse Association, founded in 1926, is a 65-acre equestrian facility in South Woodstock, Vermont. It is a non-profit 501(3)(c) organization fully committed to serving five equine disciplines including: trail riding, hunter/jumpers, dressage, eventing and driving. With approximately 1,500 members, GMHA is a vital community of equestrian enthusiasts. Each event season contributes over $4.2 million dollars to the local economy. In addition to competitions and pleasure rides, GMHA offers many educational activities and is a leader in trail and open space preservation. Member support helps to ensure that GMHA will continue to exist for future generations and preserve its legacy in the equestrian community.
The United States Eventing Association, Inc. (USEA) is excited to announce a request for expressions of interest to host the first standalone USEA Intercollegiate & Interscholastic Eventing Championships in 2026 and 2027. With the success of the inaugural joint championships in 2024, the USEA is confident that the progression of these programs lends to a standalone event for these hardworking students in 5th through 12th grade and undergraduate college programs.
The USEA Annual Meeting & Convention is easily one of the most influential weeks in the sport of eventing in the U.S. and this year it is headed to Seattle, Washington, Dec. 12-15. USEA Podcast Host Nicole Brown talks about all the details surrounding this year's Convention with USEA CEO Rob Burk and USEA President Lou Leslie. From important discussions around safety and horsemanship to a charity poker tournament and more, there is so much going on in Seattle this year that you won't want to miss!
The following is an excerpt from 33 Strength and Fitness Workouts for Horses by equine training and conditioning expert Jec Aristotle Ballou. Strength routines and this workout are for horses and riders with a good existing level of fitness who are working toward increased strength and endurance.
Being the last rider in the final competition of the day can be an unenviable position. Molly Duda felt the pressure all day while gearing up for her ride on her own 15-year-old Swedish Warmblood gelding Disco Traveler (Donatelli x Cadence).