May 29, 2019

Area VII Adult Rider Camp: From an Organizer's Perspective

Photo courtesy of Area VII Adult Riders.

Many years ago, a good friend, Dot Hamilton, became Area Chair for Area VII. She said, "We need an Adult Rider Coordinator – you do it!" "Ok," I said. "What should adult riders do?" "Let's have a camp," she said! So we did. With only a couple of years missed early on, the Area VII Adult Rider Camp has now become a much-anticipated activity on the calendar. Different locations, times or the year and some changes in staff but the theme constant. Fun, camaraderie, education. Not necessarily in that order!

Photo courtesy of Area VII Adult Riders.

All these years later, I have learned what works and what people want - early in the year to prep, a good mix of fun activities and educational talks for the evenings. One thing I was adamant about was keeping it affordable. We usually break even or lose money which is made up for with our fundraisers. I do a lot of sweet talking to convince top-name instructors to come out to our little corner of the eventing world and give me a deal! Promises of good food and a very enthusiastic bunch of folks usually does the trick.

Photo courtesy of Area VII Adult Riders.

With daily lessons in all three phases, the days are a four- to five-ring circus. We do a potluck meet and greet on Thursday evening, the arrival day. Friday has now become a tradition of Pizza and Puppy Steeplechase (you really have to be there!) So much fun with betting that raises money for the local animal shelter. We try to fit in a talk or demo of a more educational bent. Saturday we offer a nice catered dinner with adult beverages flowing. More education, then another tradition, the White Elephant Gift exchange – this gets quite competitive with folks going after some 'interesting' gifts! It is an over 21 activity – I say no more!

Photo courtesy of Area VII Adult Riders.

I couldn't do this without a team. I have some amazing friends that do catering, social directors, and many other things behind the scenes. Some, like Lou Leslie, have been with me from the start.

The times when I would be thinking about not doing it, I would get a thank you with comments of, "I made some great friends," and "I am now hooked on eventing," and it made me do it again. I have new organizers stepping up for next year – some new ideas and 'young blood' will be good!

Image courtesy of Area VII Adult Riders.
Apr 25, 2025 Competitions

2025 K3DE Rider Talk: What Are They Saying About Cross-Country?

Riders in both the Cosequin Lexington CCI4*-S and the Defender Kentucky CCI5*-L are sharing similar sentiments about this year's cross-country courses: course designer Derek di Grazia didn't play around this year. Here is what some of the riders across both divisions had to say about the tracks they will aim to conquer on Saturday.

Apr 25, 2025 Competitions

Off the Record Breaks Records in Cosequin Lexington CCI4*-S at Defender Kentucky

Off The Record decided not to let Michael Jung be the only record-breaking entry at the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event this week and delivered a career-best score in the Cosequin Lexington CCI4*-S on Friday morning. He and Will Coleman delivered a test that received a score of 21.8, not only marking a personal best for the horse but also securing their position at the top of the leaderboard going into cross-country tomorrow.

Apr 25, 2025 Competitions

Soaked, but Not Shaken: Boyd Martin Flies the Flag for the U.S. at Defender Kentucky in Second

Boyd Martin and the 12-year-old Holsteiner gelding Commando 3 were the last pair to go in the Defender Kentucky CCI5*-L field on Friday afternoon and were warmly greeted to the bluegrass with an impressive downpour that outshined anything the other horse and rider pairs had to combat throughout the day. But that didn’t stop this pair from putting their best foot forward and impressing the judges enough to earn them a score of 26.0, just 0.2 points ahead of second-place pair Tom McEwen (GBR) and Brookfield Quality.

Apr 25, 2025 Association News

Beware of Phishing Attempts and Other Types of Fraud

Please always remain vigilant when it comes to sending any personal communications via email or text. Every year we receive reports of members and leaders of our sport receiving phishing attempts both online and by phone. These are often communications disguised as being sent from USEA staff or other leaders. As the years go on, the phishing attempts appear to be more directed and tailored.

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Official Forage of the USEA

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