United States Eventing Association

In a difficult year for the sport of eventing, it was volunteers like James (Jim) Newman who helped many events stay afloat. Through www.eventingvolunteers.com, Newman recorded a total of 292 hours and 51 minutes of volunteer service in 2020. Newman’s dedication to the sport amidst a pandemic earned him the top spot on the USEA Volunteer of the Year Presented by Sunsprite Warmbloods leaderboard.

The United States Eventing Association (USEA) is thrilled to welcome back longtime supporter World Equestrian Brands as the Title Sponsor of the USEA Rider of the Year Leaderboard and a Contributing Sponsor of the 2021 USEA Intercollegiate Eventing Championships.

The USEA invites everyone to join the greatest eventing celebration that takes place every year – the USEA National Year-End Awards Ceremony! Taking place the evening before the first event of 2021, the 2020 USEA Year-End Awards Ceremony will be held virtually via Zoom Webinar on Friday, January 8 at 6:30 p.m. Eastern time.

Last year, Luke 140 won the Galway Downs International CCI4*-L (one out of the two CCI4*-L events in the country to run in 2020), he won the CCI3*-S at VHT International, and he won the Advanced division at the Horse Park of New Jersey. His impressive season earned him a total of 150 points to be named the 2020 Standlee Premium Western Forage USEA Horse of the Year.

The USEA Intercollegiate Eventing program has steadily gained popularity since its creation in 2014. In 2016, the USEA intercollegiate national leaderboards were introduced and every December, a new set of nationally ranked riders are named.

“An experience of a lifetime,” Phyllis Dawson described of her time competing at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, Korea. Dawson and her horse Albany II was the highest placed U.S. event rider and finished 10^th individually in the Seoul Olympic Games.

Within two months, the USEA Interscholastic Eventing League (IEL) has welcomed 67 teams from across the country. These teams are located in almost every USEA Area, and with the growing popularity nationwide, more teams are expected to sign up. The mission of the IEL is to bring together junior riders who are in 7^th through 12^th grade and provide a supportive community through which students can continue to pursue their riding interests.

Now that the 2020 USEA Annual Meeting of Members has come to a close, it’s time to celebrate the 2020 year-end award winners! Taking place the evening before the first event of 2021, the 2020 USEA Year-End Awards Ceremony will be held virtually via Zoom Webinar on Friday, January 8 at 6:30 p.m. Eastern time.

While 2020 has been unexpectedly challenging, the USEA Young Event Horse (YEH) program found a silver lining and had several positive outcomes and record-breaking results this past year. With high turnout in both the YEH qualifiers and The Dutta Corp. USEA YEH Championships to the extraordinary achievements of the YEH graduates, it was a good year for the YEH program.

The sport of eventing, like many other sports this year, has endured a year unlike any other. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it was the eventing volunteers that helped keep this sport alive. By ensuring competitions ran smoothly and safely, these volunteers are truly the unsung heroes of the sport.