Still riding high on the excitement of the 2024 Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event? So are we! One of the most exciting parts about the event is getting to watch, and sometimes meet, your eventing idols up close and in person. This year, the Kentucky team put together a group of really fun "behind the barn" videos with both four- and five-star competitors to help you get to know them a little bit better. Check them out below!
Behind the Barn with Yasmin Ingham and Tom McEwen, presented by McCauley's
Behind the Barn with Caroline Pamukcu and Hannah Sue Hollberg, presented by Dinsmore Equine Law
Behind the Barn with Jessica Phoenix, presented by Stressless
Behind the Barn with Buck Davidson and Leslie Law, presented by Professional's Choice
Behind the Barn with Phillip Dutton, presented by Zoetis
Behind the Barn | Kids Say the Darndest Things, presented by Nupafeed
Behind the Barn with Jessica Phoenix, presented by Bimeda
Behind the Barn with Doug Payne, presented by Mrs. Pastures Cookies for Horses
Behind the Barn with Tamie Smith and Liz Halliday, presented by Mane 'n Tail
Behind the Barn with Will Coleman, presented by Parker Equine Insurance
Behind the Barn with Sara Kozumplik and Sharon White, presented by Lifeforce
Behind the Barn with Boyd Martin and Will Faudree, presented by Southern California Equestrian Sports
With the start of the New Year just days away, now is the time to consider how your actions can have a positive impact on the sport of eventing in 2025. Each and every member of the eventing community has an important role to play in ensuring the sport continues to grow and thrive. From fostering educational opportunities to supporting grassroots initiatives and participating at all levels of the sport, there are so many ways to get involved.
Ride iQ’s popular “Ask An Expert” series features professional advice and tips from all areas of the horse industry. One of the most-downloaded episodes is an expert session with Peter Gray, an accomplished dressage judge and Olympic eventer. He has recently judged at events like the five-star at the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event, and he served on the ground jury at the 2022 FEI World Eventing Championships in Pratoni, Italy. His background as a competitor in the Olympic Games riding for Bermuda and as a coach and selector for the Canadian eventing team adds depth to his understanding of the sport.
With a total of 382 volunteer hours in 2024, Catherine “Cathy” Hale not only topped the USEA Area III VIP Volunteer leaderboard, but she also ranked fourth out of all eventing volunteers across the country. Hale (The Villages, Florida) has worked as a travel agent for over 30 years, a career that suits her love of travel nicely. At the time of being interviewed for this article, Hale was passing the equator on a cruise to Tahiti, New Zealand, and Australia.
The USEA office will close at 5:00 p.m. EST on Friday, Dec. 20, 2024, and will reopen again on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025. The USEA staff will return emails and phone calls when the office re-opens on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025 or at their earliest convenience.