The USEF Youth Team Challenge Task Force recently evaluated the 2021 Youth Team Challenge program. Feedback was taken into consideration from Area Coordinators and athletes. Due to the limited participation at the short-format legs, the Task Force recommended altering the Program to one Championship, the USEF Young Rider Eventing Championship. The program proposal received approval from the Eventing Sport Committee, International Disciplines Committee, and the USEF Board of Directors.
The bid process to determine the host for the 2022 Championship opens today, November 30, 2021, and ends December 14, 2021, at 5:00 p.m. EST. USEF seeks one host for the CCI1*-L, CCI2*-L, and CCI3*-L levels as separate divisions. Three National Championship titles will be awarded. USEF is in search of a venue to host this between September and November.
Complete Bid Applications and supporting documentation must be submitted by the deadline to be considered.
For more information, visit the USEF Eventing Calendar website, here. Inquiries can be directed to Christina Vaugh, Director of Eventing Performance & Program Support, at [email protected].
Today, we pause to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and reflect on the powerful moment in 1963 when he stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and shared his vision for a better future. Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech was more than just words; it was a call to action that transcended time, culture, and boundaries—a beacon of hope that continues to inspire.
We’ve all been there—on the horse who pokes his way around the warm-up ring, needs leg, leg, leg coming into the combination, or brings up the rear on every trail ride. None of us wants each and every ride to be a lower-body squeezefest, nor do we wish to do anything with our crop except maybe wave it at that annoying deerfly. In this excerpt from his book The Sport Horse Problem Solver, former international eventer Eric Smiley explains the essential quality of forwardness and how to prepare the horse to expect you to look for it in all that you do together.
The inaugural USEA Interscholastic Eventing League (IEL) Championships may have been the pinnacle for program members of the IEL last year, but that’s not the only exciting achievement that occurred in 2024. A total of 41 events offered IEL Team Challenges for over 360 program members, and in the end, a year-end leaderboard champion was named at every level from Starter through Intermediate. The following IEL members worked tirelessly with their clubs and on their own competitive journeys in 2024 to earn the title of Interscholastic Rider of the Year at their respective level. Join us in congratulating these up-and-coming eventers on their success!
Veterinary pathologist Susan Hart has been trapped in an “always the bridesmaid, never the bride” loop on the USEA Volunteer Incentive Program (VIP) Volunteer Leaderboard since 2022. After two years of chipping away at the leaderboard, 2024 was finally her year to proverbially walk down the aisle. With a total of 691 and a half hours, Hart topped the leaderboard to become the 2024 USEA Volunteer of the Year, sponsored by Mrs. Pastures, and win the first gold medal in USEA VIP history, which is awarded for achieving over 2,000 lifetime volunteer hours.