The Catalpa Corner Charity Horse Trials (CCCHT) in Iowa City, Iowa scheduled for May 2, 2020 and August 1-2, 2020 have been canceled.
"With a heavy heart, but clear conscious please note CCCHT has withdrawn from USEA recognized competition in Area IV," Susan Brigham said a statement on the Catalpa Corner Horse Park Facebook page. "We are an aging population of labor, and it has become too physically strenuous with accidents/trauma waiting to happen."
"Honestly, this past weekend as I was planning the jumps for the cross-country course, having moved approximately 75-plus obstacles, I had a near-fatal accident with the Bobcat trying to elevate and move a 12-foot oak log. No matter how many wonderful CCCHT volunteers that come and go, I am usually alone working on the farm with heavy equipment, and despite common sense and a healthy paranoia, situations just got out of hand."
"My family has was wanted us to pull back our commitments and obligations, and the time has come. I am confident Area IV will continue to thrive with new venues emerging and expanding events in the future. Catalpa Corner will continue to be open for schooling. We at CCCHT wish you all the best and thank you for the wonderful memories."
Dr. Jim McNutt and Susan Brigham founded the Catalpa Corner Charity Horse Trials in 2007 in loving memory of the late Dr. Tom Brigham and Susan’s teenaged son, Madison Brigham, who was killed in a car accident. Read more about the Catalpa Corner Charity Horse Trials in their USEA Events A-Z article.
The United States Eventing Association, Inc. (USEA) is proud to announce the first class of USEA Young Event Horse (YEH) Judges have completed their certifications through the YEH New Judge Education Program, which was led by YEH faculty member, Marilyn Payne.
Nazila Hejazi and her 20-year-old Missouri Fox Trotter mare, Tessa, may have made for an unconventional pair at the USEA Area VI Championships, held in October at Galway Downs (Temecula, California) but they didn’t let that hold them back. It’s uncommon to see a horse in their twenties still competing in eventing, and even more rare for a gaited horse to compete in a jumping sport.
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.