United States Eventing Association

Education Abounds at the 2023 USEA Annual Meeting & Convention in St. Louis, MO

The USEA Annual Meeting & Convention is an event that many USEA members look forward to year after year to catch up with their fellow eventing enthusiasts and stay up to date on all the latest work happening on the USEA Committees and Task Forces, but there’s so much more to explore. The educational opportunities offered at this year’s Convention, which takes place on Dec. 7-10 at the Marriott St. Louis Grand hotel in St. Louis, Missouri, are endless and afford members with the opportunity to expand their horizons through a full schedule of seminars and events. Plus, each day of the Convention counts as one ECP Continuing Education credit for those in attendance!

The week will kick off on Thursday, Dec. 7 with the highlight seminar of the day: the Show Jumping Seminar led by FEI Level 2 and USEF “R” Show Jumping Course Designer, Chris Barnard, and USEF “R” Show Jumping Course Designer and Program Director of the Carolina Horse Park, Marc Donovan. This full-day, interactive session will discuss show jumping course design theory, footing management, design best practices and give participants the chance to be critiqued on self-submitted courses. For those wishing to obtain an ‘R’ Eventing Jumping Course Designer (EVJCD) license or meet annual maintenance requirements for an existing license, this seminar is for you! Eventing Coaches Program (ECP) certified coaches can also receive two ECP Continuing Education General Credits for attending. If you are planning to attend the Show Jumping Seminar, click here to purchase your registration and email Jennifer Hardwick at [email protected] to confirm your attendance.

On Thursday evening and again on Sunday morning, the USEA Board of Governors will host meetings, led by USEA President Lou Leslie. The meetings are open to the public and members are encouraged to attend to learn more about what is currently on the USEA agenda and listen in on reports from each of the USEA Committee and Task Forces.

Throughout the weekend, equine law attorney and Area III eventer Yvonne C. Ocrant, will host “Equine Law 101” crash courses to help members understand common legal occurrences in the horse industry. The first session on “Understanding & Minimizing Risk of Liability in Equine Activities” will be held on Friday morning, and Ocrant will explain liability exposure in equine activities through an easy-to-follow navigation of applicable laws and how to apply them to real-life fact patterns, as well as best practice pointers to help immediately minimize your risk of liability.

On Saturday, Ocrant will introduce horse syndication, including best practices for starting and operating your multi-member partnership. Ocrant has helped organize over 400 syndicates over the last 10 years and will provide a detailed understanding of her syndicate program and walk you through how to get started.

Want to hear a behind the scenes recount of the momentous results captured by Team USA at the Pan American Games this fall? Join the USEA in celebrating the 2023 silver medal-winning team, comprised of Sydney Elliott, Liz Halliday, Caroline Pamukcu and Sharon White, at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 8! The riders will recap their experience representing their country in Santiago, Chile, and share stories from their travels. If you’re lucky, you may even catch a glimpse of the hardware they brought home, including Pamukcu and HSH Blake’s individual gold medal!

If you are a 5^th through 12^th grade aged student or enrolled in an undergraduate college program, you won’t want to miss the Intercollegiate and Interscholastic Open Forums on Friday! Next spring, the USEA Intercollegiate Eventing Program and the USEA Interscholastic Eventing League (IEL) will be joining forces to host the 2024 Intercollegiate & Interscholastic Championships at Stable View Farm in Aiken, South Carolina, on May 4-5. Each open forum will focus on the information necessary to join and compete at the Championships for the applicable program. This will be the first championship for the IEL, so don’t miss your opportunity to be a part of USEA history!

USEA partners will also be presenting educational sessions at the Annual Meeting & Convention. Doug Leavitt from Nutrena Feeds will be leading a discussion on “Feeding for Health and Performance” on Friday morning. In the afternoon, Hannah Diebold from Bates Saddles will discuss rider biomechanics related to your position, and how it is affected by the balance of your saddle. Get hands-on as our Official Saddle, Bates Saddles have sent an expert to refine how a performance saddle should look on your horse, and what changes you can make to your saddle for improved balance and stability in all three phases.

This year’s USEA Annual Meeting of Members Luncheon on Saturday, Dec. 9 will include a keynote presentation by Dr. Temple Grandin, a world-renowned scientist, author and professor of animal science at Colorado State University. Hear from Dr. Grandin on her pioneering of the design of livestock handling facilities with modern methods that improved animal welfare and productivity, while also becoming a prominent author and speaker on both autism and animal behavior. One ticket to the luncheon is included with each full registration, but additional tickets can be purchased for $65 per ticket. Click here to secure your ticket.

Don't forget to purchase your tickets to the USEA Year End Awards Dinner that evening as well. On Saturday, Dec. 9 at 6:30 p.m., guests will gather to celebrate the immense achievements made by our USEA members throughout 2023. Click here to purchase your tickets now. Tickets are available for individuals or tables of 8 or 10 people.

And there’s still so much more in store! View the list of educational seminars planned for the 2023 USEA Annual Meeting & Convention below. For the full schedule of events, click here.

• Thursday, December 7
  • Show Jumping Seminar (2 ECP Credits) hosted by Chris Barnard and Marc Donovan
  • Eventers in Motion led by Ifa Simmons
  • USEA Board of Governors’ Meeting
  • All Things FEI hosted by Max Corcoran and Rick Dunkerton
• Friday, December 8
  • Eventers in Motion led by Ifa Simmons
  • Preceptor Training hosted by Cindy Deporter, Tim Murray, and Wayne Quarles
  • Equine Law 101: Understanding & Minimizing Risk of Liability in Equine Activities hosted by Yvonne Ocrant
  • Problem Solving for Eventing Officials hosted by Gretchen Butts, Cindy Deporter, Tim Murray, Marilyn Payne, and Wayne Quarles
  • Volunteer Incentive Program Open Forum hosted by the Volunteer Committee
  • Feeding for Health and Performance: Presented by Nutrena Feeds hosted by Doug Leavitt
  • Interscholastic Eventing League Open Forum: How Get Involved in IEL for the Inaugural 2024 Championship hosted by Chris Donovan and Molly Pellegrini
  • Classic Three-Day Open Forum: Why Everyone Should Compete in a Classic Three-Day Event hosted by Gretchen Butts, Sarah Broussard, Christel Carlson, Chris Donovan, and Sharon White
  • USEF Eventing Sports Committee Open Forum
  • Eventing Affiliates Open Forum hosted by Janet Gunn
  • The 8 Best Exercises that Build a Strong Core and Stabilize Your Position on Course led by Ifa Simmons
  • The Roles of an FEI Steward – An Essential Resource for All Stakeholders hosted by Eileen Pritchard-Bryan and Marilyn Payne
  • 2023 Santiago Pan American Games Recap with guests Sydney Elliott, Liz Halliday, Caroline Pamukcu and Sharon White
  • ShowConnect – A Community Focused Event Management System hosted by Robert Winter
  • Is Your Saddle Helping Your Rider Biomechanics (Position)? Presented by Bates Saddlery and hosted by Hannah Diebold
  • Organizers Open Forum hosted by Sharyn Antico
  • Intercollegiate Open Forum hosted by Leslie Threlkeld
  • Course Designers and Builders Open Forum hosted by Morgan Rowsell
  • Membership Development Open Forum hosted by John Marshall, Siobhan O’Brien, and Liz Hoskinson
  • YEH Open Forum, moderated by Alex O’Neal with a panel consisting of Lauren Nicholson, Chris Talley, Debbie Adams, and Dr. Laurie Cameron
  • Area IV Welcome Reception and Area IV Awards – all are welcome!

• Saturday, December 9
  • Eventers in Motion led by Ifa Simmons
  • Safety Committee Open Forum hosted by Jonathan Holling, Dr. Jennifer Miller, and Max Corcoran
  • Taking the Reins: Mastering the Mind, Body, and Saddle Connection led by Ifa Simmons
  • USEA Eventing Coaches Program Interactive Forum and Mini-Symposium led by Phyllis Dawson, Robin Walker, Jennifer Rousseau, Mary D’Arcy, David O’Connor, and Karen O’Connor
  • USEF High Performance Athletes Open Forum
  • Making Strides for Equality and Growing the Sport hosted by Dr. Anastasia Curwood and Heather Gillett
  • American Horse Trials Foundation (AHTF) hosted by Sharyn Antico and Cathy Wieschoff
  • Rule Change Open Forum moderated by Malcom Hook
  • USEA Annual Meeting of Members and Keynote Presentation from Dr. Temple Grandin
  • ELOC Rule Interpretation led by Cindy Deporter and Malcom Hook
  • Tips on Applying for USEA Foundation Grants hosted by USEA CEO, Rob Burk
  • Adult Rider Open Forum: Tips for Being Your Best at the Show
  • Horse Syndication: Best Practices for Starting & Operating Your Multi-Member Partnership hosted by Yvonne Ocrant
  • Young Riders Open Forum led by John Bourgoin and Rebecca Brown
  • USEA Year End Awards Celebration

• Sunday, December 10
  • Best Mental & Physical Exercise to get Balanced in the Saddle led by Ifa Simmons
  • USEA Board of Governors’ Meeting

Members are encouraged to take advantage of early bird pricing for full week passes, which allow access to all open meetings on Thursday through Sunday and include one ticket to the USEA Annual Meeting of Members Luncheon and Keynote Presentation by Dr. Temple Grandin. Full members can attend all four-days of Convention for the early bird rate of just $275, while Junior and Collegiate Members can attend for only $150, if registration is purchased by Dec. 6. On-site registrations will increase by $15. Register for the 2023 Annual Meeting and Convention here to save!

To learn more about the 2023 USEA Annual Meeting & Convention, click here. If you have any other questions or suggestions, please contact Jennifer Hardwick by email at [email protected] or by phone at (703) 779-0440, ext. 3003.

About the USEA Annual Meeting & Convention

The USEA Annual Meeting & Convention takes place each December and brings together a large group of dedicated USEA members and supporters to discuss, learn, and enjoy being surrounded by other eventing enthusiasts. The USEA organizes multiple seminars in addition to committee meetings, open forums, and tons of fun! The 2023 USEA Annual Meeting & Convention will take place in St. Louis, Missouri on Dec. 7-10, 2023. Click here to learn more about the USEA Annual Meeting & Convention.

The USEA would like to thank the USEA Annual Meeting & Convention Sponsors: Adequan, Bates Saddles, Capital Square, D.G. Stackhouse & Ellis, Kerrits, Horse & Country, Nunn Finer, Nutrena, Parker Equine Insurance, Rebecca Farm, RevitaVet, SmartPak, Standlee, and World Equestrian Brands.