The United States Eventing Association (USEA) is pleased to announce that the new Emerging Athletes 21 program will launch this summer in July and August, 2022, and applications will open to USEA Young Riders next week. The purpose of the USEA Emerging Athletes 21 program (EA21) is to create a pipeline for potential team riders by identifying and developing young talent, improving horsemanship and riding skills, and training and improving skills and consistency.
Five regional clinics will take place this summer under the USEA EA21 program. The eastern regional clinics will take place at Morven Park International Equestrian Center (Leesburg, Va.) on July 25-26, and at Stable View Farm (Aiken, S.C.) on the same dates of July 25-26. The central regional clinic will take place at Holly Hill Farm (Benton, La.) August 1-2, and the western regional clinics will take place at Aspen Farms (Yelm, Wash.) August 15-16, immediately followed by the clinic at Twin Rivers Ranch (Paso Robles, Calif.) August 17-18.
Each regional EA21 clinic will have a maximum capacity of 12 riders who will be chosen by selectors once applications have been received. After the regional clinics have concluded, a select group of talented riders will be chosen from the regional clinics to participate in the national camp with EA21 Director of Coaching, David O’Connor in January, 2023.
Applications will open to USEA Young Rider program members aged 21 and under next week, so keep an eye on the USEA website and social media for updates.
One of my passions is continuing to be a good student, because I think no matter how old I get, there are multiple reasons learning new things inspires me. First and foremost, it helps me be a better rider and trainer, so my horses benefit. Second, it helps me be a better teacher by exposing me to different ways to have a relationship with a horse or a student.
This month we’re going to begin a three-part series on how to create positive riding experiences by making sure the words you say to yourself and the thoughts you think to yourself are positive. Referred to as self-talk, internal dialogue, or brain babble; the words you say to yourself can have a huge impact on your performance. In fact, your thoughts and voice are actually considered behaviors, and just like how positive physical behaviors (i.e. a balanced transition) can create success, your verbal behaviors can also accomplish the very same thing. So let's spend the next few months talking about how to talk to yourself!
Being spontaneous has paid off for Kevin Keane and Sportsfield Candy. “I bought him on a Wednesday and showed him on a Thursday,” Keane recalls about his first event with his Irish Sport Horse gelding, then 9 years old, at Plantation Field Horse Trials (Unionville, Pennsylvania) in September 2016. “I owned him for part of a day, and the next morning I showed up at a CCI and jogged him up for a two-star, and we went clean and clean and clean.”
THANK YOU to everyone who has already entered the USEF/USEA Recognized CDCTA Spring Horse Trials scheduled for Sunday, April 9 in Berryville, VA. We will continue to take late entries through Friday, March 24 using USEA’s Xentry system. If you still want to come compete, please enter! The late fee has been waived through Friday, March 24.