The organizing team of the Apple Knoll Farm H.T. regrets to announce the death of Ready to Rumble, a 7-year-old Thoroughbred gelding (Central Banker x Songandapsalm) owned and ridden by Rachel Stankaitis.
Ready to Rumble was competing in the Training division and died after impact with fence number 19b during the cross-country phase. Stankaitis was attended to on-site and then was transferred to a regional hospital for further care.
The organizing team of the Apple Knoll Farm H.T. and the USEA wishes to extend their deepest sympathy and condolences to all of Ready to Rumble’s connections.
The USEA is dependent upon information submitted by horse registrants to accurately reflect age, breeding, and other statistics. We have been made aware that there was previously an error in the horse's age as recorded in the USEA database.
Did you know that the USEA Foundation awards over 150 grants each year to deserving individuals who are involved in the sport of eventing? With grants that assist riders with accomplishing their competition goals, grants geared toward licensed officials, grants that are specific to continuing education for coaches, grants that assist competitions with obtaining frangible technology, and so much more, there really is a grant opportunity available to almost anyone!
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.