* Updated on October 3, 2018 at 2:00 PM Eastern
Allentown, NJ - The organizing committee of the ESDCTA New Jersey Horse Trials at the Horse Park are sorry to report that Shannondale Julius, a 5-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding owned by Ryan Wood and Amy Peloquin and ridden by Ryan Wood in the Open Training A division experienced a fall during cross-country warm up and was pronounced dead shortly thereafter. Ryan Wood was uninjured in the fall.
A necropsy of Shannondale Julius was performed at the New Bolton Center in Kennett Square, Penn. on October 1, 2018. The necropsy confirmed onsite veterinary observation that Shannondale Julius died nearly instantaneously as a result of injuries sustained from the fall.
The USEA extends our condolences to all of Shannondale Julius's connections.
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.