United States Eventing Association

The USEA Board of Governors (BOG) met twice during the USEA Annual Meeting & Convention, held Dec. 11-14 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The BOG works year-round virtually and once in August for an in-person mid-year meeting to tackle everything from the budget to rule changes to issues facing the sport, and their two in-person meetings at the Convention always prove fruitful.

We’ve recapped some of the biggest discussion points for you below.

Treasurer’s Update

Incoming USEA President Molly Pellegrini, who has been serving as the Vice President of Administration and Finance, reported that revenues are up 1%, and expenses are down 2.5% as USEA staff worked to minimize expenses this year. Starters were down 6%, and getting starter numbers back up will be the main challenge for the BOG to tackle in 2026.

The USEA and U.S. Equestrian Federation (USEF) reworked their endorsement agreement which has allowed the USEA to a lower costs this year.

USEA Annual Meeting & Convention Update

Statistics from the 2025 USEA Annual Meeting & Convention are as follows:

• Total attendance: 361

• Show Jumping Seminar Attendance: 31

• Awards Luncheon Attendance: 279

Next year’s USEA Annual Meeting & Convention, which is a Hall of Fame year, will be one day shorter and will take place Dec. 11-13, in Arlington, Virginia.

Competitions, Calendar, and Rules

• All comments on USEF extraordinary rule changes are Dec. 24. FEI rule change comments are due on Jan. 2.

• To view some of the rules discussed, read our Rule Change Open Forum wrap-up.

USEA Committee Updates

• A motion was made to approve the Emerging Athletes U21 (EA21) Task Force as a Committee moving forward, and it was approved.

• The Strategic Communications Task Force, which was formally created at Convention in 2024 aims to improve transparency in communication and to help the USEA be proactive about communication during times of difficulty for the sport, especially on social media. Task Force Chair Erin Tomson discussed creating a code of conduct, and the Task Force is looking at the code of conduct for USEF and the FEI to create a working draft.

• The Opportunity Event Horse Program ran as a pilot program in 2025 and only had a handful of participants. The Young Event Horse Committee, which oversees the program, asked the BOG for one more year to extend it, which was approved. It was also approved to discontinue the New Event Horse program to avoid confusion.

• A motion was made to approve the requirement of a USEF- or FEI-licensed steward or TD at the USEA Young Event Horse Championships on the East and West Coast to supervise the warm-up and ensure all USEF rules are being followed, and it was approved.

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 2025 USEA Annual Meeting & Convention took place in New Orleans, Louisiana, from Dec. 11—14. Click here to learn more about the USEA Annual Meeting & Convention.

The USEA would like to thank the USEA Annual Meeting & Convention Sponsors: Adequan, ARMA, Bates Saddles, D.G. Stackhouse & Ellis, Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation, Horse & Country, Kerrits, Marshall+Sterling, Nunn Finer, Nutrena, PulseVet, Rebecca Farm, RevitaVet, Ride iQ, Schneiders Saddlery, SmartEquine, Standlee, and World Equestrian Brands.