My name is Emily Daily and I recently joined the staff here at the USEA as Communications Assistant, so I'm constantly hearing all sorts of new comings and goings in the event community. Recently we ran a press release, though just about everyone in the eventing world already knew, about the retirement of the Radnor Hunt Three-Day Event. "The board of the Radnor Hunt Three-Day Event voted last night not to hold the Radnor Hunt Three-Day again due to lack of sponsorship and the difficulty in finding sufficient volunteers to put on the event. This is a very sad day for the sport but it is understandable that after more than 30 years of hosting one of the country's best competitions the organizing committee has decided to call it a day." It saddens me to think that one of the most prestigious and long-standing events in our country has to close its doors because of the lack of support and funding. What does that say about us as eventers that we cannot come up with enough volunteers to support this event? Some of us, including me, may not have known it was in trouble and though it's too late to "save Radnor" perhaps if we'd have known ahead of time would we have done something to help. I think we would have. Perhaps I don't know the whole story, but I know I, along with many many other people, have enjoyed the Radnor event and appreciated the hard work of everyone involved to help make it such a memorable event. Any thoughts on perhaps the future of eventing if we cannot come up with volunteers and sponsors? Should Radnor's retirement be a "wake-up call" to the rest of us? ~Emily Daily
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.