United States Eventing Association

It’s one of our favorite weeks of the year–USEA Emerging Athletes U21 (EA21) National Camp week! This week 12 talented Young Rider athletes from all over the country have gathered together in Ocala, Florida, for the 2025-2026 educational experience which is led by EA21 Director of Coaching and eventing legend David O'Connor!

Each of these riders were hand-selected following the five USEA EA21 Regional Clinics that took place over the course of the summer. They will spend the week immersed in an educational experience like no other with classroom sessions, hands-on learning led by industry experts, and in-the-saddle instruction facilitated by O'Connor. The National Camp kicks off tomorrow on Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025 and will run through Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026.

The Facts

• The purpose of the USEA Emerging Athletes U21 Program (EA21) is to identify and provide consistent quality instruction to the next generation of elite event riders. The aim 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.

• The EA21 Program was launched in 2022 with a model of five summertime regional clinics taught by selected USEA Eventing Coaches Program (ECP) instructors, leading to a winter national camp consisting of selected Young Riders from the regional clinics. This is the third time the National Camp has taken place in Ocala, Florida. The National Camp rotates between two years on the East Coast and a year on the West Coast.

• EA21 athletes consist of members of the USEA Young Rider program who are aged 21 and under per FEI standards. The riders must be established at the Training level or higher (minimum 4 MERs at the Training level or higher).

• Six riders participating in this year's National Camp will be utilizing generously donated catch-ride horses. Thank you to the catch-ride donors Emily Mastervich, Joe and Ruthie Meyer, Coco Ramkowsky, and Sara Kozumplik!

• Morning classroom sessions in the pavilion, followed by riding sessions each day. Lunch will be provided to all selected athletes. Guest speakers include Max Corcoran, Dr. Lisa Casinella, and others!

• Auditing is free for all, for the ridden sessions. Bring your own chair. Classroom sessions and lunchtime lectures are closed to selected National Camp athletes only.

• The USEA received more than 160 highly qualified applications from young riders across the country for the 2025 EA21 regional program, and a vigorous selection process chose 12 riders for each of the five EA21 regional clinics.

• All EA21 clinics are taught by Eventing Coaches Program (ECP) certified coaches. All regional coaches will be in attendance at this year's national camp, assisting with instruction and lectures: Bec Braitling, Rebecca Brown, Emily Mastervich, Jan Byyny, Shannon Lilley, and Ashley Johnson.

The five 2025 EA21 regional clinics were as follows:

• Central Clinic - Chaps Equestrian Center (Bucyrus, Kansas) on Tues-Wed, June 17-18, 2025 | Coached by Shannon Lilley

• East I Clinic - Morven Park International Equestrian Center (Leesburg, Virginia) on Tues-Wed, June 17-18, 2025 | Coached by Bec Braitling

• West I Clinic - Twin Rivers Ranch (Paso Robles, California) on Tues-Wed, July 29-30, 2025 | Coached by Emily Mastervich

• East II Clinic - Stable View (Aiken, South Carolina) on Tues-Wed, July 29-30, 2025 | Coached by Rebecca Brown

• West II Clinic - Aspen Farms (Yelm, Washington) on Tues-Wed, Aug 12-13, 2025 | Coached by Jan Byyny

The EA21 coaches worked with the selection team to invite 12 athletes to the 2025 USEA EA21 National Camp. Two of this year's alternate athletes were called upon to fill positions that the originally selected athlete could not utilize. This year's final list of EA21 national athletes are listed below in alphabetical order:

• Shruti Bona (Aspen Farms West II Clinic)

• Greylin Booth (Twin Rivers West I Clinic) - Withdrew

• Paige Beauchamp Crandon (Twin Rivers West I Clinic)

• Sierra Fishell (Chaps Equestrian Center Central Clinic)

• Ella Hubert (Stable View East II Clinic) - Withdrew

• Caitlin O’Roark (Morven Park East I Clinic)

• Adelyn Rinehart (Stable View East II Clinic)

• Gabriella Ringer (Twin Rivers West I Clinic)

• Willow Schwartz (Chaps Equestrian Center Central Clinic)

• Hanni Sreenan (Aspen Farms West II Clinic)

• AnniePearl Stroud (Twin Rivers West I Clinic) - West I Second Alternate Accepted

• Devon Tresan (Stable View East II Clinic) - East II First Alternate Accepted

• Hannah Willford (Stable View East II Clinic)

• Riley Zgrebnak (Morven Park East I Clinic)

Get to know each of the selected athletes a little better here.

The Schedule

Thank You to Our Sponsors

Thank you to Kerrits, the Official Competition and Training Apparel of the USEA, for providing the official kits for all 12 national athletes, including five shirts, one jacket, one hat, and two breeches, for each participant!

Schneiders Saddlery is also providing custom embroidered EA21 show scrims for each athlete to take home for their horse.

Other sponsors are providing gifts as well, and all EA21 Sponsors include: ARMA, Bates, GGT Footing, Kerrits, PulseVet, RideiQ, Schneiders Saddlery, Sidelines Magazine, YETI, #WeRideTogether.

Additionally, YETI is providing a sportsmanship award to one athlete at national camp this year, with a winning prize of a YETI backpack. All athletes and coaches will also receive custom EA21 YETI drinkware.

For questions regarding the Emerging Athlete U21 Program (EA21), please email Kate Lokey at [email protected].

About the USEA Emerging Athlete U21 Program (EA21)

The purpose of the USEA Emerging Athletes U21 Program (EA21) is to identify and provide consistent quality instruction to the next generation of elite event riders. The aim 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.

The USEA Emerging Athletes U21 Program was launched in 2022 with a model of five summertime regional clinics taught by carefully selected USEA Eventing Coaches Program (ECP) coaches, leading to a winter national camp consisting of selected Young Riders from the regional clinics. Athletes who are 21 years or younger, are current members of their USEA Young Rider Area program, and are established at the Training Level or higher, are eligible to apply for the EA21 program. Click here to learn more about the USEA EA21 Program.

The USEA would like to thank ARMA, Bates Saddles, GGT Footing, Horse Illustrated, Kerrits, PulseVet, Ride iQ, Schneiders Saddlery, Sidelines Magazine, WeRideTogether, and YETI for sponsoring the USEA Emerging Athletes U21 Program.