Dec 30, 2022

Fast Facts: EA21 National Camp

By Kate Lokey - USEA Staff
USEA/ Terrie Hatcher photo

Next week, 19 young riders who previously participated in one of the five regional USEA Emerging Athlete 21 Program (EA21) clinics will gather together in Ocala, Florida for the inaugural USEA EA21 National Camp. Each of these riders were handpicked by the USEA's EA21 Task Force Selection Team to participate in this continuing education opportunity led by EA21 Director of Coaching, David O'Connor. The camp officially kicks off on Monday, January 2, 2023 and will conclude on January 6, 2023. The official schedule is outlined below:

The Facts:

  • EA21 riders 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 MER’s at the Training level or higher).
  • The USEA received around 150 applications for the 2022 EA21 regional program, and a team of selectors chose 12 riders for each of the five EA21 regional clinics.
  • All EA21 clinics are/were taught by Eventing Coaches Program (ECP) certified instructors (previously known as ICP)

The five EA21 regional clinics were as follows:

  • East Coast I – Morven Park International Equestrian Center (Leesburg, Va.) – July 25-26, 2022, Coached by Shannon Lilley.
  • East Coast II – Stable View Farm (Aiken, S.C.) – July 25-26, 2022, Coached by Emily Beshear.
  • Central – Holly Hill Farm (Benton, La.) – August 1-2, 2022, Coached by Rebecca Braitling.
  • West Coast I – Aspen Farms (Yelm, Wash.) – August 15-16, 2022, Coached by Rebecca Brown.
  • West Coast II – Twin Rivers Ranch (Paso Robles, Calif.) – August 17-18, 2022, Coached by Rebecca Brown.

The EA21 coaches worked with the selection team to select 19 riders for the 2022/2023 USEA EA21 national camp. They are listed below in alphabetical order:

  1. Lea Adams-Blackmore
  2. Camryn Chung
  3. Maya Clarkson
  4. Julia Beauchamp Crandon
  5. Kayla Dumler
  6. Sarah Ertl
  7. Jules Fanello
  8. Madelyn Floyd
  9. Ella Garcia
  10. Kiersten Miller
  11. Caitlin O’Roark
  12. Harper Padgett
  13. Dylan Philipps
  14. Maia Ramberg
  15. Bree Robinette
  16. Sarah Ross
  17. Audrey Sanborn
  18. Ayden Schain
  19. Ashley Widmer
  • The EA21 national camp will be taught by USEA’s EA21 Director of Coaching, David O’Connor
  • Seven west coast riders signed up for catch-ride horses to ease the significant travel, and those horses are being provided generously by: David O’Connor, Shannon Lilley, Sara Kozumplik, and Joe & Ruthie Meyer
  • World renowned groom Emma Ford will be on-site to teach equine management sessions to the EA21 camp participants
  • USEA educational partner WeRideTogether will be on-site on Monday, to have an educational discussion for ethics and code of conduct
  • The EA21 national camp will take place at Overlook Farm South in Ocala, Florida, with one day (Thursday) at the Florida Horse Park for cross-country lessons
  • Kerrits, the Official Competition & Training Apparel of the USEA, will be providing merchandise to all EA21 camp riders
  • Ride iQ, an educational collaborator of the USEA, will be on-site helping with coverage, and will also be offering subscriptions to their services for all USEA EA21 program members, both regionally and nationally
  • The national camp riding sessions will be open to auditors. There will be a spectator area for auditors during the ridden sessions, and auditors are asked to watch quietly. The classroom lecture sessions are closed to camp members only. Auditors may use the service entrance at Overlook Farm: 13727 NW 115th Street, Ocala, FL 34482, gate code: 1234#

For questions regarding the Emerging Athlete 21 Program, please email Kate Lokey at [email protected].

About the USEA Emerging Athletes 21 Program

The purpose of the USEA Emerging Athletes 21 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 21 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. 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. Applications for the 2023 regional clinics will open in January/February, 2023.

The USEA would like to thank Kerrits, WeRideTogether, and Ride iQ for their support and sponsorship of the EA21 national camp.

May 26, 2023 About Us

Meet the USEA Staff: Programs, Partnerships, & Marketing

If you have been involved at a higher level with the USEA, you probably recognize the names of the two ladies that spearhead all of the efforts of the USEA’s Programs, Partnerships, and Marketing department: Kate Lokey, Director of Programs and Marketing, and Kaleigh Collett, Marketing Coordinator, but a new member of this team has also joined the USEA staff in Heather Johnson, Programs and Inventory Assistant. If you have considered advertising with the USEA or are involved in the USEA’s Young Event Horse, Emerging Athletes U21, New Event Horse, Adult Riders, Young Riders, Classic Series, or Grooms programs, you probably have or most likely will interact with one of these staff members.

May 25, 2023 Intercollegiate

Fast Facts: 2023 USEA Intercollegiate Eventing Championship

The countdown to competition is on as 13 colleges and universities converge on the Tryon International Equestrian Center (TIEC) in Mill Spring, North Carolina, for the 2023 USEA Intercollegiate Eventing Championship! This Friday, May 26, through Sunday, May 28, a total of 89 entries and 24 teams will go head-to-head to compete for the Intercollegiate Eventing Championship title and the coveted Spirit Award.

May 24, 2023 Eventing News

Weekend Quick Links: May 25-28

Are you following along with the action from home this weekend? Or maybe you're competing at an event and need information fast. Either way, we’ve got you covered! Check out the USEA’s Weekend Quick Links for links to information including the prize list, ride times, live scores, and more for all the events running this weekend.

May 24, 2023 News

Eventing Coaches Program Adds New Certification Levels

The U.S. Eventing Association (USEA) Board of Governors (BOG) recently approved a change to the USEA Eventing Coaches Program (ECP) levels.

In 2021, the ECP, then known as the Instructors Certification Program, changed levels to align with FEI competition levels. Since then, the ECP Committee has learned that having certification levels that included more than one competition level was making it difficult for coaches to achieve eligibility to obtain certification at Level I and II due to the requirement that a coach have at least three students competing at the top level of certification.

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