United States Eventing Association

Fast Facts: USEA Emerging Athletes 21 Regional Clinics

Tomorrow kicks off the official start of the USEA Emerging Athlete 21 (EA21) Program's regional clinics with two out of of the five scheduled clinics taking place on the east coast. The first clinic takes place at Stable View in Aiken, South Carolina and the other at Morven Park in Leesburg, Virginia on the same dates of July 25-26 each. Twelve riders will take part in each two-day clinic, which are being led by an USEA Instructors' Certification Program (ICP) coach with the Stable View clinic being taught by Emily Beshear, and the Morven Park clinic being taught by Shannon Lilley. The purpose of the EA21 program 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 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 over 150 applications for the 2022 EA21 program, and a team of selectors chose 12 riders for each EA21 regional clinic.
• Each rider was evaluated on the following criteria:
  • Competitiveness and desire to continue in the sport
  • Ability and effectiveness in dressage, cross-country, show jumping
  • Demonstration of horse welfare, stable management, general veterinary knowledge
  • Willingness to learn from coaches, trainers, and peers
  • Good sportsmanship and an ability to be a “team player”
  • Ability to progress through the Performance Pathway
  • Evidence of an effective work ethic
  • Personal: loves horses and dedicated to the sport for the future
  • Physical: athletic and coordinated
  • Mental: positive attitude, willingness to learn/improve, inquisitive, competitive, educated to a level, and ability to concentrate
• Participants of the Morven Park EA21 Clinic include: Kiera Kenny, Caitlin O'Roark, Lea Adams-Blackmore, Ayden Schain, Rebecca Roth, Sarah Ertl, Addison Neumeyer, Adalee Ladwig, Meg Pellegrini, Audrey Littlefield, Elizabeth Gill, and Kate Bearer.
  
• The Stable View EA21 Clinic participants are: Bree Robinette, Kiersten Miller, Dylan Philipps, Lulu Malinoski, Stephanie Cordell, Solomon Edwards, Tessa Geven, Rory Frangos, Madison Blodgett, Sissy Sugarman, Callia Englund. One participant, Georgia Dillard, had to scratch from the lineup and her spot has been filled by the first rider on the waitlist: Lucas Santi.
• The EA21 clinics are designed for the rider, not the horse. The strategy is to teach the basics of theory and communication and apply them to the phases. The goal is to start a process that improves their riding as a whole, and not just improve that specific horse.
• Clinic Curriculum will be put together by each leading instructor with the feedback from not only the USEA ICP Committee but also from EA21 Director of Coaching, David O’Connor.
• Each EA21 rider will receive some EA21 hats from the USEA, socks from #WeRideTogether, and saddle pads from Gallops Saddlery.
• After the regional clinics, a select group of riders will be chosen from the regional clinics to participate in the national camp with all three phases, with EA21 Director of Coaching, David O’Connor. National camp dates/location is TBA but will take place in Florida in January or February, 2023

The Schedule

EAST I – Morven Park – July 25-26, 2022

Monday, July 25

7:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. introductions and dressage discussion

10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. dressage lessons two riders per group per one hour lesson.

Riders will grab the provided lunch between lessons

4:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. Show Jump lecture and course set-up

6:30 p.m. – Dinner, “Eventing Past vs. Present” discussion and trivia - EA21 kids only

Tuesday, July 26

7:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. - 1.5 hour lessons with three riders in each group.

1:30 p.m. Lunch - discussion on cross-country riding and Q&A/clinic wrap up.

EAST II – Stable View – July 25-26, 2022

Sunday, July 24

6-8 p.m. Meet and greet with dressage lecture in the pavilion

Monday, July 25

7:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Dressage lessons in the covered arena | two riders per one hour lesson

1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. Lunch in the pub

2:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Show Jumping lecture in the pavilion

4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Show Jumping course set-up in the covered arena

6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Dinner and XC video viewing in the pavilion

Tuesday, July 26

7:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Show Jumping Lessons in the Covered Arena | Three riders per one and a half hour lesson

1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Lunch and Clinic Wrap-Up Q&A or cross-country Lecture/Video in the pavilion

The remaining EA21 Regional Clinics are scheduled as follows:

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.

For more information on the EA21 Regional Clinics, click here.