The Intercollegiate Team Challenge at FENCE this past weekend was a huge success. Everywhere you looked there were groups of blue, orange, and red. These were the groups of riders and their supporters from the University of Kentucky, Clemson University, and the University of Georgia that gathered to compete in this first such contest in our area. There was so much excitement in the air as the girls, the alumnae, families, and friends rode and cheered for each other, and there were many reasons for each team to cheer! The University of Georgia came away with the trophy, but each team had individual and team wins and placings. Everyone had plenty to be proud and excited about last weekend. Mainly, the prospect of an active Intercollegiate Eventing League that spans the country, giving more young eventers the opportunity to remain active in eventing during college, introduce them to other eventers at their school and in their age group, and introduce more people to the sport. If your school does not yet have an eventing team or club, organize one yourself and get started! You only need four riders, but can have as many as you want on the team. If you need any help or have any questions, just contact any one of the teams who competed at FENCE. They will attest to the fun and excitement of a new way of eventing! Learn more at the links below and watch for a full feature article about College Eventing in an upcoming issue of Eventing USA magazine!
Intercollegiate Eventing League
Clemson Intercollegiate Eventing Team
What’s a Hunter Pace? The Sherwood Forest Equestrian Center's Hunter Pace is a cross-country-style course around Sherwood Forest over various natural obstacles/terrain. The course ends with a final treat for riders to take in stunning views of Mt. Hood with a loop through the old Far Hill Farms field. The beginning of the course will first start with a warm-up loop around show jumping obstacles in the outdoor ring at Sherwood Forest and then riders will continue directly onto the course. Sign up as a solo rider, pair, or team.
Claire Allen remembers when she was 11 years old, having just made the switch from the hunter/jumper ring to three-day eventing. She told her new eventing trainer that her goal was to one day compete in the United States Equestrian Federation’s Eventing Young Rider Championships.
As he was finishing tacking up his horse in preparation to navigate the cross-country course at the 2024 Twin Rivers Summer Horse Trials, James Alliston expressed concern about navigating the 101 Freeway. That’s because as soon as he crossed the finish line aboard Intermediate level winner Addyson (Ampere x Nickerbocker) at 10:38 a.m. on Saturday—his fifth cross-country round of the morning with three at Preliminary and two at Intermediate—the West Coast-based five-star rider had to drive 185 miles on the 101 Freeway from Twin Rivers Ranch in Paso Robles, California, to San Francisco International Airport to catch a 4:35 p.m. flight to Frankfurt, Germany.
There is so much more to proper grooming than keeping your horse picture-perfect for the horse inspection. Good grooming practices are critical to proper horse management, no matter if you are planning for your next FEI appearance or your Starter level debut. To help you maximize your knowledge of grooming practices, we opened up the opportunity for USEA members to submit any questions they might have on our Instagram and Facebook stories. In this week's episode, Host Nicole Brown sits down with three of the highest-regarded grooms in this industry, Max Corcoran, Emma Ford, and Stephanie Simpson, and asks them all of your questions and more to help you perfect the art of grooming.