Area IV’s Fox River Valley Pony Club (FRVPC) Horse Trials held in Barrington Hills, Illinois just outside of Chicago wrapped up an exciting weekend of competition which saw the return of the FEI CCI2* level including the CCI2*-L and CCI2*-S formats!
For almost five decades, the Fox River Valley Pony Club, with the support of an entire community, has helped organize, host, and support the FRVPC Horse Trials. FRVPC recognized how important international level competition was to the Area IV Eventing community and decided to bring back the FEI divisions. Instituting was a very large feat, but the event was a huge success!
This year, Jay Hambly, FEI international cross-country course designer and lead builder for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics designed the cross-country courses from Starter to CCI2* level. Brody Robertson was the show jumping course designer for the first time.
Hambly's cross-country courses were extremely well received, challenging the riders while riding well. We had a gorgeous day for cross-country and Hambly had this to say about how the CCI courses rode: “I think [the rode] very well and the riders all made smart decisions and finished with better horses than they started with.”
The Training course seemed to be the most challenging but very educational for the horses and riders with many getting around after second attempts at the more challenging questions.
Everyone was accepted at the final jogs for both the CCI2*-L and CCI2*-S.
The event was also hosting a Pony Club Rally in conjunction with the horse trials this year and all the Pony Clubbers also had to present their horses and ponies to the ground jury at the beginning of the competition as well as on the final morning.
We were thrilled that CEO of the United States Eventing Association Rob Burk came to volunteer at our event this weekend! This is what he had to say about our event: “This is a wonderful event and it is obvious how much the volunteers and organizers love this event. The mix of the Pony Club rally and the horse trials make it even more special. I will definitely be back to visit!”
Peter Gray, President of the Ground Jury and dressage judge, said he was here three years ago and the event continuously improves with the quality of the courses and the track, this year being excellent.
In 2020, FRVPC Horse Trials will celebrate its 50th year! In addition to supporting the sport of eventing in the Midwest and the educational mission of the FRVPC Pony Club, the running of the FRVPC Horse Trials also plays a critical role in the preservation of open space in the unique equestrian area of Barrington Hills. It is a truly special event that unites an entire community and a legacy we hope will continue on for years to come.
Take a look at www.FRVPCHorseTrials.org to learn more about the horse trials.
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.