The GMHA Festival of Eventing, the only international event in Area I, is now accepting entries. With $10,000 in prize money, fabulous footing, beautiful surroundings, and cooler temperatures, make this a destination weekend for you and your crew.
Held Aug. 9-11 in South Woodstock, Vermont, the event will also feature Beginner Novice through Intermediate national levels.
The Festival boasts a rockin' competitor party catered by local Trail Break Tacos, free to competitors, with live music.
Prizes for the event include two $100 Groom’s Award’s certificates, Lowest Scoring overall Irish Sport Horse, and Lowest Scoring Irish Sport Horse for Training Level Adult Amateur. Adult Amateur awards at all levels are sponsored by Area 1 Adult Riders.
New this year, “Who Jumped it Best” for show jumping rounds at Beginner and Novice levels for adults and juniors alike, and the Mary Hutchins Award for Best Junior Horsemanship. Prize sponsors include ARRO Helmets, High Standards Design Co., Strafford Saddlery, Fieldstone Equine, Fernhill Sport Horses, and Platinum Performance.
Enjoy the charming village, great food and boutique shopping in historic Woodstock. With golf right down the road at the Woodstock Golf Club there is something for everyone.
Closing dates:
• National divisions - Tuesday, July 23
• FEI divisions - Tuesday, July 30
More information and entry details here.
Volunteers sign up through EventingVolunteers.com here.
For business and individual sponsorship opportunities reach out to Bruce Perry at [email protected] or call (802) 457-1509 x204.
We’ve all been there—on the horse who pokes his way around the warm-up ring, needs leg, leg, leg coming into the combination, or brings up the rear on every trail ride. None of us wants each and every ride to be a lower-body squeezefest, nor do we wish to do anything with our crop except maybe wave it at that annoying deerfly. In this excerpt from his book The Sport Horse Problem Solver, former international eventer Eric Smiley explains the essential quality of forwardness and how to prepare the horse to expect you to look for it in all that you do together.
The inaugural USEA Interscholastic Eventing League (IEL) Championships may have been the pinnacle for program members of the IEL last year, but that’s not the only exciting achievement that occurred in 2024. A total of 41 events offered IEL Team Challenges for over 360 program members, and in the end, a year-end leaderboard champion was named at every level from Starter through Intermediate. The following IEL members worked tirelessly with their clubs and on their own competitive journeys in 2024 to earn the title of Interscholastic Rider of the Year at their respective level. Join us in congratulating these up-and-coming eventers on their success!
Veterinary pathologist Susan Hart has been trapped in an “always the bridesmaid, never the bride” loop on the USEA Volunteer Incentive Program (VIP) Volunteer Leaderboard since 2022. After two years of chipping away at the leaderboard, 2024 was finally her year to proverbially walk down the aisle. With a total of 691 and a half hours, Hart topped the leaderboard to become the 2024 USEA Volunteer of the Year, sponsored by Mrs. Pastures, and win the first gold medal in USEA VIP history, which is awarded for achieving over 2,000 lifetime volunteer hours.
Day 3 of the USEA Eventing Coaches Program (ECP) Symposium at Galway Downs was all about correct cross-country position after an informative discussion from sports psychologist Natalie Hummel.