Aug 24, 2022

ICP Now ECP – The Eventing Coaches Program Reboots Education Initiative

By Kaleigh Collett - USEA Staff
USEA/ Meagan DeLisle photo

The United States Eventing Association (USEA) is pleased to introduce you to the Eventing Coaches Program (ECP). Formerly known as the Instructor’s Certification Program (ICP), the ECP will continue the original program’s mission of producing and improving the craft and art in the teaching of riding and horse management for the sport of eventing through the application of the highest principles of horsemanship.

Robin Walker, Committee Co-Chair and founding faculty member noted that “it became clear in recent years that the Instructor’s Certification Program needed to be reevaluated. As a committee we asked ourselves ‘Are we keeping up with the sport? Are our standards where they need to be?’ and these discussions prompted the birth of the newly improved Eventing Coaches Program.” Walker continued, “This has been herculean effort for the Committee, and I am very proud of the work that has already been accomplished. Creating a solid education program country-wide at every level of the sport is a huge task, but we have seasoned professionals at the helm and tremendous resources to create an updated, modern education program that supports all current and future coaches.”

“The name change, from the ICP to the Eventing Coaches Program, is another step towards raising the awareness and nurturing the development of the highest quality of coaching and instruction in our sport through constantly improving educational opportunities,” said Jennifer Rousseau, ECP Committee Member. “Our competition coaches have an extraordinary role to play in the success and safety of all athletes, horse and human, and the ECP program is on a mission to provide the USEA with world class coaches and instructors at every level.”

The program strives to educate all levels of eventing coaches to confirm the knowledge base, both theoretical and practical, upon which they will continue to build throughout their career.

Along with the rebrand, the USEA will host the 2023 Eventing Coaches Program (ECP) Symposium on January 17-19 at Barnstaple Eventing in Ocala, FL. The 2023 Symposium will invite hundreds of Eventing Coaches to partake in a multi-day educational seminar and unite through their shared interest in educating the next generation of our sport.

“I very much believe in the program, as it has raised the standard of instruction and coaching in Eventing. There have been many changes in our sport over the past 20 years that I have been a part of this committee, and our instructors’ program has evolved with those changes. Over the last several years our committee has put enormous effort into revising and updating the curriculum, raising the standard, and creating the USEA Eventing Handbook by the Levels, now available to all USEA members,” said Phyllis Dawson, ECP Committee Co-Chair and founding faculty member. “This is an appropriate time to also update our name: the Eventing Coaches Program, or ECP, reflects the instructor’s role in our sport and ensures our program is recognizable across the different equestrian disciplines around the world.”

A standardized calendar of workshops and assessments for 2023 will also be released shortly to allow participants to make long-term education plans around their competition schedules.

“I have been working with the ICP since 2004 and am excited about the name change, as it makes the program globally recognizable. With the release of the USEA Eventing Handbook by the Levels and the annual Symposium, the ECP will continue to provide education to all coaches with the safety of horse and rider as the top priority. I am looking forward to the future of the program and my continued work with the amazing group of horsemen and horsewomen on the ECP Committee,” said Nancy Knight, USEA Senior Director of Education.

About the USEA Eventing Coaches Program

Coaches are essential to the training of riders and horses for safe and educated participation in the sport of eventing. The USEA Eventing Coaches Program (ECP), formerly known as the Instructor's Certification Program (ICP), was initiated in 2002 to educate all levels of eventing coaches with crucial training principles upon which those instructors can continue to build throughout their teaching careers. ECP offers educational workshops and assessments by which both regular coaches, Level I through Level V, Young Event Horse (YEH) instructors, and Young Event Horse professional horse trainers can become ECP certified. Additional information about ECP’s goals, benefits, workshops, and assessments as well as names and contact information for current ECP-certified coaches, YEH coaches, and YEH professional horse trainers are available on the USEA website. Click here to learn more about the Eventing Coaches Program.

Jun 07, 2023 Eventing News

Fast Facts: MARS Bromont CCI

After not running in 2020 and 2021, the MARS Bromont CCI Three-Day Event returned to the Bromont Olympic Equestrian Center in Quebec, Canada, in 2022. America's Jennie Saville (née Brannigan) and Twilightslastgleam won the CCI4*-L, as the chestnut Thoroughbred gelding (National Anthem x Royal Child) bred and owned by Nina Gardner moved up from eighth after dressage into the lead after cross-country with the fastest round on wet ground over the tracks designed by Derek di Grazia. Canada's Lindsay Traisnel and Bacyrouge, a bay Selle Français gelding (Mylord Carthago x Lelia) owned by Patricia Pearce, finished second, and they are among four from the top-10 in the CCI4*-L in 2022 that return in 2023.

Jun 06, 2023 Eventing News

Hollberg Takes Top Honors in Open Intermediate and Preliminary Divisions at 2023 Essex Horse Trials

Hannah Sue Hollberg of Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, was on a winning streak at the Essex Horse Trials on Sunday, claiming victory in both the $10,000 Open Intermediate and Open Preliminary divisions with two horses that are fairly new to her. Some difficulty on cross-country did not stop her mount Hachi from claiming victory in the Open Intermediate with a score of 101.6, while Open Preliminary partner Rockster finished on his dressage score of 27.3.

Jun 06, 2023 Profile

“And again, and again, and again”: Knowing When to Come Again and When to Switch Up an Exercise

The great football coach Vince Lombardi said, “We win our games in practice.” With the goal of having the most effective practices possible for horses, their riders, and their coaches, Cathy Wieschhoff explains some signs that can indicate when horse and rider should repeat an exercise, switch it up, or be done with that activity. Wieschhoff brings perspective as a five-star rider that has competed at the Kentucky Three-Day Event and Burghley Horse Trials, a USEF “R” Course Designer for eventing cross-country and show jumping, a former Area VIII chair and member of the USEA Board of Governors, and a Level V USEA ECP Certified Coach based out of Carriage Station Farm in Lexington, Kentucky.

Jun 05, 2023 Eventing News

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The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) is pleased to announce the Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team for the FEI Eventing Nations Cup Poland CCIO4*-NC-S at the Strzegom Horse Trials (Poland) from June 21-25, 2023. The team will be under the direction of USEF Eventing Emerging and Development Coach Leslie Law.

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