Listen in to this week's USEA Podcast to hear from Amanda Beale Clement, Sophie Click, and Jacob Fletcher, all members of the USEF Eventing 25 Program List who attended the winter training sessions in Ocala, Florida, January 8-11.
First up is Amanda Beale Clement, who attended the training sessions with Canny Calypso, an 8-year-old Westphalian/Trakehner gelding. Normally based at her mother Susie Beale's Cairn O'Mount Stables South in Aiken during the winter, Amanda is currently in Tampa, Florida for some intensive dressage training with her grandfather, Jeremey Beale. Amanda discusses what she was looking to get out of the sessions, her training philosophy, how she’s developed as a rider, the season ahead, and her long-term goals for the future.
Next, we hear from Washington state native Sophie Click who is currently based out of Bridle Creek in Aiken with Lillian Heard. Sophie brought two horses with her from Washington; the 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding, Fernhill Rising, and the 15-year-old Paint gelding, Hot Wheels. She talks about her expectations for the training sessions, what specific aspects she worked on, how she’s planning to implement the tools she picked up at the sessions, and her plans for the 2018 show season.
Finally, three-time Eventing 25 Training List member Jacob Fletcher of North Little Rock, Arkansas returns to the show to share what he planned to focus on in the training sessions with his two horses, 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding, Van Gough, and 13-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding, Atlantic Domino. Jacob shares what he worked on with each horse in the sessions, what it’s like to work with USEF Developing Rider Coach Leslie Law, his biggest takeaways from the sessions, and his priorities moving forward.
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.