In the wake of the devastation brought upon Puerto Rico by Hurricanes Irma and Maria, Lauren Billys has started a fundraiser to aid the hundreds of horses on the island who are in dire need of assistance.
“When Puerto Rico was hit with back-to-back hurricanes, the island’s power, water and necessities to live became nonexistent. As the island works through this time, there are so many places in need,” Lauren said.
“I am Puerto Rican and have been competing under this flag for seven years. Most immediately, our friends in Puerto Rico have reached out to receive basic needs for horses that are also struggling through this time.”
Approximately 700 horses at two different facilities are in immediate need of basic supplies, though there are undoubtedly countless others who are also in need. To that end, Lauren has started a registry of basic items that can be purchased for Lauren to ship to Puerto Rico. Donors are instructed to purchase items off of the registry and have them shipped directly to Lauren. Alternatively, opportunities are available to make a cash donation that will go to the purchase of the items in need and for the cost of shipment.
To view the registry, please visit this link.
All questions should be directed to Lauren Billys directly via email at [email protected].
The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF)/US Equestrian has announced the appointment of former USEF Eventing Development Coach Leslie Law to the position of Chef d’Equipe and High Performance Manager for the Defender U.S. Eventing Team, and Karyn Shuter, who will take on the newly developed role of U.S. Eventing High Performance Advisor. Both Law and Shuter will begin in their respective roles immediately.
Last year was a big one for USEA Young Event Horse program graduate Arden Augustus. He made a successful move-up to Modified with Sharon White in the tack, followed by a smooth transition to Preliminary, then went on to win two CCI2*-S divisions and ended the year with a CCI2*-L win.
Are you following along with the action from home this weekend? Or maybe you're competing at an event and need information fast. Either way, we’ve got you covered!
Start your young horse’s career out on the right path by joining the USEA Young Event Horse (YEH) program! Since it became a USEA program in 2005, YEH strives to identify talented young horses with the potential to excel at the highest levels of eventing in the years to come. The primary goal is to highlight future 4- and 5-star contenders, setting them up on a pathway to success.