United States Eventing Association

Look Back on Another Year of Eventing with the USEA

As 2018 draws to a close, we wanted to take a moment to look back on some of the nearly 800 articles the USEA published this year, covering topics ranging from horse health, rider fitness, young horse training and to event coverage from the biggest events in the country. Whether you’re a competitor, owner, breeder, volunteer, organizer, official, or supporter of the sport of eventing, the USEA has something for everyone!

Let’s take a look back at some of the articles the USEA published in 2018.

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The USEA continued the Events A-Z series, which features each USEA recognized event from A to Z! In 2017 we made it through all events beginning with A through E and kicked off 2018 with the letter F. Did you miss any? Be sure to catch them here: Flying Cross Farm, FENCE, Fleur de Leap, Fresno County Horse Park, Full Moon Farm, Flora Lea, Fair Hill, Fitch’s Corner, Fox River Valley Pony Club, Feather Creek, Full Gallop, Galway Down, GMHA, Golden Spike, Genesee Valley Riding and Driving Club, Genesee Valley Hunt, Groton House Farm, Great Meadow International, Holly Hill, Heart of the Carolinas, Heritage Park, Honey Run, Huntington Farm, Horse Park of New Jersey, Hitching Post, Hunt Club Farms, IEA, Inavale, Jersey Fresh, Jump Start, KY Classique, Kentucky Three-Day Event, Kent School, Longleaf Pine, Las Cruces, Larkin Hill, Loudoun Hunt Pony Club, Mill Creek Pony Club, Mystic Valley Hunt Club, Hagyard Midsouth Three-Day Event, Millbrook, Maryland Horse Trials at Loch Moy Farm, Middle Tennessee Pony Club.

The USEA travels all over the country each year to cover the top events in the United States. This year we launched the Through the Lens series, photo essays that capture the essence of each unique event. Take a look back through the USEA’s lens at the events we covered in 2018: Red Hills, Carolina International, Galway Downs, Chattahoochee Hills, The Fork, Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event, Jersey Fresh, Intercollegiate Eventing Championship, Great Meadow International, The Event at Rebecca Farm, Millbrook, FEI World Equestrian Games, Fair Hill International, Ocala Jockey Cub.

We continued to break down the USEF Rules For Eventing for you – one rule at a time – and even included rule updates from the FEI in our Rule Refresher series: Am I Qualified? (Appendix 3), Inquiries, Protests, and Appeals, Mandatory Frangible Devices, Permitted Equine Therapists, Rule Changes Effective December 1, 2018.

In honor of the induction of six new members to the USEA’s Eventing Hall of Fame, we spent the year looking back at the 40 other eventing legends that have been inducted over the last 20 years. Take a moment to get to know the Class of 1999, Class of 2003, Class of 2006, Class of 2009, Class of 2012, Class of 2015, and Class of 2018.

Volunteers are the heart of the sport, and we were so excited to feature a volunteer of the month each month of the year: Mike Smallwood, Bonnie Kibbie, Kristina Whorton, Volunteers of the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event, Tom Weiss, Beth Stoker, Lefreda Williams, Kristin Hogan, Tayler Owen, Art and Diane Bird, Brenda Jarrell.

So many off-the-track Thoroughbreds find their second careers as eventers and with their power, strength, speed, and heart, they are a popular choice for riders looking for their next partner. This year, we partnered with Athletux Equine to critique these OTTBs on their suitability for second careers in eventing: Spanish Princesa, Symphonic Hero, Another Gulch, Yankee Prospector, Midnight Casanova, Little Lies, Something Special, Uno, Interactif Spy, V3 Red Thirty Six, Demitasse.

The USEA wouldn’t exist without you, our members, and we love sharing your stories! We highlighted several of our members and their stories this year in our Now on Course series: From Switzerland to the States for Felix Vogg, Young Rider Alexa Lapp and 2017 USEA Horse of the Year Cambalda, Leeci Rowsell and Dot Com, Simone Tranfaglia, Theresa Simmons, and Fred, Lookover Erin Returns Home with Cadence Clucas, Chestnut Oak’s Drummer Boy Flaunts His Feathers at the 2018 USEA AEC, Emma Keahon and PS Duty Calls, Nick Hinze Won't Let Cancer Slow Him Down and Road to AEC series: From the Plains to the Arena, A Miraculous Recovery, A Fresh Start, Learning Together, Riding for Lydia, Achieving the Unexpected, An Incredible Gift.

Coach Daniel Stewart shared a new tip every month to help riders take charge of the mental side of the sport and bring their A-game. Take some time to re-read them as you prepare for the 2019 season: Legacy Goals, Thought Chatter, Am – Am Not, The You/Them Habit, Limiting Beliefs, Bandwagon Bias, Telescoping Bias, Bad Guy Bias, Confirmation Bias, Self-Serving Bias, Finished Product Bias, PRACTICE Like an Athlete.

Clinics are a great way for riders to gain new perspective into their riding, and we profiled several different clinicians this year in partnership with Event Clinics: Stephen Bradley, Kelley Williams, Sally Cousins, Michael Barisone, Phillip Dutton, Daniel Stewart, Jim Wofford, Lynn Symansky.

The USEA released bi-monthly podcast episodes all year, covering a range of topics from how to prepare for a USEA Classic Series three-day event or altitude and hot temperatures to a preview of the FEI World Equestrian Games cross-country course highlights from the USEA Educational Symposium. Click here to listen to all the USEA Podcast episodes.

If you were a USEA member this year, you received six issues of Eventing USA which featured coverage of the top events of the year, educational articles, and profiles as well as regular columns such as Horse Health, Year in the Life, Grid Pro Quo, Amateur Zone, Committee Corner, and Winner’s Circle. Members can access all back issues of Eventing USA through Online Services.

On December 1, 2018, the USEA launched a newly revamped website at useventing.com. You can read all about the changes to the website and check out FAQs in this article.

Our membership is what keeps the USEA alive and we always welcome feedback from our members. Have an idea for an article for the USEA website or Eventing USA magazine? Want to contribute an article of your own? Email Jessica Duffy at [email protected] to share your ideas and stories!