Adult Amateur rider, Frankie Thieriot Stutes was the recipient of the 2018 Rebecca Broussard International Developing Rider’s Grant in December. Frankie will be sharing her eventing adventures with us every month with the USEA Foundation in 2019. Here is her January posting.
Hi Everyone,
I’m Frankie Thieriot Stutes, an Amateur Three-day Event rider with a wonderful horse named Chatwin. I have been riding since age three when my mom decided her very wild child needed an activity that could assist in working off some of her exuberant energy.
Since that time I have always ridden in some capacity, but I, unlike many upper-level riders, never dreamed of coaching and riding numerous horses per day, but instead aspired to work in sports marketing and communications. After working in the NHL, for NIKE, and as the Director of Communications for a Fitness, Media, Sports Company, and Freelancer for the USEA as an on-camera reporter, I decided it was time to start something of my own to help equestrian athletes, and in 2011, my equine marketing company Athletux was born.
Although 2018 was an incredible year for me, I am a firm believer in that you give yourself a bit of time to be upset when things don’t go right, and you only allow yourself the same amount of time to celebrate your successes before it is time to move on and get back to work. With that said 2019 is here, my horse and I are both certainly a bit out of shape from the winter (remember I only have one horse who has been on vacation since October), and we have a lot of work to do to be as good as we dream of becoming.
Thanks to the incredible generosity of the Broussard Grant, I will be able to further my training under the instruction of German Dressage Hall of Famer Lilo Fore, which I have begun doing this week- and let me just say there is a lot of work to do. With a portion of the funds I received, my focus early in the season is to go to Dressage, and Jumper shows that were financially a bit daunting in addition to my necessary three-day events last year, and I am excited to get going with those at the end of January.
I believe in being out of your comfort zone as much as possible, and I also believe you can always get better in some way both on and off your horses. So here I am, ready for 2019 with a clean slate, bringing what I learned from last year with me, but also remembering that all that counts is what lies ahead. I have a hunger bigger than ever to make every day count because of the tremendous gift and opportunities I have been given thanks to the honor of being the 2018 “Big Becky Recipient.”
And they're off! The first official day of competition at the 2025 Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event (K3DE) begins today and we have a schedule jam-packed with dressage for both the four- and five-star fields.
The CCI5*-L field was narrowed by one this afternoon following the first horse inspection on High Hope Inspection Lane at the 2025 Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event. Horse and rider pairs were looking their best, with a few horses demonstrating their readiness for the upcoming competition through their flamboyant behavior (we're looking at you Bronte Beach Z and Dyri).
The man, the myth, the legend himself, Derek di Grazia is back in his typical fashion at this year's Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event and he has designed some beautiful tracks for both the CCI5*-L and CCI4*-S competitions this year. You can get a first look at these amazing courses as well as some insider interviews with di Grazia himself thanks to our friends at the CrossCountry App!
It's the most wonderful time of the year—and we aren't talking about the holiday season. Welcome to 2025 Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event (K3DE) week! This week the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky, will be crawling with eventing lovers from all across the globe for the first five-star of the 2025 season and the USEA is excited to once again be onsite for all of the action.