United States Eventing Association

Meet the Faculty for the 2025 ECP Symposium, Hosted by Galway Downs

The 2025 USEA Eventing Coaches Program (ECP) Symposium, Hosted by Galway Downs is just one week away, and the USEA is proud to present the list of ECP Faculty that will be on site leading this three-day, immersive educational experience. On Jan. 14-16, eventing enthusiasts will convene in Temecula, California, to learn how coaches can hone their evaluation skills at all levels by identifying the correct, incremental steps of progression needed for each individual horse and rider combination. Keep reading to meet the faculty that will help facilitate these discussions and exercises.

Jennifer Rousseau

Jennifer Rousseau is a USEA ECP Level IV Certified Coach who serves as the Board of Governors Representative of the USEA ECP Committee, which produced the "USEA Eventing Handbook by the Levels." Recently awarded the Going Forward Grant for licensed officials funded by the Broussard Family Trust, she has successfully completed the requirements to become a “r” Eventing judge. Her interest in developing Young Riders has continued to inspire and produce riders competing at the NAJYRC, and in 2017 she served as the Young Rider coach for Area IV riders, winning the team gold medal in the NAYRC 2* (now 3*) competition. L’Esprit Equestrian, Rousseau's teaching and training program which she operates out of Jigsaw Farm in Woodstock, Illinois, is recognized as a top eventing training program in Area IV, producing riders and horses through all levels of competition, including fielding 12 riders for the 2024 USEA American Eventing Championships presented by Nutrena Feeds (Lexington, Kentucky). 

Bec Braitling

Bec Braitling grew up in Australia producing and competing horses up through the five-star level, competing at her first five-star at Adelaide (Australia) at the age of 20. In 2008 she moved to the United States and began her career stateside at Phillip Dutton's True Prospect Farm in Pennsylvania before moving to California's Central Coast. Since then, she has had great success in various FEI competitions across the U.S. and internationally, including the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event CCI5*-L in 2024 and representing her home country at the CHIO Aachen (Germany) in 2023. Braitling represented Australia at the Young Rider Trans-Tasman Championships in 1998, 2000, and 2002. She was selected to compete in the 2000 Sydney Olympic Test Event and has ridden at numerous four-star events in Australia. She is a USEA ECP Level V certified coach and coached the Area VI Young Riders and NAYC Eventing Team in 2017, 2018, and 2019. She is now based out of Twin Rivers Ranch in Paso Robles, California.

Mary D'Arcy

Mary D’Arcy is an ECP Level V certified coach, faculty member, and assessor. She is also a British Horse Society Instructor. D'Arcy coaches riders in eventing from Beginner Novice to Advanced, as well as riders at all levels in show jumping and dressage. Her achievements include holding the title of Irish eventing team coach for the 2000 Sydney and 2004 Athens Olympic Games, coaching individuals at the Atlanta Olympic Games in 1996, and coaching the gold medal-winning Irish team at the FEI European Young Rider Championships in Achwelswang, Germany, in 1995. D'Arcy has coached at World and European Championships and all the major international events. Finally, D'Arcy has recently completed the USCCE Coach Certification Training.

Emily Mastervich

Emily Mastervich is a Level V ECP certified coach and ECP Committee member.  As a rider, she has competed through the five-star level and operates Deep Purple Eventing in Somerset, Virginia, where she focuses on training horses and riders from the Starter through Advanced levels. Her coaching highlights include three years as the regional clinician for the USEA Emerging Athletes Under 21 Program (EA21) and coaching several successful young rider teams, including helping Area VIII achieve their first team gold medal in 2019.

David O'Connor

Two-time U.S. Equestrian Federation Equestrian of the Year and only the fourth American to win individual gold in equestrian sport, David O’Connor’s success has made him a living legend. His individual gold medal in Sydney was won with the best score in Olympic history, and in a four year span he won medals at the Pan American Games, the Olympic Games, and the World Championships.

An integral part of the U.S. Eventing program for nearly two decades as an athlete; O’Connor has grown even more prolific since his retirement in 2004. He was the president of USEF, chairs the eventing committee for the FEI, and most recently, rejoined USEF as the Chief of Sport in 2022. He teaches dozens of students and continues to train young horses. His dedication to youth, building programs, and guiding our high-performance programs is second to none.

O'Connor is also an ECP Level V certified coach and faculty member. Through O’Connor’s leadership as head coach of the Canadian Eventing Team from 2005-2012, Team Canada won silver at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games (Lexington, Kentucky) and numerous medals at international team competitions including the 2007 and 2011 Pan American Games. O’Connor’s coaching style stresses correct fundamentals and a classical approach that leads to competitive success. O’Connor went on to coach the U.S. from 2012-2017 to medals in the Pan American Games and the Olympic Games. Most recently, O'Connor has assumed the role of Director of Coaching and National Camp Coach for the USEA EA21 Program.

Registration

Click here to register for the 2025 ECP Symposium, Hosted by Galway Downs. Current ECP Certified Coaches and/or USEF Licensed Officials can attend the event for the discounted daily fee of $60 per day or the full event fee of $180. The ECP Symposium serves as a continuing education clinic for current and perspective ECP Certified Coaches.

The public is also welcome to attend, and their rates are $100 per day or $300 for the full event. Boxed lunches are available for purchase in single day or full event increments on the registration form as well. Advanced registration is greatly appreciated, so click here to submit today.

If you have any questions about the ECP Symposium, Hosted by Galways Downs or the Eventing Coaches Program, please contact Nancy Knight, Senior Director of Education, at [email protected].

USEA Eventing Coaches Program (ECP)

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 Instructors’ Certification Program (ICP), was initiated in 2002 to educate all levels of eventing coaches with crucial training principles upon which they 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) coaches, 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 USEA Eventing Coaches Program.

The USEA would like to thank Galway Downs, Parker Equine Insurance, the United States Pony Clubs, and Strider for their support of the Eventing Coaches Program.