A celebration of life will be held for the late Patrick “Packy” G. McGaughan on Saturday, June 19, 2021, at 4 pm EST. The celebration will be held in the jump field of Banbury Cross Farm, 26315 Haines Rd, Clarksburg, MD 20871. All who wish to honor Packy's life are invited to attend to tell their stories, pat Bandit, and toast a well-lived life. There will be signs posted to direct vehicles to park. RSVPs can be sent to Judy Mcgaughan on Facebook messenger or at 301-526-4241.
An award in Packy’s honor has been established through the USEA Foundation. That award will include a beautiful bronze trophy and award recipients will be recognized at the USEA Annual Meeting and Convention. The trophy will be on display at the Celebration of Life. Donations for The Packy Prize may be made to:
USEA Foundation
Attn: The Packy Prize
525 Old Waterford Road NW
Leesburg, Virginia 20176
Donations may also be made online at www.useafoundation.org/donate and by clicking the “Use my donation to support:” box and clicking the option titled “The Packy Prize (USEA Foundation).”
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.
The USEA office will close at 5:00 p.m. EST on Friday, Dec. 20, 2024, and will reopen again on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025. The USEA staff will return emails and phone calls when the office re-opens on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025 or at their earliest convenience.