Feb 13, 2020

New Addition to VIP: The Volunteer Medal Program

By Claire Kelley - USEA Staff
Volunteers at the Plantation Field International Event. USEA/Jessica Duffy Photo.

The USEA Volunteer Committee is pleased to announce a new Volunteer Medal Program has been added to the USEA Volunteer Incentive Program presented by Sunsprite Warmbloods (VIP) starting this year. The Volunteer Medal Program will recognize the volunteers who consistently volunteer year after year. Hours earned are cumulative over a lifetime of volunteer service. Only volunteer hours logged and tallied via eventingvolunteers.com will be counted towards the medal program.

To earn a bronze medal, volunteers must record 500 volunteer hours and will be awarded an embroidered polo shirt, pin, and certificate. To earn a silver medal, volunteers must record 1,000 volunteer hours and will be awarded an embroidered vest, pin, and certificate. To earn a gold medal, volunteers must record 2,000 volunteer hours and will be awarded an embroidered jacket, pin, and certificate.

Awards will be distributed in December of each year. The Volunteer Medal Program leaderboard is available on eventingvolunteers.com.

Volunteers who have already earned a bronze medal include Michael Smallwood with 701 hours and 27 minutes, Diane Bird with 669 hours and 43 minutes, Paige Ervin with 621 hours and 22 minutes, and Art Bird with 556 hours and 9 minutes. These hours have accumulated since December 1, 2016.

Thank you to all the hardworking volunteers who keep the sport of eventing alive!

For more information on the USEA Volunteer Incentive Program, please click here.

About the USEA Volunteer Incentive Program

Volunteers are the lifeblood of our sport, the unsung heroes, and the people who make it possible to keep the sport alive. In efforts to recognize the dedication, commitment, and hard work that volunteers put into eventing, USEA formed the Volunteer Incentive Program (VIP) in 2015. In 2017, an online management portal was designed for volunteers, organizers, and volunteer coordinators at EventingVolunteers.com (available as an app for iOS and Android).

Volunteer incentives include national and area recognition, year-end awards with ribbons, cash prizes, and trophies, a top ten USEA Volunteer leaderboard, and a Volunteer of the Year award which is given to the volunteer who tops the leaderboard by accumulating the most volunteer hours over the USEA competition year. Click here to learn more about the USEA Volunteer Incentive Program.

The USEA would like to thank Sunsprite Warmbloods for sponsoring the Volunteer Incentive Program

Mar 27, 2025 AEC

2025 USEA American Eventing Championships Presented by Nutrena Feeds Heads West to Galway Downs

After two years on the East Coast, the United States Eventing Association, Inc. (USEA) is thrilled to be packing our bags and heading West for the 2025 USEA American Eventing Championships (AEC) presented by Nutrena Feeds. On August 26-31, 2025, top USEA competitors from near and far will converge on Galway Downs in Temecula, California for the annual championship that celebrates every level of the Olympic sport of eventing from Starter through Advanced. This year’s event will again feature the $60,000 Adequan USEA Advanced Final and the USEA Adult Team Championships.

Mar 26, 2025 USEA Foundation

Broussard Family Charitable Trust Announces Doubling of Rebecca Farm Travel Grants

Since 2006, the Broussard Family Charitable Trust has supported the sport of eventing in the U.S. and the careers of countless U.S. event riders through multiple grants including the Rebecca Broussard Developing Rider Grant (2011), Le Samurai Fund (2008), Cindy Burge Memorial ECP Grant (2006), Broussard Family Charitable Trust Going Forward Grants (2020), and the Rebecca Farm Travel Grant (2011). The USEA Foundation is excited to share that the Broussard Family Charitable Trust continues to remain committed to its support of these grants and has announced the following enhancements for 2025.

Mar 26, 2025 Young Riders

MARS Bromont Rising U25 Grant Program Returns to MARS Bromont CCI for 2025

The MARS Bromont Rising U25 scholarship program, administered by the USEA Foundation, is pleased to announce that up to 10 grants of up to $2,500 each will once again be available for talented young riders aged 25 and under aiming to compete in the MARS Bromont (Quebec, Canada) U25 CCIs in June 2025.

Mar 26, 2025 Profile

Team Spirit, a Trusted Trainer, and a Special Thoroughbred Gave Lila Apple a New Outlook

For 13-year-old Lila Apple, the pathway to eventing hasn’t always been easy. Self-doubt and confidence issues hindered her progress, but after partnering with a precocious and experienced Thoroughbred and a new trainer who helped her hone her skills, she’s thriving—and even has this year’s USEA Interscholastic Eventing League Championships (IEL) firmly in her sights.

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