The USEA Appreciation Awards were created as an opportunity for the eventing community to recognize and honor people who have served the sport tirelessly both in a non-riding capacity and riding capacity. While tabulating horse and rider awards is a simple matter of calculating points earned in a competition, it is a very different proposition when it comes to the non-rider awards; these awards require nominations from our members.
The Appreciation Awards Committee is currently accepting nominations for the awards listed below. If you know someone who is deserving of one of these awards, please submit your nominations for consideration to:
Cathy Forsberg, Chairman of the USEA Appreciation Awards Committee
c/o USEA Attn: Hannah Seagle
Email: [email protected]
Fax: (703) 779-0550.
Deadline for nominations: Sunday, October 31, 2021
The Annual Awards Ceremony will be held during the USEA Annual Meeting & Convention. Further details regarding the awards reception dinner will be announced in the near future.
APPRECIATION AWARDS CATEGORIES:
• Courtney C. Reeves Memorial Trophy: Awarded to the young individual who exemplifies sportsmanship, the spirit of the sport, and who gives back to the sport.
• Ironmaster Trophy: Awarded to the individual that exemplifies fortitude and courage. Open to anyone associated with the sport as a volunteer, spectator, official, trainer, competitor, groom, or groundskeeper.
• Vintage Cup: Awarded to members 60-years of age and over who are competing at any level in recognized USEA competitions and who show good sportsmanship.
• Sue Hershey Award: The Sue Hershey Award honors an ICP Certified Instructor, who exemplifies the values, commitment, and character of the ICP program and who has inspired students in the sport of eventing, with their instruction, encouragement, and long-term dedication to teaching correct horsemanship and stable management skills.
NOMINATION FOR CONSIDERATION IS TO INCLUDE:
Name of award, name of nominee, address of nominee, USEA area, age (if applicable) and, reason for the nomination. The Reason for the nomination should include a concise, but detailed biography of your nominee, clearly describing the attributes that pay tribute to the criteria of the award up for consideration.
If your nominee is selected, a photo will also be required. To make this experience exciting for both the recipients and attendees of the Awards Dinner, the names selected will be kept a secret until the award is presented. Although it may not be an easy task, we ask those making the nomination to ensure that the candidate is able to attend the Awards Dinner.
Did you know that the USEA Foundation awards over 150 grants each year to deserving individuals who are involved in the sport of eventing? With grants that assist riders with accomplishing their competition goals, grants geared toward licensed officials, grants that are specific to continuing education for coaches, grants that assist competitions with obtaining frangible technology, and so much more, there really is a grant opportunity available to almost anyone!
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.