“We must continue to educate the non-equestrian community about equestrian sport and our values as there is a lot of misinformation which exists out there and could threaten the integrity of the sport we love," shared FEI President Ingmar De Vos as he opened the first-ever FEI Hybrid General Assembly in Antwerp, Belgium. Wrap-up notes following the conclusion of the Assembly were shared with the public online. Interesting highlights pertinent to the sport of eventing include:
Quick Quotes from Antwerp
“This has been draining and overwhelming at times, but as I stand here I am proud and humbled by the strength of our community and our resilience in the face of adversity. We showed true resourcefulness, but especially we showed a positive and proactive community that can move forward and embrace change. And this is something we have really thought about a lot in our 100th year. What do we want for our collective future, for the next generations? From sporting integrity, good governance and sustainability, how are we creating a positive legacy for the future?” - President Ingmar De Vos on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Equine Herpes Virus outbreak.
“We can agree to disagree, we can have intense debates, but once a vote has been taken, and decisions have been made, we need to move on - Together – and this is exactly the word used to update the Olympic motto: Faster, Higher, Stronger, Together!” - President Ingmar De Vos
“The idea behind social license is that we must be transparent, ethical and accountable for what we do. We must do right by our horses – and be seen to be doing so. If we are not, we risk losing our social license and face dwindling support, and potential intervention by outside regulation. We have such a great story to tell about the horse-human partnership, about what makes our horses such
impressive athletes as well as such engaging characters. We need to demonstrate that this is a true partnership based on respect, and where there is no respect, there are serious sanctions.” - Chief Executive of World Horse Welfare Roly Owers.
Did you know that there are over 53,000 wild mustangs in holding facilities across the United States? My mustang journey began in February 2018 after losing my heart horse whom I had just shy of 20 years. I wanted another horse of color, and my friend sent me the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) internet adoption link. I was amazed at all of the horses available on the internet auction, but I quickly fell in love with Woodrow. I learned that he was a popular band stallion in Wyoming and had been followed by photographers for close to three years.
The United States Eventing Association (USEA) is pleased to announce the addition of the Modified Rider division beginning at the 2023 USEA American Eventing Championships (AEC), presented by Nutrena Feeds. The USEA AEC will move back to the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky August 29–September 3, 2023.
Are you interested in competing in the sport of eventing but aren’t quite sure how to get started? Do you have a horse that is looking for a new career? Consider participating in a USEA New Event Horse (NEH) competition in 2023! The USEA NEH Program was created to be an introduction to the sport of eventing for both horse and rider, and the 2023 NEH Calendar is now available here.
Will Coleman had a huge 2022 with his string of horses, including a team silver medal at the FEI World Eventing Championship in Italy on Off The Record and top four-star placings with Chin Tonic HS, but it was Dondante whose consistency paid off to earn the Standlee Premium Western Forage USEA Horse of the Year title.