The Annual Meeting & Convention is an opportunity for eventing community members to gather from all across the country to hear reports from the various groups and committees and provide feedback to make changes and improvements for the future. In addition to the meetings that took place yesterday, there were several more open forums that met today to discuss progress over the past year and plans for the coming year.
ICP Open Forum
Rule Change Open Forum
The following detail the potential rule changes that are up for consideration at the USEF Annual Meeting in January.
Safety Committee Open Forum
The Safety Committee consists of three subcommittees: Rider Safety, Equine Safety and Welfare, and Cross-country Safety. This morning they all came together to discuss what the subcommittees have been working on in the Safety Committee Open Forum.
Sarah Broussard, Chair of the Rider Safety Subcommittee, said they have been working on revamping the safety coordinators manual to add more clarity and condense it. They are keeping an eye on concussions – how to monitor them, the long term effects, and how to prevent them from happening. They are also hoping to rework the watch list as many have heard of it, but most have never seen it. The list would help identify dangerous riding and work on getting riders on track with the education they need.
Dr. Jennifer Miller and Max Corcoran, Chairs of the Equine Safety and Welfare Subcommittee, reported on the work they have done this year which includes releasing educational videos about FEI stewarding and horse inspections. They are working on identifying parameters which would help officials identify exhausted horses. Miller and Corcoran want to push forward with the USEA’s cardiopulmonary study as two horses were lost this year on course due to cardiopulmonary failure, and they are hoping to put out research bids to the scientific community. They are trying to get more information about horsemanship out to more people by working with the continuing education of ICP instructors.
Both Rob Burk and David Vos spoke to the work of the Cross-country Safety Subcommittee. Vos focused on the new method that he has developed in order to test frangible devices in the field, and gave a discussion about the research behind it including the formulas he developed. Vos also spoke about his work with the TRL lab in England to develop a new set of requirements for the FEI in testing frangible devices to make sure they work and are useful. These will be released by the FEI in the next few months.
Burk said, “We need to inspire the community to come forward so their voices can be heard. We don’t have all the answers and our job will never be done, but we will keep it at the top of our priority list. We are going in lots of directions, but that is what we need to do. Jump design, rider, education, horse suitability, etc. Everyone has been touched by a loss somewhere in the sport. This is deeply personal and there is so much we can do to improve for the future.”
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About the USEA Annual Meeting & Convention
The USEA Annual Meeting & Convention takes place each December and brings together a large group of dedicated USEA members and supporters to discuss, learn, and enjoy being surrounded by other eventing enthusiasts. The USEA organizes multiple seminars in addition to committee meetings, open forums, and tons of fun! The 2018 Annual Meeting & Convention is taking place at the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel in New Orleans, Louisiana on December 6-9, 2018. Visit the 2018 USEA Annual Meeting & Convention page to stay up to date on news, announcements, and details.
The USEA would like to thank Adequan, Devoucoux, Nutrena, Charles Owen, Standlee Hay, Merck Animal Health, SmartPak, Mountain Horse, Parker Equine Insurance, Rebecca Farm, Auburn Laboratories, Stackhouse & Ellis Saddles, Nunn Finer, World Equestrian Brands, Gallops Saddlery, Revitavet, CWD, H.E. Tex Sutton Forwarding Company, Trio Safety CPR + AED Solutions, Equestrian Athlete Camps at the U.S. Olympic Training Center, and Hylofit for sponsoring the USEA Annual Meeting & Convention.
Tack cleaning is one of those barn chores that might not be our favorite but is certainly necessary for keeping our equipment in top shape. Aside from caring for your tack so it lasts for years to come, regular tack maintenance is important for safety. The last thing you want is the potential for a stitch, zipper, or buckle breaking while you're out on course.
Following feedback from our membership to the rule change proposal for the USEF Rules For Eventing: Appendix 3 – Participation In Horse Trials, the United States Eventing Association (USEA) Board of Governors voted to modify the rule change proposal, but still to recommend the establishment of rider licenses and increase Minimum Eligibility Requirements (MERs) to the regulating authority of the sport US Equestrian (USEF).
The United States Eventing Association (USEA) is happy to announce the dates, locations, and judges for the USEA Future Event Horse Championships in 2021. The Future Event Horse (FEH) Championships offer classes for yearlings, 2-year-olds, 3-year-olds, and 4-year-olds to evaluate their potential for becoming successful upper-level event horses.
USEA Area II announces its annual fundraising auction online is open for bidding! This fundraiser is over 20 years old and now well-known as the "Black Friday" for entries to ALL your favorite events! In typical years, the auction is held as a silent auction at the Annual Area Meeting, but because of COVID-19 restrictions, no in-person meeting will be held, so we're bringing the auction to everyone online this year.