Tallahassee, FL – Organizers are anxious to get the 2014 Red Hill International Horse Trials underway. Final touches on the new cross country course are almost complete and an extra day has been added, making this year a 4-day event. With a full slate of competitors, the 17th Red Hills International Horse Trials will be a spectacular event, thanks to the hard work of hundreds of dedicated volunteers.
The deadline for entries was last week and once again the numbers have exceeded expectations—creating a waiting list for competitors. Jane Barron, co-organizer of the event said, “The riders are the foundation of Red Hills. This year’s strong list of competitors will ensure another memorable event for the thousands of spectators that come out to watch.” Among the teams headed to Red Hills next week are past winners Kyle Carter, Jonathan Holling and Mara DePuy. Last year’s CIC 3* winning team Phillip Dutton and Mighty Nice will return and try to make it two-in-a-row.
Awaiting them in Tallahassee is an untested, 3,600 meter cross country course, now totally contained in Klapp-Phipps Park. “For years, I have dreamed of bringing this course to Red Hills. There is the thrill of starting with a clean canvas coupled with the terror of siting this top level competition from scratch in this new setting. Years of thought and hard work have come down to this one weekend. I’m excited to see it all unfold.” explains course-designer Hugh Lochore.
In addition to a new course, the event will run for four days instead of three for the first time in its history. Due to an FEI rule change, competition will start on Thursday and conclude on Sunday. International divisions ride dressage tests on Thursday, show jump on Friday, and run cross country on Saturday. The national divisions will follow the traditional Red Hills schedule with dressage on Friday, cross country on Saturday and finish on Sunday with show jumping.
Co-organizer Marvin Mayer is confident this weekend of firsts will be special, “A lot of time and energy has been spent preparing for this year of change. Spectators and riders alike will not be disappointed.”
For details on this year’s schedule and maps of the new cross country course, visit RHHT.org.
The 2023 USEA Annual Meeting & Convention came to a close on Sunday with the final USEA Board of Governors meeting. After the call to order, USEA Senior Director of Membership Services/Meeting Planner Jennifer Hardwick gave a brief overview of the annual meeting. There were 321 attendees and 220 who came to the awards dinner. Next year’s Annual Meeting & Convention will be held in Seattle, Washington, from Dec. 10-15 at the Westin Seattle.
Because every horse is different, caring for some senior equines is easy while caring for others can be a challenge. When does a horse become senior, how does the body change, which health conditions become more prevalent, and what can owners do to compensate for their horse’s aging body?
United States Eventing Association (USEA) members from all over the country gathered on Saturday night for the 2023 USEA Annual Meeting & Convention Year End Awards Ceremony. The evening’s ceremony was led by Master of Ceremonies Jim Wolf and recognized riders, horses, and game-changers in the sport of eventing with multiple awards and grants.
Hosting the Annual Meeting of Members each December has been a requirement set forth by the United States Eventing Association (USEA) by-laws (then the United States Combined Training Association) since 1959. This year, USEA members are gathering in St. Louis, Missouri, for the USEA Annual Meeting & Convention from Dec. 7 - Dec. 10 for four jam-packed days of educational seminars and open forums full of conversation surrounding our sport. Lunch on Friday, however, served as an opportunity for attendees to gather together for the USEA Meeting of Members once again.