United States Eventing Association

The United States Eventing Association (USEA) invites the eventing community to a virtual Emerging Athletes U21 Program (EA21) Community Call on Tuesday, November 17, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The one-hour call is open to past EA21 participants and their parents, riders interested in applying for 2027, and all friends and fans of the program.

Since launching in 2022, the EA21 program has worked to identify the next generation of elite event riders and give them consistent, high-quality instruction. The program builds a pipeline of potential team riders through five regional summer clinics each year, followed by a winter National Camp for selected athletes.

What to expect on the call:

• The EA21 story and vision: David O’Connor, USEA EA21 Director of Coaching and National Camp Coach, will reflect on the program’s success and share where it’s headed next.
• Rider perspectives: EA21 Ambassadors will share their thoughts on the program.
• Applying for 2027: John Bourgoin and Rebecca Brown will cover the 2027 application process and timeline. They’ll explain what applicants submit and which videos to prepare, review the 10-hour volunteer requirement, discuss campaigning for yourself as an athlete in your Area, and share tips for a strong application.
• Supporting the program: Leonie Padgett will explain why donations are essential to EA21’s future and how the community can help.

The EA21 program costs more than $65,000 each year to run and depends on community donations to continue. The call is a chance for everyone who believes in developing young eventing talent to learn how annual gifts keep the program going. To support EA21 now, donate to the EA21 fund.

How to join the call:

The call is free, but attendees need to RSVP. To get the call-in information, email [email protected] and let them know you plan to attend.

About the USEA Emerging Athlete U21 Program (EA21)

The USEA Emerging Athletes U21 Program was launched in 2022 with a model of five summertime regional clinics taught by carefully selected USEA Eventing Coaches Program (ECP) coaches, leading to a winter national camp consisting of selected Young Riders from the regional clinics. Athletes who are 21 years or younger, are current members of their USEA Young Rider Area program, and are established at the Training Level or higher, are eligible to apply for the EA21 program.

The USEA would like to thank ARMA, Bates Saddles, GGT Footing, Horse Illustrated, Kerrits, PulseVet, Ride iQ, Schneiders Saddlery, Sidelines Magazine, WeRideTogether, YETI, and 100xEquine for sponsoring the USEA Emerging Athletes U21 Program.

To learn more about the program, visit the EA21 program page. Or, email [email protected] for questions.