United States Eventing Association

This time next Friday, the USEA Annual Meeting & Convention will be well underway in Seattle, Washington, at The Westin Seattle, and we want to make sure you make the most out of your trip. The Convention schedule for Dec. 12-15 is brimming with opportunities for education and socializing with your fellow eventing enthusiasts, and there are several seminars you won’t want to miss.

Performance Enhancement & Injury Prevention for Equestrians: A Biomechanics Review with Dr. Gibbs

Thursday, December 12 at 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. PT in Grand Crescent
Saturday, December 14 at 8:00 – 9:00 a.m. PT in Vashon

Using case examples, Dr. Amy Gibbs, MPT will highlight common rider compensation patterns, their effects on horse and rider performance, and how to correct them. Additionally, she will highlight how other sports have used biomechanics as a means of injury prevention in their athletes and what we can learn from them. Finally, Dr. Gibbs will share data from an ongoing pilot study she is conducting focused on improving rider safety and performance.

Dr. Gibbs has been a licensed physical therapist for over 19 years and has experience treating patients in various settings, including orthopedics, chronic pain, and women’s health. A lifelong rider herself, Dr. Gibbs merged her love for riding with physical therapy by founding Be Balanced Physical Therapy, PLLC, which is an equestrian-focused practice that helps riders improve performance, reduce pain and injuries, and increase safety in the saddle by addressing their biomechanics.

LandSafe Seminar

Thursday, December 12 at 1:00 – 2:30 p.m. PT in Vashon
Friday, December 13 at 5:00 – 6:00 p.m. PT in Grand Ballroom II

If you haven’t had the opportunity to attend a LandSafe session before, this is your chance! This interactive seminar will teach attendees how to mitigate risk when an inevitable fall from your horse happens. Kelly Warrington, an accomplished gymnast and long-time eventer, and Danny Warrington, a former leading steeplechase jockey turned international eventer, have taken their love of horses and deep passion for safety and coupled them together to create their company, LandSafe. Kelly and Danny have a wealth of knowledge on riders’ reactions, both instinctual and learned, and the benefits of body awareness that allow them to teach what is missing between reaction and response in these pivotal moments.

Problem Solving for Eventing Officials

Friday, December 13 at 9:00 – 10:30 a.m. PT in Grand Ballroom I

How do officials handle difficult situations?  What are strategies that competitors and officials can use to be on the same page? The Problem Solving for Eventing Officials seminar will be an interactive discussion that helps attendees understand the answer to these questions and more. Role playing will be included! Join accomplished Eventing Officials Cindy DePorter, Tim Murray, Marilyn Payne, and Wayne Quarles to dive into the minds of our licensed officials and improve your problem-solving skills.

Equine Law 101 and Horse Syndication with Yvonne Ocrant

Understanding & Minimizing Risk of Liability in Equine Activities on Friday, December 13 at 8:00 – 9:00 a.m. PT in Grand Ballroom II
Best Practices for Starting & Operating Your Multi-Member Partnership on Saturday, December 14 at 4:00 – 5:00 p.m. PT in Grand Ballroom I

Yvonne C. Ocrant, a fellow eventer and equine law attorney, will explain liability exposure in equine activities with an easy-to-follow navigation of the applicable laws and how they apply to real-life fact patterns involving actual clients in her first session on Friday morning. Ocrant will also provide attendees with best practice pointers they can immediately apply to minimize the risk of liability including legally enforceable contracts, proper insurance, and corporate structures. This is a must-tend event for anyone who is engaged in equine activities as an amateur, professional, sponsor, organizer, or even a spectator.

During her second session on Saturday, Ocrant will walk attendees through the process and best practices for starting an equine syndication agreement. She has organized over 400 syndicates in the last 10 years and can get you going on your way to organizing your own syndicate. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn everything you wanted to know about syndication but were afraid to ask. As a Convention attendee, Yvonne will provide a free initial consultation and provide your syndication services at a reduced Convention Special flat fee rate you will not find anywhere else from such an experienced attorney in the equine industry.

Easy Ways to Improve Your Balance & Stability in the Saddle | Presented by Bates Saddles

Friday, December 13 at 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. PT in Grand Ballroom I

Your position and how your horse responds to your aids are affected by the balance of your saddle. Join Hannah Diebold, an expert on saddle fit and balance from Bates Saddles, for a hands-on demonstration on how to refine how a performance saddle should look on your horse, and what changes you can make to your saddle for improved balance and stability in all three phases. Diebold is passionate about sharing her knowledge to help improve horses’ comfort and riders’ performance.

Implicit Bias: What Is It, How Do We Guard Against It, & What Does It Mean for Our Sport?

Friday, December 13 at 4:30 – 5:30 p.m. PT in Grand Ballroom I

This seminar will unpack the concept of “implicit” or unconscious bias. Attendees will learn that we all have implicit biases, why we have them, how to recognize them, and how to ensure they don’t result in discriminatory decision making. What implicit bias looks like in our sport will be explored, with examples provided of bias based on gender, race, economic status, age, and others. Examples from research conducted in other professional groups, such as police officers and healthcare professionals, will also be discussed.

The session will be led by Dr. Lois James, the Assistant Dean of Research at the Washington State University College of Nursing. Dr. James focuses her work on the impact of bias, sleep loss, fatigue, and stress on performance and wellness in professional groups, such as elite athletes.

Joint Talk I & II with Dr. Mark Revenaugh

I: What’s the Deal with Using Corticosteroids on my Horse’s Joints? on Friday, December 13 at 5:00 – 6:00 p.m. PT in Vashon II

II: What's the Most Current Thinking on Joint Health & Why Are Regenerative Products Surging So Fast? on Saturday, December 14 at 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. PT in Grand Ballroom I

Dr. Revenaugh has worked with and ridden horses all his life. He graduated from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine in 1991, and followed that up by completing an 18-month Internship at Arizona Equine Medical and Surgical Center. Most recently, Dr. Revenaugh has partnered with Dr. Rachel Gottlieb, after over 20+ years in his independent practice, to form Seattle Equine Performance, an equine sports medicine and imaging exclusive practice outside of Portland, Oregon. There is great pride throughout the entire group in the work they do and the dedication to helping horses and clients reach their potential.

Dr. Revenaugh has been a popular speaker in both professional and non-professional venues. He is also the co-founder of “Ignite” (EHPSG), a group of highly qualified professionals dedicated to exploring how to improve equestrian sports outcomes using cutting edge resources. This week, Dr. Revenaugh will discuss the use of Corticosteroids on joints, general joint health, and regenerative products to educate the membership on potential solutions for their horses’ care.

USEA Eventing Coaches Program Interactive Open Forum & Mini Symposium

Saturday, December 14 at 9:00 – 10:30 a.m. PT in Grand Ballroom II

Whether you are a coach, rider, horse owner, eventing professional, parent, or sport supporter in any way, you are invited to the USEA ECP Interactive Open Forum. The theme of the forum, which will be led by several ECP Faculty, is developing the “eye” of the coach to recognize where the horse and rider are in their training journey, what underlying weaknesses might be limiting their progression, and prioritizing the next steps in correct increments to best support the rider’s goals.

The ECP Committee has allotted some extra time in anticipation of a diverse exchange of ideas. Participants will break into working groups to evaluate some videos of riders and horses at competition, come up with their top observations and ideas, and then we will compare them with the other groups.

USEA Annual Meeting of Members Luncheon with Keynote Speaker Tik Maynard

Saturday, December 13 at 12:00 – 2:30 p.m. PT in Grand Ballroom III

Tik Maynard is a horse behavior expert, trainer, coach, clinician, best-selling author, and international-level competitor who has combined his love of eventing with horsemanship training. Most recently, he won the Road to the Horse World Championship of Colt Starting in March of 2024. During this year’s Keynote Presentation, Maynard will recount his experience and lessons learned from the Road to the Horse and discuss how he plans to incorporate this knowledge into his eventing career.

Sports Betting in Eventing with Rob Burk, Jeff Newman, and Diarmuid Byrne

Saturday, December 13 at 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. PT in Grand Ballroom I

In 2024, the sport of eventing in the U.S. saw sports betting take place for the first time at the MARS Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill. While common in some other countries, what does this mean for our sport? What are the considerations that event organizers, riders, and governing bodies should contemplate? This thought-provoking forum will allow the membership to weigh in on this important topic and hear from various leaders in the space.

Peak Performance in Equine Athletes: Advancements in Team-Based Health & Sports Science with Dr. Gottlieb

Saturday, December 14 at 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. in Vashon

Dr. Rachel Gottlieb is the co-founder and owner of Seattle Equine Performance, with previously introduced speaker Dr. Revenaugh. She is the only fellowship trained equine ultrasonographer in the Pacific Northwest, and she is passionate about injury prevention and maintaining equine athletes at the top levels of sport. A rider as well, Dr. Gottlieb can be found competing her mare in the dressage ring when she isn’t helping her hunter/jumper and eventing clients at their competitions.

Dr. Gottlieb will be speaking on equine athletic health, injury prevention and some of the ways human sports medicine, athletic training, and sports science have impacted her approach to caring for horses. She will also discuss the value of having a consistent care program with a team approach and open lines of communication to increase success and longevity of performance horses.

Adult Rider Program Open Session: Integrating Technology into Your Training for Success

Saturday, December 13 at 3:00 – 4:30 p.m. PT in Grand Crescent

Join Amy Winnen, Jackie Cameron, and Bec Braitling to discuss how technology can be integrated into your training program. Winner, the Adult Rider Committee Chair and Area I Adult Rider Coordinator, will lead the panel discussion to educate members on the many ways technology can be leveraged to improve their performance, including advancements in virtual lessons, equestrian podcasts, on-demand education, and more.

Registration

Click here to register for the 2024 USEA Annual Meeting & Convention today. The most cost-effective registration option for this year’s convention, which gives you access to all open meetings Thursday through Saturday and includes one ticket to the Annual Meeting of Members Luncheon on Saturday, is a Full Convention pass. Full Convention registrations are $275 per person for Full or Life USEA members or $150 per person for Junior and Collegiate USEA members if purchased during the early-bird window, which closes on Dec. 11. On Dec. 12, prices will increase to $290 for Full or Life members or $175 for Junior and Collegiate members, so don’t wait to submit your registration!

If you can’t make it for the whole event, single day passes are also available for purchase. On Thursday and Friday, single day registrations are $150 per day, while a Saturday registration can be purchased for $175. Are you interested in attending Chris Barnard’s Show Jumping Course Design Seminar on Thursday? Individual tickets to this seminar can be purchased for $50 per person. The Hoof Dreams Screening on Saturday, Dec. 14 is also available for purchase separately for $15 per person.

If you have any questions about the 2024 USEA Annual Meeting & Convention, please contact Jennifer Hardwick, by email at [email protected] or by phone (703) 779-0440, ext. 3003.

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 2024 USEA Annual Meeting & Convention will take place in Seattle, Washington, on Dec. 12—15. Click here to learn more about the USEA Annual Meeting & Convention.

The USEA would like to thank the USEA Annual Meeting & Convention Sponsors: Adequan, ARMA, Bates Saddles, D.G. Stackhouse & Ellis, Gallops Saddlery, Horse & Country, Kerrits, Mrs. Pastures Cookies for Horses, Nunn Finer, Nutrena, Parker Equine Insurance, PulseVet Shock Wave, Rebecca Farm, RevitaVet, Ride iQ, Schneiders Saddlery, SmartPak, Standlee, and World Equestrian Brands.