The USEA Foundation is thankful to you, our donors, for your generous support over the years. Your gifts to the Foundation showed your commitment to protecting the sport and the USEA against any future national crisis. Naturally, we all hoped that we would never see such a crisis, but in 2020 see it we did!
The pandemic saw eventing put on lockdown for several months, and when competition did resume, it was in a minimal capacity. With almost no income, the leadership of the USEA created contingency plan upon contingency plan, which helped keep the organization functioning. The pandemic brought the purpose of the USEA Foundation to the fore.
The gifts from our friends, given over many years, were now able to perform their purpose and the USEA Foundation, through its Endowment Fund, is proud to have contributed its support to the USEA. Your donations enabled the organization to continue to provide educational and safety programs to the eventing community, and at the same time, be prepared to ramp up the sport when the time came. For that we owe you an immense thank you.
While the Foundation was honored to provide such support to the USEA, it is now time to start replenishing the Endowment Fund to be prepared for any future crises that may impact eventing.
That is why we are asking you, our friends, on this Giving Tuesday, to show your love of the sport and commitment to its long-term success by donating to the USEA Foundation. All donations are fully tax-deductible and will be gratefully received as we work to ensure that eventing and the work of the USEA will be able to go forward with confidence in the years ahead.
Please visit USEAFoundation.org and donate today to benefit eventing's future. We wish you a safe and happy holiday season!
Today, we pause to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and reflect on the powerful moment in 1963 when he stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and shared his vision for a better future. Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech was more than just words; it was a call to action that transcended time, culture, and boundaries—a beacon of hope that continues to inspire.
We’ve all been there—on the horse who pokes his way around the warm-up ring, needs leg, leg, leg coming into the combination, or brings up the rear on every trail ride. None of us wants each and every ride to be a lower-body squeezefest, nor do we wish to do anything with our crop except maybe wave it at that annoying deerfly. In this excerpt from his book The Sport Horse Problem Solver, former international eventer Eric Smiley explains the essential quality of forwardness and how to prepare the horse to expect you to look for it in all that you do together.
The inaugural USEA Interscholastic Eventing League (IEL) Championships may have been the pinnacle for program members of the IEL last year, but that’s not the only exciting achievement that occurred in 2024. A total of 41 events offered IEL Team Challenges for over 360 program members, and in the end, a year-end leaderboard champion was named at every level from Starter through Intermediate. The following IEL members worked tirelessly with their clubs and on their own competitive journeys in 2024 to earn the title of Interscholastic Rider of the Year at their respective level. Join us in congratulating these up-and-coming eventers on their success!
Veterinary pathologist Susan Hart has been trapped in an “always the bridesmaid, never the bride” loop on the USEA Volunteer Incentive Program (VIP) Volunteer Leaderboard since 2022. After two years of chipping away at the leaderboard, 2024 was finally her year to proverbially walk down the aisle. With a total of 691 and a half hours, Hart topped the leaderboard to become the 2024 USEA Volunteer of the Year, sponsored by Mrs. Pastures, and win the first gold medal in USEA VIP history, which is awarded for achieving over 2,000 lifetime volunteer hours.