#GivingTuesday is a worldwide day of giving fueled by the power of collaboration and social media. Celebrated following Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday and taking place this year on Tuesday, December 3, #GivingTuesday kicks off the season of giving by tuning the minds of the world community towards donating to the charities nearest and dearest to their hearts and minds.
As part of its purpose, the USEA Foundation works tirelessly to identify issues facing our sport, especially those that impact our horses and riders. This year, the USEA Foundation is asking for your support of the newly introduced Poggio Horsemanship Fund which was founded under the leadership of incoming USEA President Max Corcoran and Dr. Mark Revenaugh. The fund will support research into a number of topics focused on maintaining soundness, conditioning programs, equine management protocols, equine transportation, nutrition, and more.
“The Poggio Horsemanship Fund is an exciting start to helping us to educate riders, owners, grooms, and eventing enthusiasts to give their horses every benefit when it comes to improving their lives,” said Corcoran. “It will allow the USEA Foundation to provide funding for research, speakers, and anything else we may need to make the lives of all horses better.”
If you have already donated this year, thank you so very much - your help is appreciated more than you know. If you haven’t yet had the chance to send a gift, #GivingTuesday offers an excellent opportunity for you to donate this year. Donating is so easy at USEAFoundation.org - simply click on the "Donate" button, choose the program of your choice, and make your secure payment. Your precious dollars will then go precisely where you want them to go.
Visit the USEA Foundation website and make a secure tax-deductible donation now!
On the day when the world turns its thoughts to giving, please consider making a donation in support of the USEA Foundation Poggio Horsemanship Fund, or any of the other USEA programs. In one way or another, these programs touch everyone in the eventing community and we need your help to ensure that these programs will continue to contribute in a meaningful way to the eventing community in the coming year. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your loyalty and commitment to the sport.
Wishing you a safe and happy holiday season from all of us at the USEA and the USEA Foundation!
Did you know that the USEA Foundation awards over 150 grants each year to deserving individuals who are involved in the sport of eventing? With grants that assist riders with accomplishing their competition goals, grants geared toward licensed officials, grants that are specific to continuing education for coaches, grants that assist competitions with obtaining frangible technology, and so much more, there really is a grant opportunity available to almost anyone!
With the start of the New Year just days away, now is the time to consider how your actions can have a positive impact on the sport of eventing in 2025. Each and every member of the eventing community has an important role to play in ensuring the sport continues to grow and thrive. From fostering educational opportunities to supporting grassroots initiatives and participating at all levels of the sport, there are so many ways to get involved.
Ride iQ’s popular “Ask An Expert” series features professional advice and tips from all areas of the horse industry. One of the most-downloaded episodes is an expert session with Peter Gray, an accomplished dressage judge and Olympic eventer. He has recently judged at events like the five-star at the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event, and he served on the ground jury at the 2022 FEI World Eventing Championships in Pratoni, Italy. His background as a competitor in the Olympic Games riding for Bermuda and as a coach and selector for the Canadian eventing team adds depth to his understanding of the sport.
With a total of 382 volunteer hours in 2024, Catherine “Cathy” Hale not only topped the USEA Area III VIP Volunteer leaderboard, but she also ranked fourth out of all eventing volunteers across the country. Hale (The Villages, Florida) has worked as a travel agent for over 30 years, a career that suits her love of travel nicely. At the time of being interviewed for this article, Hale was passing the equator on a cruise to Tahiti, New Zealand, and Australia.