United States Eventing Association

There were seven championship divisions offered at the Area I Championships which took place Aug. 19-20 during the Genesee Valley Riding & Driving Club (GVRDC) H.T. in Geneseo, New York. From Beginner Novice to Preliminary, competitors had the opportunity to not only enjoy the beautiful venue and aerated turf at GVRDC but also had the chance to vie for the title of Area I champion. Meet the 2023 Area I Champions below:

Like many other parts of American history, the ideas and people behind the sport of eventing in the United States came out of the states that now represent the United States Eventing Association’s (USEA) Area I. Just like how Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont have been the birthplace of great American leaders and ideas, these states were where eventing earned its stars and stripes.

To honor the lives of Devyn Merritt Anderson and Jessica Halliday who both lost their courageous battles with cancer in late 2021 Area I has established an annual “Living Courageously” Sportsmanship Award. Both Anderson and Halliday were active Adult Rider Program (ARP) members in Area I. They continued to support their riding friends and family no matter what life threw at them and could often be found cheering others on with a smile.

Get to know each United States Eventing Association (USEA) Areas a little better in this new series, Meet the Areas! This month’s feature is USEA Area I which is comprised of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Founded in the 1960s, Area I was the birthplace of the United States Combined Training Association (USCTA) which was founded in 1959 and would later evolve into the USEA in 2001. In 2021 just under 800 members made up the membership count in Area I.

From Washington to Vermont, Championships were held on both coasts over the September 18-19 weekend. The Area I Championships took place at the GMHA September Horse Trials in South Woodstock, Vermont where over 60 pairs battled it out for the champion title. The organizers of the Area I Championships would like to thank Essex Equine Inc. for serving as the official pinny sponsors and North Bridge Equine for being the start box sponsor! Flatlandsfoto was the prize sponsor for the championship divisions, as well as the event’s official photographer. Following the weekend’s festivities, we chatted with some of the newly minted champions to share their thoughts on the weekend and their performance overall.

For over 20 years the USEA Instructors’ Certification Program (ICP) has been educating all levels of eventing instructors to confirm their knowledge base, both theoretical and practical, upon which they will continue to build throughout their teaching lifetime. The USEA is now shining the spotlight each month on some of the 300 ICP Certified Instructors. Click here to learn more about the USEA Instructors’ Certification Program.

They say it’s too far to travel, that January is too cold, and some even say that it’s a waste of time. Sadly, I’ve even heard it whispered that the Annual Meeting is just boring.

The Area I Annual Meeting takes place Sunday, January 13, 2013 from noon-4:00 at the Springfield Marriott in Springfield, Massachusetts. This fun filled day kicks off with an Organizers meeting in the morning to work on the 2014 calendar and to discuss issues important to Organizers. From there we move on a presentation from Fitch’s Corner, the host of our 2011-2013 Championships, and then the highlight of the year, our Awards Banquet where our year-end awards will be presented to honor our members. We will also be presenting awards for the Vermont Event Challenge, PROCHAPS Trainers awards, and announcing our scholarship winners.

Area I of the United States Eventing Association is proud to announce the creation of a new scholarship program. Area I will grant four awards of $250 each to deserving applicants to use for educational purposes such as clinics, lessons, and other learning opportunities. Two scholarships will be granted in the spring and two in the fall. One of the four awards is reserved for a professional horseman.