US Equestrian is pleased to announce the eventing athletes who will participate in the USEF Futures Team Challenge, a two-day training program and unofficial team competition, at the Cloud 11~Gavilan North LLC Carolina International CCI and Horse Trial, held March 19-22 in Raeford, North Carolina.
Launched in 2019, the USEF Futures Team Challenge is a key component of the U.S. Eventing Pathway Program and gives two teams of four athletes the opportunity to compete in a simulated team competition under the guidance of U.S. Performance Director Erik Duvander and U.S. Developing and Emerging Coach Leslie Law.
Athletes applied to compete in the USEF Futures Team Challenge and were recommended by the Performance Advisory Team for approval to an Ad Hoc of the Eventing Sport Committee. Based on the selection criteria for the FEI Eventing Nations Cup™, athletes were selected based on their results, potential, willingness to learn and commitment to developing into future team athletes.
Erik Duvander’s Team:
Leslie Law’s Team:
“Yet again it was a very good group of combinations that put their names forward for selection,” Erik Duvander, U.S. Performance Director, said. “I believe both Leslie and I have strong teams, and I look forward to working with the athletes in a learning and competitive team environment.”
“This is a great opportunity for the athletes to learn and gain experience riding on a team before they potentially have the opportunity at a championship,” Leslie Law, U.S. Developing and Emerging Coach, said. “This is similar to how the Europeans use the Nations Cup series to develop their athletes.”
The USEF Futures Team Challenge will expand to the West Coast at the Galway Downs International Three-Day Event, held October 29-November 1 in Temecula, California. Applications for Galway Downs will open in September.
“We hope to see the USEF Futures Team Challenge grow to include additional competitions in future years so more athletes have the opportunity to practice competing in a team environment,” Jenni Autry, U.S. Managing Director of Eventing, said. “We are incredibly grateful for the support we received from the USET Foundation to launch this program and are actively looking for increased support and potential sponsors so we can continue to expand the program.”
Learn more about the Carolina International at carolinainternationalcci.com.
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Please always remain vigilant when it comes to sending any personal communications via email or text. Every year we receive reports of members and leaders of our sport receiving phishing attempts both online and by phone. These are often communications disguised as being sent from USEA staff or other leaders. As the years go on, the phishing attempts appear to be more directed and tailored.