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Dec 26, 2024
The Best of 2024: USEA Edition
With 2025 just days away, we thought it would be fun to take a look back at some of the top moments for the USEA across the 2024 season. Take a trip down memory lane with us and relive these high-performing moments from our online news, the USEA Podcast, and our Instagram account!
Top 5 Highest Performing Educational Articles
1 | Rule Refresher: Rules You Should Know for Competing at the Starter Level
With the Starter level now fully endorsed by the USEA, many competitors are taking advantage of competing at this level in hopes of accruing year-end points on the USEA leaderboard and securing their qualifications for the 2024 USEA American Eventing Championships (AEC) presented by Nutrena Feeds. For those who are new to competing with the USEA or new to the Starter level, we thought it would be beneficial to dedicate this month’s edition of Rule Refresher to all things Starter related!
You’ve made it to your horse trial, your horse is settled, your equipment is unloaded and organized, you have checked in with the secretary, and everything is good to go–now what? It’s probably a good time to go on a little walk around the facility and familiarize yourself with your cross-country course.
3 | Understanding the Way Adults Like to Learn, Both In and Out of the Saddle
What started as an opportunity to gain feedback from participants in an Adult Rider Camp, turned into something so much more and USEA Area VI Adult Rider Coordinator Sharl Talan is eager to share all that she gleaned from the experience with coaches and adult riders across the country.
4 | Studs 101: Max Corcoran's Guide to Perfecting Your Stud-Kit
As most eventers know, the key to success in the show ring often lies in the preparation done beforehand. For the cross-country phase, memorizing your course and having a plan is a given, but another key factor to consider is choosing the appropriate studs for your horse. If you're new to the sport, the concept of studs might seem a little overwhelming, but former USEA President and current co-chair of the USEA Grooms Committee Max Corcoran broke down all of the basics that you need to know when putting together your stud kit for the first time or before packing up for your first show of the 2024 season.
5 | 6 Tips for International Hoof Care Month from Farrier Chris Martelli
Your horse’s feet are crucial to its health and soundness, so it’s imperative to pay close attention to hoof care year-round.
With that, a good relationship with your farrier is important to be able to catch issues early and correct them and to keep your horse’s hoof health on track.
Top 5 Highest Performing Profiles
Daija Sams always jokes that the biggest mistake her parents made was signing her up for an equestrian summer camp. “I was 7 or 8, and my parents loved to put my brother and I in random summer camps to get us out of their hair a little bit and let us try new things,” reflected the now 23-year-old Aiken, South Carolina, resident. “And of course, horses were the one thing I stuck with and I just ran with it.”
2 | 'The Best $125 I Ever Spent.' Emily Graeser and Comic Relief Achieve Century Ride at Hunt Club Farms
Emily Graeser just chuckles when someone asks her if she has considered switching to straight dressage now that she is 84 years young.
“I think to myself, yeah right,” she said with a laugh. “Eventing is an addiction; once you start, you can’t do anything else.”
3 | A Tribute to the 2023 USEA Ironmaster Award Winner Karen Nyrop
The USEA is saddened to share the passing of the 2023 USEA Ironmaster Award winner Karen Nyrop. Karen was known around the country for not only her services as a veterinarian, but also as a passionate horsewoman and a very dear friend. She was always quick to accept the call of duty and offer up her time as a delegate for FEI veterinary commissions at the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event, the Maryland 5 Star, and countless other competitions in both the United States and Canada. KAren was actively involved with the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) and the USEA Equine Safety and Welfare Committee.
4 | Will Faudree: Facing Down Fears and Grief with Laughter
Will Faudree strutted down the jog strip at the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event horse inspection in a hot pink suit and cowboy hat with a big grin on his face. Fans love this version of Faudree: the easygoing persona, the smile, the laughter, the obvious care he has for his horses, and his love of Broadway musicals. But once you get to know his story, you begin to appreciate just how amazing it is that he approaches the chaos of his day-to-day life with comedy and a positive attitude.
Liz Halliday admits she’s not one to spend too much time in the past, but after a very “transitional” 2023, she’s taken the time to reflect on the changes in her life and the amazing horse power she has in her barn.
Top 5 Highest Performing Instagram Posts
1 | Will Faudree's Profoundly Pink Moment in Kentucky
2 | Picture Perfect Moments from Paris
3 | Some More Cherished Paris Memories
4 | Kicking off the Kentucky Hype
5 | Does it Get Much Better than Kentucky Cross-Country AND Beyonce?
Top 5 Episodes of the USEA Podcast
1 | USEA Podcast #354: The USEA's Big Valentine's Day Quiz
Our favorite podcast of the year is back and this time we are pitting an equestrian power couple from each coast up against one another! USEA Podcast Host Nicole Brown caught up with Boyd and Silva Martin and James and Helen Alliston to learn about their love stories and drill them on their eventing knowledge in this year's Big Valentine's Quiz. Get ready for some laughs, USEA members - this is a good one!
2 | USEA Podcast #351: Goal Setting for the New Year
Do you have some big goals for the 2024 eventing season? Did you know that only 12% of people hold onto their New Year's Resolutions past February? USEA Podcast Host Nicole Brown sits down with Pressure Proof Academy's Daniel Stewart to talk about New Year's Resolutions, setting attainable short-term and long-term goals, and so much more. Get a good start to your year with bite-size goals that will set you up for success this season!
3 | USEA Podcast #364: All Your Grooming Questions Answered
There is so much more to proper grooming than keeping your horse picture-perfect for the horse inspection. Good grooming practices are critical to proper horse management, no matter if you are planning for your next FEI appearance or your Starter level debut. To help you maximize your knowledge of grooming practices, we opened up the opportunity for USEA members to submit any questions they might have on our Instagram and Facebook stories. In this week's episode, Host Nicole Brown sits down with three of the highest-regarded grooms in this industry, Max Corcoran, Emma Ford, and Stephanie Simpson, and asks them all of your questions and more to help you perfect the art of grooming.
4 | USEA Podcast #355: Looking Ahead at the Rest of 2024
We might be a few months into the new year, but there is still so much to come in the 2024 U.S. eventing season. USEA Podcast Host Nicole Brown sits down with USEA CEO Rob Burk, USEA President Lou Leslie, and EquiRatings' Managing Director and Co-Founder Diarm Byrne to make predictions, dive into team selections, and just share what they are most looking forward to this year in this week's episode of the USEA Podcast.
5 | USEA Podcast #353: Planning Out Your 2024 Eventing Season
Have a big goal you want to end your season with? USEA Podcast Host Nicole Brown chatted with five-star eventer Will Faudree about making your goals and planning your season accordingly. From Plan A to Plan Z, Faudree talks about all of the things that might impact your plan and the path to your goal and how you can work around them, including the concept of being honest with yourself when necessary.
Wishing you all the best in 2025! If you have content suggestions, please feel free to submit your ideas for articles, social media features, and podcasts guests or topics to [email protected]!
Jan 26, 2025
Education
Convenience is Key: How Digital Tools are Expanding Access to Eventing
Somehow we are a quarter of the way through the 21st century. Finally, more and more eventing organizers and professionals are embracing digital tools to improve efficiency while increasing access to the sport. Equestrian sports have historically relied heavily on paper forms and manual payment methods for entries.
Jan 25, 2025
Sponsor
Standlee, “The Official Forage of the USEA,” Returns for 2025
The United States Eventing Association (USEA) is excited to announce Standlee have renewed as a Corporate level sponsor for 2025. They continue as “The Official Forage of the USEA” and Title Sponsor of the USEA Horse of the Year Leaderboards, Gold Sponsor of the AEC, and Contributing Sponsor of the Young Event Horse Program (YEH).
Jan 25, 2025
Education
Pressure Proof Tip: Tomato Salad?
Two months ago we began a conversation about growth and fixed mindsets and the many different mental habits and behaviors that create them. In my Thanksgiving Pressure Proof tip I introduced you to the first two of many such habits: the greed and gratitude mindsets.
Jan 24, 2025
Leaderboard
Bringing the Fun Back to Eventing has 2024 USEA Adult Amateur of the Year Arden Wildasin in the Right Headspace for First Five-Star Attempt
Adult amateur Arden Wildasin’s 39-page long competition report with the USEA began in 2005 when she completed her first Beginner Novice with Mr. Fox. If you would have asked her then if she ever imagined she would be prepping for what she hopes to be her first five-star outing 20 years later, she wouldn’t have believed it was real.
