The United States Eventing Association (USEA) is ready to set our sights on the 2023 USEA Annual Meeting & Convention in St. Louis, Missouri! On December 6-10, USEA members will come together at the “Gateway to the West” at the Marriott St. Louis Grand Hotel to discuss, learn, and enjoy being surrounded by fellow eventing enthusiasts.
The 2023 Convention schedule is coming soon, but the most anticipated event of the week will likely be the keynote address given during the Annual Meeting of Member by world-renowned scientist and animal welfare activist, Dr. Temple Grandin. Dr. Grandin is an expert on livestock behavior and facility design, topics which she currently teaches college courses on at Colorado State University, and she’s a prominent author and speaker on autism and animal behavior. The Convention will also host two meetings of the USEA Board of Governors, the second of which will cap off the weekend of events on Sunday, December 10.
For everything you need to know to make the most of your 2023 Convention experience, please read below:
Event: 2023 USEA Annual Meeting & Convention
Dates: December 6-10, 2023
Location: Marriott St. Louis Grand, 800 Washington Ave, St. Louis, MO 63101
Located in the heat of St. Louis, only a 5-minute walk from the National Blue’s Museum and Dome at America’s Center, the 4-star Marriott St. Louis Grand Hotel is the perfectly placed to allow you to get the most of your trip.
To make your room reservation online at the USEA discounted rate, please click here. If you require assistance making your reservation, you can contact the Marriott St. Lous Grand at 855-680-3239.
Transportation: St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL) is situated just 13 miles from Downtown St. Louis and offers more than 250 daily departures to 70+ domestic and international destinations. Southwest Airlines is the most prominent carrier at STL, but American, United, Delta, Alaska Airlines, Cape Air, Frontier, Spirit and Lufthansa also serve customers from this location.
If you’d rather travel to St. Louis by ground transportation, Amtrak is the ideal solution. Trains run daily from stations located in the St. Louis suburb of Kirkwood and at the Gateway Transportation Center located on South 15th Street. Along with Amtrak, the Gateway Transportation Center serves Greyhound and Burlington Trailways interstate buses and is conveniently located one block from a MetroLink Light Rail Station and Historic St. Louis Union Station. Several rental car companies service the St. Louis area, including Alamo, Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Hertz and National. Click here for more information, and don’t forget to use your USEA Member Rewards offers when booking. If you plan to drive to St. Louis, click here for recommended directions.
Activities & Tourist Attractions:
The Marriott St. Louis Grand is perfectly positioned downtown within a mile of the St. Louis Zoo, City Museum, Busch Stadium, Ballpark Village and the Gateway Arch. Originally the Statler Hotel, an icon of the St. Louis skyline since the 1900s, the Marriott St. Louis Grand is a National Historic Landmark.
Circque du Soliel will perform “’Twas the Night Before… by Circque du Soliel” at The Fabulous Fox Theatre while the USEA Annual Meeting & Convention is taking place from November 29 – December 10. The theatre is only a 10-minute walk from the hotel, making it the perfect evening activity after the daily convention activities have concluded. Click here for more information and to reserve your tickets.
Local Attractions:
Fun Food & Beverage:
The USEA would like to thank the support of the USEA Annual Meeting and Convention sponsors: Adequan, Bates Saddles, Capital Square, D.G. Stackhouse & Ellis, Gallops Saddlery, Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation, Kerrits, Nunn Finer, Nutrena Feeds, Parker Equine Insurance, Rebecca Farm, RevitaVet, SmartPak, Standlee, and World Equestrian Brands.
About the USEA Annual Meeting & Convention
The USEA Annual Meeting & Convention takes place each December and brings together a large group of dedicated USEA members and supporters to discuss, learn, and enjoy being surrounded by other eventing enthusiasts. The USEA organizes multiple seminars in addition to committee meetings, open forums, and tons of fun! The 2023 USEA Annual Meeting & Convention will take place in St. Louis, Missouri on December 6-10, 2023. Click here to learn more about the USEA Annual Meeting & Convention.
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.