This week on the USEA Podcast, listen in to hear from course builder Eric Bull and course designer Captain Mark Phillips, who are both working on the cross-country course at the Tryon International Equestrian Center for the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG).
Eric Bull talks about some of the challenges posed by the weather in preparing the cross-country course as well as the long-term planning that has gone into creating the course for the World Equestrian Games. He discusses how the course will make use of the terrain available at Tryon and the water complexes that have been created for the course. He also touches on the different footing that riders will encounter on course and talks about what he's liked about working with the team at the Tryon International Equestrian Center.
Captain Mark Phillips then comes on the show to discuss the distance of the track, the time the course will take, and the number of efforts riders will tackle. Phillips talks about the "big picture," how he went about designing the track for the WEG course, and the challenges they have encountered before getting into some of the details of the course. He closes with some advice for the riders who will be taking on the track he has created.
Spring and summer are on the horizon. As rider’s calendars begin to fill with horse trial, clinic, and schooling outing dates, organizing teams are busy with preparations to ensure smooth operations and a great experience for participants, horses, and spectators.
The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF)/US Equestrian has announced the appointment of former USEF Eventing Development Coach Leslie Law to the position of Chef d’Equipe and High Performance Manager for the Defender U.S. Eventing Team, and Karyn Shuter, who will take on the newly developed role of U.S. Eventing High Performance Advisor. Both Law and Shuter will begin in their respective roles immediately.
Last year was a big one for USEA Young Event Horse program graduate Arden Augustus. He made a successful move-up to Modified with Sharon White in the tack, followed by a smooth transition to Preliminary, then went on to win two CCI2*-S divisions and ended the year with a CCI2*-L win.
Are you following along with the action from home this weekend? Or maybe you're competing at an event and need information fast. Either way, we’ve got you covered!