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.
The Olympic gold medallists Tom McEwen and JL Dublin lit up the arena at the MARS Badminton Horse Trials with a stunning performance and took the lead after the first day of dressage with the excellent mark of 22.4. They have almost five penalties over second-placed Emily King and Valmy Biats on 27.3.
At some point in your riding career, you probably found yourself feeling or dealing with a little fear, failure, or frustration. We’ve all been there. Regardless of whether we’re competitive or recreational, we’ve likely found ourselves getting a bit stuck on stress or a struggle; dealing with a little defeat or disappointment, or feeling overwhelmed or underprepared.
We might still be recovering physically from the excitement of the 2025 USEA Intercollegiate & Interscholastic Eventing Championships, but mentally we keep playing the weekend over and over again in our heads. This is a weekend that many eventers and lovers of the sport all over the country (ourselves included) look forward to each year and this year was no exception. From teams getting to experience their first time ever at the championship to mascots swapping gear in a show of camaraderie, there were so many great moments that took place during this year's end-of-the-school-year event. Take a look at some of our favorite moments from the three day competition below!
As we gear up for the summer, the competition season isn’t slowing down and it’s time for one of the staple events on the international calendar in the U.S., the Tryon International Three-Day Event (Mill Spring, North Carolina). This event hosts one of five CCI4*-L events on the U.S. calendar, and this year there are 13 competitors in the field. Continue reading below for more interesting facts pertaining to the event that kicks off this Thursday, May 8.