U.S. Eventing Association to Open European Office
Leesburg, VA – Following on the heels of a successful year of growth in American Eventing the United States Eventing Association, Inc. announced today that it is in the planning stages of opening a European office.
“We are proud of our American brand of Eventing and we think that it could really catch on in Europe” said USEA CEO Rob Burk. “We are currently vetting out a number of potential office locations.”
With the successes of American Eventers competing overseas, a European base appears to be the only rational next step. A decision by the USEA Board of Governors on the final location will be made at their August meeting of the Board.
Some of the USEA Board of Governors members including USEA President Diane Pitts feel that there is a strong interest in Europe in many of the USEA programs including the USEA Classic Series, Instructors’ Certification Program, the Adequan USEA Gold Cup Series and Intercollegiate Eventing to name a few.
In a recent interview with Horse & Hound USEA President Diane Pitts suggested a number of potential locations. “I wouldn’t mind placing an office in Paris, Vienna, or London however it will ultimately be up to the Board of Governors. There are numerous factors to weigh and we want to make sure we get this decision right” stated Pitts.
The office will serve a number of functions include serving as free housing for any members of the Association who are on travel in Europe, it will act as a receiving point for American-bred Event horses being sold in Europe and it will also serve as a registration point for European riders interested in moving to America.
“We think we have interest from riders such as Michael Jung (GER), Ingrid Klimke (GER) and Oliver Townend (GBR)” stated Burk. “Many of the riders get their feet wet by testing out Rolex and quickly realize that America is the place to be. We are also very proud of our early and late season events in California, Florida, Georgia, Texas and the Carolinas to name a few. We think that many of these riders will soon see the light and move to America permanently. Some of the riders may even be planning to compete in the Rio Games and then ship straight to their new bases in the U.S.”
The most recent Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event 2016 entry list reflect his points.
The official USEA European Office will be funded entirely from partnerships with leading brands including: Adequan, Devoucoux, Nutrena, SmartPak, Broadstone Equine Insurance Agency, Mountain Horse, Charles Owen, Pyranha, Eventing Training Online, Merck, Standlee Premium Western Forage and Professional’s Choice.
In a separate statement USEA President Diane Pitts denied the possibility that this press release was related in some way to April Fool’s Day.
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