US Equestrian is pleased to announce the athletes selected for the 2021 USEF Eventing Emerging Athlete Program. Eventers age 25 and under are eligible for the program, which identifies and supports athlete/horse combinations that have shown the potential to develop into future U.S. team candidates.
Participants in the Emerging Athlete Program have the opportunity to work with U.S. Eventing Development and Emerging Coach Leslie Law in honing their skills in competition as well as their knowledge of the pathway to high performance.
“We had a very strong group of applicants for this year’s Emerging Athlete Program, which became all the more clear when I evaluated the athletes in person at the assessment sessions,” said Law. “The quality of the horses and athletes for the Emerging Athlete Program continues to improve each year, and I am very excited about working with this group in a mentorship and coaching capacity.”
Athletes are selected for the Emerging Athlete Program based on their application, which includes their results at the CCI3*-L level. Applicants who have not yet achieved an MER at a CCI3*-L may be talent spotted into the program by the Performance Advisory Team. For this year’s program, applicants were evaluated at assessment sessions in January at Stable View in Aiken, South Carolina; the Florida Horse Park in Ocala, Florida; and at Kingsway Farm/Next Level Eventing in Temecula, California.
The following athletes have been selected to participate in the 2021 USEF Eventing Emerging Athlete Program, in alphabetical order:
*Denotes athlete was talent spotted onto the list
To learn more about the Eventing Pathway Program, please contact Christina Vaughn, Director of Eventing Programs and Program Support, at [email protected] or Jenni Autry, Managing Director of Eventing, at [email protected].
The horses in trainer Joe Davis’ barn at Horseshoe Indianapolis don’t just get standard hay in their nets each day. Throughout the afternoon, Davis or one of his employees opens the HayGain machine that sits at the end of his shed row and pulls out a warm, beautiful-smelling bale of freshly-steamed hay to fill their nets.
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! Check out the USEA’s Weekend Quick Links for links to information including the prize list, ride times, live scores, and more for all the events running this weekend.
Last month, readers met VIP Volunteer Rebecca Proetto, who volunteered at the MARS Maryland 5 Star horse inspection. This month, the focus turns to husband and wife Ed and Leanne Barnett who introduced Proetto to the art of running an efficient horse inspection at Maryland. Ed and Leanne undertake a 12-hour drive from their home in Indiana to Maryland just to volunteer at the event.
The USEA is saddened to share the passing of Sara Kozumplik’s five-star partner As You Like It at the age of 34. The gelding died in his sleep at his retirement home at Kozumplik's parents' residence.