Login
Oct 16, 2020
US Equestrian Announces Teams for 2020 Adequan® USEF Futures Team Challenge – West Coast
US Equestrian has announced the horse-and-athlete combinations selected to compete at the 2020 Adequan USEF Futures Team Challenge – West Coast held at Galway Downs in Temecula, California, from October 29-November 1. The format of the Adequan USEF Futures Team Challenge provides an opportunity for eventing athletes to gain valuable team competition experience in an unofficial team scenario on home soil at the CCI3* and CCI4* levels.
The teams will be coached by Erik Duvander, U.S. Performance Director for Eventing, and Leslie Law, USEF Eventing Development and Emerging Coach, both serving as Chef d’Equipe for their respective teams.
Erik Duvander's Team
Team Captain: Liz Halliday-Sharp (Lexington, Ky.) and Cooley Quicksilver (Womanizer x Kylemore Crystal), a nine-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding owned by The Monster Partnership
Emilee Libby (Temecula, Calif.) and her own and Linda Libby's Jakobi (Ustinov x Expression), an 11-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding
Sophie Click (Snoqualmie, Wash.) and Quidproquo (Quidado x Waleila), her own and Amy Click's nine-year-old Holsteiner gelding.
Leslie Law’s Team
Team Captain: Tamie Smith (Murrieta, Calif.) and Passepartout (Pasco x Preschel), an 11-year-old German Sport Horse gelding owned by Kaylawna Smith-Cook
Rebecca Brown (Seagoville, Texas) and Dassett Choice (Caricello x Vilja), an 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by Team Junior Syndicate
Charlotte Babbitt (South Lake Tahoe, Calif.) and her own 2 A.M. (Sheraton x Regina K), an eight-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding
"Both Leslie and I are really looking forward to running our first Futures Team Challenge on the West Coast," said Duvander. "The Futures Team Challenge program is a new program and still under development. This year we are running three-horse teams for Galway Downs, but hoping to grow this number next year. We are also going to trial for the first time having senior riders as team captains, with Liz Halliday-Sharp captaining my team and Tamie Smith captaining Leslie’s team. The purpose in naming captains is for these athletes to develop leadership skills, while simultaneously gaining more team experience."
"Our aim is to continuously drive and grow eventing on the West Coast, and we hope the Futures Team Challenge will aid in inspiring the next generation of riders and providing a pathway toward senior teams," Duvander added. "It would not have been possible to run the Futures Team Challenge this year without Adequan stepping up as a sponsor, and we are grateful for their support of this successful program.”
Applications were submitted to the USEF Performance Advisory Team and selected based off of results, potential, willingness to learn, and commitment to developing as future team athletes, following the FEI Nations Cup selection criteria as guidance.
Selection to a team under the Adequan USEF Futures Team Challenge does not represent selection to a recognized U.S. team.
Dec 23, 2024
Education
Saddle Fit Simplified
Eventers who are new to the sport may feel a little overwhelmed by the often-misunderstood world of saddle fitting. Riders are often bombarded with information from peers online or self-described experts, putting them at risk of following bad advice related to equipment that impacts horse welfare perhaps more than any other piece of tack. Finding a qualified expert to answer these questions is crucial. Who better to turn to than both a qualified Master Saddle Fitter and a fourth-generation saddle designer to answer some of these questions?
Dec 22, 2024
USEA Foundation
Top Tips for Applying for a USEA Foundation Grant
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!
Dec 21, 2024
Education
3 Ways to Help Eventing Thrive in 2025
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.
Dec 20, 2024
Sponsor
“Happy Horse Equals Happy Judge”: Ask An Expert with Dressage Judge Peter Gray, Brought to You by Ride iQ
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.
