There is nothing more important to US Equestrian than the health and safety of our members, especially our young ones. We share this goal with our vast membership and are committed to working together to create a safe environment for all equestrians. This is what Safe Sport is all about and today, as we previewed at our Annual Meeting last week, we will be unveiling a revamped section of the US Equestrian website dedicated solely to Safe Sport. Our goal is to ensure everyone participating in our sport understands where and how to easily access these resources in order to ask questions, find answers and receive clarification. We hope these updates will highlight the information everyone needs to know in order to create environments that are supportive and safe, so all equestrians can flourish in sport and beyond.
The updated Safe Sport sections are separated by audience group, so everyone — trainers, horse owners, competitors, parents, organizers, licensed officials, and affiliates — can quickly find answers to any lingering questions and, most importantly, understand where to go if they need to make a report to the U.S. Center for SafeSport.
The revamped site features videos highlighting what you need to know about Safe Sport and the response and resolution process, common myths and misconceptions, as well as fact sheets and instructions on how to be in compliance with SafeSport policies.
As we prepare for an exciting year in equestrian sport, it’s important everyone takes a few minutes to explore these new and updated resources, while understanding the important role Safe Sport plays in our shared commitment to keep our members and our sport safe. Regardless of whether your involvement with equestrian sport brings you into everyday contact with young participants or not, everyone has a role to play, because protecting our children and members requires us all to be part of the solution.
Click here to access the new Safe Sport Resource Center.
Tomorrow, the first of five regional clinics for the USEA Emerging Athletes U21 (EA21) Program kicks off in the central region of the country in Benton, Louisiana, at Holly Hill Farm. Throughout the summer, the remaining clinics on the East and West Coast will follow. At each clinic, 12 hand-selected riders will participate in a two-day clinic led by USEA Eventing Coaches Program (ECP) coaches. The purpose of the EA21 program is to create a pipeline for potential team riders by identifying and developing young talent, improving horsemanship and riding skills, and training and improving skills and consistency. The intention is to provide young athletes with access to an added level of horsemanship and riding skills to further their training and skill development with greater consistency.
After the first day of competition, Canadian Olympian Colleen Loach and her horse FE Golden Eye lead an international field in the CCI4*-L division of the MARS Bromont CCI.
Stone Gate Farm Horse Trials, located in Hanoverton, Ohio, announced they would cancel their fall horse trials, which were scheduled for Sept. 23-24.
Morgan Rowsell had just wrapped up organizing a successful Essex H.T. in Far Hills, New Jersey, on June 4, but as he turned his attention to his next show two weeks later, he was faced with challenges presented by the effects that wildfires from Canada are now having on equestrian sports in the Northeast. “The very next day, the smoke came in,” he said. “It looks like a warm, humid, hazy day, but it’s not humid, it’s not warm, it’s actually quite cool. There’s no air. There’s very little breeze. There’s a northeast wind coming out of Canada that is bringing all the Novia Scotia and Quebec smoke to us, and it smells like smoke.”