United States Eventing Association

There are quite a lot of new and exciting things happening in the USEA Eventing Coaches Program (ECP) this summer! First of all, we now have a social media presence with the addition of a Facebook page and Instagram which we have been utilizing to expand the program's reach and public awareness of all the things the ECP has to offer.

With this we can keep everyone apprised of official program events such as workshops and assessments. It also allows us to showcase clinics being offered by certified coaches. Along with providing one location for people to add things to their calendar we see it as a great platform for sharing information about the program and many other avenues of education. Be sure to follow us!

You also may notice that the ECP has a growing presence at competitions. That is the addition of a new program giving coaches the option to offer assistance at competitions via a sign-up sheet that is posted—usually at the secretary area—letting competitors know that they are on grounds and providing their contact information. If you have questions or need someone to walk a course with, this is a great way to find someone that may be able to help. Certified Coaches may also be found by the new badges that they have to wear at the competitions.

Throughout the year we have been expanding to offer easier access to those aspiring to become certified while also developing a new pathway to offer educational resources to all.

The workshops remain an integral part of the program, especially for those on the pathway to certification. We are now able to offer the workshops in a more condensed timeline to allow candidate coaches the opportunity to complete both the dressage and jumping portions within a 3-day period whereas previously attendance would have been required at two separate 2- to 3- day workshops. It seems that this option may be preferred by most so we are looking to offer these 3-day workshops at various locations around the country throughout the year to give candidates easier access.

Because of the shortened timeline these workshops can only accommodate three candidate coaches per workshop. The 3-day workshops allow the candidates to focus on one phase per day. The faculty will give a daily lecture on key aspects of each phase as well as teaching a demo lesson to allow the candidates the opportunity to see the lesson format in action. Then each candidate coach will be provided with a demo rider to practice teaching lessons with the guidance and feedback provided from the faculty member facilitating the workshop. At the end of the workshop the candidates will be given feedback from the faculty to determine what additional preparation they may need to prepare for assessment.

For both the workshops and assessments to provide coaches the opportunity to teach quality lessons it is essential to have demo riders that are appropriate for the level required. This is an excellent opportunity for riders to receive free lessons and valuable insight. Sometimes the candidate coaches are teaching, and other times we need riders for the faculty to provide demo lessons. This collaborative learning environment is a key component to the success of the program, and it can’t happen without the demo riders! If you see a workshop or assessment happening in your area and would be interested in riding please reach out to Brandi Bishop ([email protected]) at the USEA.

New this year is the addition of pre-workshop educational opportunities meant to better prepare the candidates for the workshops. To start with, we have facilitated Zoom Classrooms with the candidates approximately two weeks prior to the workshops in order to clarify the focus of the lessons they will be teaching as well as to answer any questions about the program and process in general. These have taken place in advance of the two workshops that were facilitated as part of a pilot program to offer a condensed timeline to Level IV and V candidate coaches. The feedback has been very positive from those attending this online addition so we will continue to develop this into something offered for all levels.

The online classroom is an aspect that we see expanding to cover a wide array of educational components. There is quite a long list of topics that can be covered in this way, and we are currently looking into many options in order to develop this path of the program. The best way to stay informed about these “classrooms” is to follow the Eventing Coaches Program Facebook page or Instagram.

About the USEA Eventing Coaches Program (ECP)

Coaches are essential to the training of riders and horses for safe and educated participation in the sport of eventing. The USEA Eventing Coaches Program (ECP), formerly known as the Instructors’ Certification Program (ICP), was initiated in 2002 to educate all levels of eventing coaches with crucial training principles upon which they can continue to build throughout their teaching careers. ECP offers educational workshops and assessments by which both regular coaches, Level I through Level V, Young Event Horse (YEH) coaches, and Young Event Horse professional horse trainers can become ECP certified. Additional information about ECP’s goals, benefits, workshops, and assessments as well as names and contact information for current ECP certified coaches, YEH coaches, and YEH professional horse trainers are available on the USEA website. Click here to learn more about the USEA Eventing Coaches Program.

The USEA would like to thank Marshall+Sterling Equine Insurance, Stable Secretary, Strider, and the United States Pony Clubs, for their support of the Eventing Coaches Program.