Last night, the USEA Board of Governors chose not to extend the suspension of competitions past May 31, 2020. Not all events will be able to be held as they must follow all Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), state, and local guidelines, but those who are able to run will have to adhere to the USEF COVID-19 Action Plan which can be found in the USEF COVID-19 toolkit.
With events beginning again the first weekend of June many competitors will be anxious to head straight back out to a competition. However, after nearly three months away from events – and many more for most of the country whose season hadn’t yet started – it is important to make sure you and your horse are prepared for a safe return.
For many riders in the country, the stay at home orders kept them away from their horses, lessons, and training. As tempting as it is to enter the first horse trial held in your area – making sure you and your horse are fit and ready should be at the forefront of your mind. Here’s a checklist for all eventers to reference as they return to competition.
The USEA allowed educational activities to resume after May 13, 2020, and these are a great way to prepare for a full event. View the list of USEA educational activities here.
View the full USEA Calendar of Events with the latest changes here.
Before competing be sure to review the USEF COVID-19 Action Plan and the resources available in the USEF Licensed Competitions COVID-19 Toolkit.
Watch the USEF/USEA Webinar: A Safe Return to Competitions and view all the USEA COVID-19 resources here.
Riders in both the Cosequin Lexington CCI4*-S and the Defender Kentucky CCI5*-L are sharing similar sentiments about this year's cross-country courses: course designer Derek di Grazia didn't play around this year. Here is what some of the riders across both divisions had to say about the tracks they will aim to conquer on Saturday.
Off The Record decided not to let Michael Jung be the only record-breaking entry at the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event this week and delivered a career-best score in the Cosequin Lexington CCI4*-S on Friday morning. He and Will Coleman delivered a test that received a score of 21.8, not only marking a personal best for the horse but also securing their position at the top of the leaderboard going into cross-country tomorrow.
Boyd Martin and the 12-year-old Holsteiner gelding Commando 3 were the last pair to go in the Defender Kentucky CCI5*-L field on Friday afternoon and were warmly greeted to the bluegrass with an impressive downpour that outshined anything the other horse and rider pairs had to combat throughout the day. But that didn’t stop this pair from putting their best foot forward and impressing the judges enough to earn them a score of 26.0, just 0.2 points ahead of second-place pair Tom McEwen (GBR) and Brookfield Quality.
Please always remain vigilant when it comes to sending any personal communications via email or text. Every year we receive reports of members and leaders of our sport receiving phishing attempts both online and by phone. These are often communications disguised as being sent from USEA staff or other leaders. As the years go on, the phishing attempts appear to be more directed and tailored.