The United States Eventing Association (USEA) is pleased to announce the athletes selected for the 2024 USEA Emerging Athlete U21 Program (EA21). USEA Young Rider program members aged 21 and under are eligible for the program. The purpose of the USEA EA21 Program is to identify and provide consistent quality instruction to the next generation of elite event riders. The aim 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.
Participants in the USEA EA21 Program will have the opportunity to work with USEA Eventing Coaches Program (ECP) coaches that have been selected for each regional clinic by the EA21 Task Force, and the EA21 Director of Coaching, David O’Connor. O’Connor will mentor the ECP coaches selected for the regional clinics and will develop a curriculum that leads to the national camp that he will coach in Ocala, Florida, Dec. 31, 2024-Jan. 4, 2025. The exact location of the national camp will be announced in the coming months, and the national athletes will be selected from the summer regional clinics and announced in the fall.
The USEA will cover the regional clinic cost and stabling fees for all accepted applicants. Applicants will be responsible for their own travel and lodging costs, and will be contacted by the USEA and on-site Young Rider Coordinators with more information and scheduling.
The 2024 EA21 regional clinic venues, dates, and coaches are listed below, along with the athletes selected for each clinic:
*Athletes are listed in alphabetical order per clinic, and the wait lists appear in the order the athletes will be accepted should openings occur at each clinic.
Central Clinic | Longview Horse Park (Kansas City, Missouri) | Tuesday-Wednesday, June 18-19:
Coached by Bec Braitling
WAITLIST 1: Ava Staton
WAITLIST 2: Katherine Hyndman
WAITLIST 3: Annabelle Friend
East Coast I Clinic | Morven Park International Equestrian Center (Leesburg, Virginia) | Tuesday-Wednesday, June 25-26:
Coached by Shannon Lilley
WAITLIST 1: Carlin Keefe
WAITLIST 2: Ruth Rosendaul
WAITLIST 3: Elle Stephenson
East Coast II Clinic | Stable View Farm (Aiken, South Carolina) | Tuesday-Wednesday, July 23-24:
Coached by Emily Beshear
WAITLIST 1: Jake Tessler
WAITLIST 2: Sophia Brady-Owen
WAITLIST 3: Chloe Paddack
West Coast I Clinic | Twin Rivers Ranch (Paso Robles, California) | Tuesday-Wednesday, June 25-26:
Coached by Rebecca Brown
WAITLIST 1: Brooke Corsaut
WAITLIST 2: Lauren Bebb
WAITLIST 3: Coco Ramkowsky
West Coast || Clinic | Aspen Farms (Yelm, Washington) | Tuesday-Wednesday, August 13-14:
Coached by Rebecca Brown
WAITLIST 1: Lizzie Lynch
WAITLIST 2: Brianna Rasmussen
WAITLIST 3: Lorelei Frederickson
“This program has really grown in popularity since its inception and the vast number of applicants exemplifies this,” stated EA21 Task Force founding member and coach, Rebecca Brown. “The EA21 Task Force and coaches are blown away each year with the quality of applicants; the selections are an intense process each year. If you did not get chosen to participate this year, keep applying! Just because you did not make it this year, doesn’t mean you aren’t a great candidate for the following year. We are watching you, rooting for you, and hoping to get you involved in the program in years to come!”
The USEA would like to thank the following sponsors for their support of the USEA EA21 program: Shires Equestrian, Kerrits, Ride iQ, Sidelines Magazine, WeRideTogether
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.
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.
With a total of 382 volunteer hours in 2024, Catherine “Cathy” Hale not only topped the USEA Area III VIP Volunteer leaderboard, but she also ranked fourth out of all eventing volunteers across the country. Hale (The Villages, Florida) has worked as a travel agent for over 30 years, a career that suits her love of travel nicely. At the time of being interviewed for this article, Hale was passing the equator on a cruise to Tahiti, New Zealand, and Australia.
The USEA office will close at 5:00 p.m. EST on Friday, Dec. 20, 2024, and will reopen again on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025. The USEA staff will return emails and phone calls when the office re-opens on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025 or at their earliest convenience.