Oct 03, 2023

USEA Names Athletes For January 2024 EA21 National Camp

By Kate Lokey - USEA Staff | Press Release
Caitlin O'Roark jumps at the East Coast I regional EA21 clinic. USEA/Lindsay Berreth photo

The United States Eventing Association (USEA) is proud to announce the selected Young Rider athletes for the Emerging Athletes U21 Program (EA21) national camp, now that the EA21 regional clinics have concluded. Twelve riders were accepted into each of the five regional EA21 clinics, taught by USEA Eventing Coaches Program (ECP) instructors, and now riders have been selected from the regional clinics to participate in the EA21 national camp this winter.

The five EA21 regional clinics that took place were: East Coast I at Morven Park International Equestrian Center (Leesburg, Virginia), coached by Shannon Lilley; East Coast II at Stable View Farm (Aiken, South Carolina), coached by Emily Beshear; Central at Holly Hill Farm (Benton, Louisiana), coached by Rebecca Braitling; West Coast I at Aspen Farms (Yelm, Washington), coached by Rebecca Brown; and West Coast II at Twin Rivers Ranch (Paso Robles, California), also coached by Rebecca Brown.

The USEA’s EA21 Task Force has approved 18 USEA EA21 Young Riders for the program’s second year of the EA21 national camp. Each of these Young Rider athletes were selected to participate in one of the five regional EA21 clinics, and have now been selected to attend the national camp with EA21 Director of Coaching, David O’Connor. The athletes invited to attend the national camp are listed below, in alphabetical order:

  • Camryn Chung (Central regional clinic)
  • Julia Beauchamp Crandon (Twin Rivers regional clinic)
  • Molly Duda (Twin Rivers regional clinic)
  • Kayla Dumler (Aspen Farms regional clinic)
  • Sara Ertl (Stable View regional clinic)
  • Emeline Gilbert (Morven Park regional clinic)
  • Kiersten Miller (Stable View regional clinic)
  • Tate Northrop (Stable View regional clinic)
  • Audrey Ogan (Morven Park regional clinic)
  • Caitlin O’Roark (Morven Park regional clinic)
  • Harper Padgett (Aspen Farms regional clinic)
  • Alina Patterson (Stable View regional clinic)
  • Camdyn Rahe (Central regional clinic)
  • Maia Ramberg (Morven Park regional clinic)
  • Kelsey Seidel (Central regional clinic)
  • Braden Speck (Morven Park regional clinic)
  • Annabelle Sprague (Morven Park regional clinic)
  • Elsa Warble (Twin Rivers regional clinic)

The EA21 Task Force put together a wait list for this year’s national camp in the case an athlete must withdraw. The Selection Task Force felt that the below athletes were prepared for the national camp level, and if an athlete from the national camp withdraws, then their spot will be filled with the first ranked athlete from the waitlist from the same respective clinic, as noted:

Twin Rivers Clinic Alternates:

  1. Lauren Crabtree
  2. Sarah Ross

Aspen Farms Clinic Alternate:

  1. Alexis Larson

Morven Park Clinic Alternates:

  1. Rebecca Roth
  2. Ayden Schain
  3. Samantha Homeyer

Stable View Clinic Alternates:

  1. Madison Blodgett
  2. Breeanna Robinette
  3. Katarina Midgley

Central Clinic Alternates:

  1. Katherine Hyndman
  2. Vienna Allport

The EA21 national camp will take place at KingsWay Farm in Temecula, California, across Tuesday-Saturday, Jan. 2-6, 2024, and will be taught by David O’Connor. Special guest speakers will also be on-site for this educational camp. Stabling will be available across the street at Galway Downs, and catch ride horses may be available to riders traveling from significant distances.

The USEA would like to thank the five venues for hosting the inaugural EA21 regional clinics (Morven Park, Stable View, Holly Hill Farm, Twin Rivers Ranch, Aspen Farms), and for their wonderful hospitality. The USEA would also like to thank KingsWay Farm, founded by Linda and Terry Paine, and Tamra Smith who operates out of KingsWay Farm, for hosting this year's national camp. Special thanks to Robert Kellerhouse and Galway Downs for hosting the stabling for the national camp, as well as offering their facilities in the event of rain or poor weather conditions.

For questions regarding the Emerging Athlete 21 Program, please email Kate Lokey at [email protected]. For questions regarding the selection procedures, please contact the EA21 Task Force Chairs.

About the USEA Emerging Athlete U21 Program (EA21)

The purpose of the USEA Emerging Athletes U21 Program (EA21) 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.

The USEA Emerging Athletes U21 Program was launched in 2022 with a model of five summertime regional clinics taught by selected USEA Eventing Coaches Program (ECP) instructors, leading to a winter national camp consisting of selected Young Riders from the regional clinics. Athletes who are 21 years or younger, are current members of their USEA Young Rider Area program, and are established at the Training Level or higher, are eligible to apply for the EA21 program. Click here to learn more about the USEA EA21 Program.

The USEA would like to thank Kerrits, Sidelines Magazine and WeRideTogether for sponsoring the USEA Emerging Athletes U21 Program.

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.

Dec 19, 2024 Volunteers

The VIP Volunteer: Cathy Hale Has A Thirst for Adventure and a Love for Volunteering

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.

Dec 18, 2024 Association News

USEA Office Closed for Holidays

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.

Official Corporate Sponsors of the USEA

Official Joint Therapy Treatment of the USEA

Official Feed of the USEA

Official Saddle of the USEA

Official Equine Insurance of the USEA

Official Forage of the USEA

Official Supplement Feeding System of the USEA

Official Competition & Training Apparel of the USEA

Official Horse Boot of the USEA

Official Shockwave of the USEA

Official Horse Wear of the USEA