United States Eventing Association

Tomorrow is Juneteenth, which marks the day in 1865 when the federal order was read in Galveston, Texas stating that all enslaved people in Texas were free. This federal order was critical because it represented the emancipation of the last remaining enslaved African Americans in the Confederate States. Although Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation had formally freed all people enslaved in the Confederacy almost two and a half years earlier, Union enforcement of the proclamation had been slow and inconsistent, especially in Texas. Slavery would continue in two states that had remained in the Union— Kentucky and Delaware — until the ratification of the 13th Amendment in December 1865.

Juneteenth has been remembered for over 150 years, but it wasn’t until 2021 that it became a federal holiday. As in 2020, the USEA will recognize Juneteenth and encourage our community to educate themselves on the history and plight of Black Americans. Racism has no place in the sport of eventing and the USEA stands in solidarity with all people of color.

The USEA office will be closed all day on Friday, June 18 in observance of Juneteenth. We will resume normal business hours (9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. EST) on Monday, June 21 and will return all phone calls and emails at that time.