The United States Eventing Association (USEA) Board of Governors held a conference call last week and voted to resume recognizing educational activities after May 13, 2020. All educational activities must follow the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as well as federal, state, and local guidelines.
Educational activities scheduled to be held after May 13 that will be eligible for USEA recognition include clinics, camps, and cross-country schooling. All other activities applying for USEA recognition will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis until further notice.
If the educational activity is able to be legally held, then the USEA strongly recommends the organizer follow the US Equestrian (USEF) guidelines for safely hosting an educational activity or event. The USEF has developed a toolkit that includes the USEF Action Plan, outlining mandatory requirements and recommended best practices for competition organizers and participants. It is also recommended that all organizers and participants watch the USEF Webinar: Planning for a Safe Return to Competition which is available here.
The USEA is continuing to mirror the USEF’s suspension for recognizing competitions – the current suspension period lasts until May 31, 2020. The USEA will announce as soon as possible if recognition of events can resume after May 31.
“With all of us staying at home for the last few months, we felt that educational activities are very important to knock some of the dust off in anticipation of the potential June 1, 2020 start-up to competitions,” explained USEA President Max Corcoran. “Attending an educational activity is a really good way to ensure that horses and riders are fit enough and still have the skills to safely start competing again. The Board hopes that everyone takes great care in resuming competing and we look forward to seeing you all out there soon. Stay well, stay safe, and keep those hands washed!”
View the current list of upcoming USEA Registered Educational Activities
Register your educational activity with the USEA
USEA Educational Activities Release Form
WHO Risk Assessment Decision Tree
WHO Mass Gathering for Sports Risk Assessment Tool
Questions about educational activities? Contact [email protected]. Questions about the USEA’s decisions relating to the COVID-19 pandemic? Contact [email protected].
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.