The USEF Show Jumping Course Advisor Program was introduced in 2004 to raise the standard of show jumping course design in the United States. In cooperation with the USEA, the program initially focused on show jumping courses for FEI and Advanced level competition, but expanded in recent years to reviews of courses for Preliminary and Intermediate horse trials. The goal of the program is to ensure the standard of the courses throughout the country and to deliver courses that provided the same level of technicality. The program has been effective in improving the consistency of show jumping courses through the review and critique of courses from a majority of designers.
In 2017, the Eventing Committee approved an expansion of the program. Course Designers for all FEI Eventing competitions in the United States are now asked to submit their courses as posted with all technical details (distance, time allowed, etc.) within five days of the competition for review by Eventing Show Jumping Course Advisor Richard Jeffery. Each course is posted on the USEF website with Jeffery’s analysis along with a course evaluation completed by the Course Designer prior to the event. This allows Course Designers to review other courses and consider Jeffery’s input when designing their own courses. The ultimate goal is to establish and maintain an equal standard of jumping for events across the country.
For more information about the USEF Show Jumping Course Advisor Program, click here. To view all of the reviews provided by this program, click here.
We’ve all been there—on the horse who pokes his way around the warm-up ring, needs leg, leg, leg coming into the combination, or brings up the rear on every trail ride. None of us wants each and every ride to be a lower-body squeezefest, nor do we wish to do anything with our crop except maybe wave it at that annoying deerfly. In this excerpt from his book The Sport Horse Problem Solver, former international eventer Eric Smiley explains the essential quality of forwardness and how to prepare the horse to expect you to look for it in all that you do together.
The inaugural USEA Interscholastic Eventing League (IEL) Championships may have been the pinnacle for program members of the IEL last year, but that’s not the only exciting achievement that occurred in 2024. A total of 41 events offered IEL Team Challenges for over 360 program members, and in the end, a year-end leaderboard champion was named at every level from Starter through Intermediate. The following IEL members worked tirelessly with their clubs and on their own competitive journeys in 2024 to earn the title of Interscholastic Rider of the Year at their respective level. Join us in congratulating these up-and-coming eventers on their success!
Veterinary pathologist Susan Hart has been trapped in an “always the bridesmaid, never the bride” loop on the USEA Volunteer Incentive Program (VIP) Volunteer Leaderboard since 2022. After two years of chipping away at the leaderboard, 2024 was finally her year to proverbially walk down the aisle. With a total of 691 and a half hours, Hart topped the leaderboard to become the 2024 USEA Volunteer of the Year, sponsored by Mrs. Pastures, and win the first gold medal in USEA VIP history, which is awarded for achieving over 2,000 lifetime volunteer hours.
Day 3 of the USEA Eventing Coaches Program (ECP) Symposium at Galway Downs was all about correct cross-country position after an informative discussion from sports psychologist Natalie Hummel.