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.
“There are 385 million people in the U.S., and only 3.8 million have horses,” David O’Connor said as he began the classroom session on day 4 of the Emerging Athletes Under 21 (EA21) National Camp. “Not all of them are into eventing.”
A change in the original schedule of the Emerging Athletes Under 21 (EA21) National Camp brought cross-country day forward to the third day instead of the original final day. Alongside his work with the U.S. Equestrian Federation and the FEI, EA21 Director of Coaching David O’Connor advises the Caisson Detachment of the 3rd United States Infantry Regiment on horsemanship and will be traveling to Arlington, Virginia, to attend the state funeral of former President Jimmy Carter. But no one was disappointed by the change.
Having established clear lines of communication yesterday on the flat, it was time to take those tools to the jumping arena during day two of the 2024-2025 Emerging Athlete Under 21 (EA21) National Camp held at Sweet Dixie South in Ocala, Florida. The curriculum for the second day focused on the rider’s responsibilities and maintaining rideability.
“There’s got to be things that you believe to your core,” EA21 Director of Coaching David O’Connor began on the first day of the 2024-2025 Emerging Athletes Under 21 (EA21) National Camp held at Sweet Dixie South in Ocala, Florida. “For me, that’s communication.”