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Jan 16, 2019
VIDEO: Cross-Country Designs for the Future
We are bringing you select content from the 2018 USEA Annual Meeting & Convention on demand in partnership with RNS Video Media, giving you a chance to relive all the action!
James Atkinson led a panel including course designers Captain Mark Phillips, John Michael Durr, Gretchen Butts, Morgan Rowsell, and Cathy Wieschhoff in a discussion about the responsibilities of the course designer and the many factors that influence course design. Atkinson began by stating that course designers are horsemen first and are constantly thinking about how every part of the course will affect the horse. Captain Phillips said, “Our job is to educate the horses . . . We must not go down the road of making courses more difficult.”
The panel educated attendees on how the horse’s vision works and provided examples of how designers use decoration to help the horse see all four corners of the fence. There was discussion of different ways the course designers take the horse’s vision limitations (blind spot, dichromatic vision, ability to adjust to different lighting conditions, etc.) into account. The conversation then turned to terrain, covering how and why designers use terrain and how they use it to influence how the horse sees a fence. They explained how the horse’s balance and stride length relate to the degree of slope. Finally, Morgan Rowsell talked about some of the factors that influence the decision about where to employ frangible technology and the new technology that is in the pipeline.
About the USEA Annual Meeting & Convention
The USEA Annual Meeting & Convention takes place each December and brings together a large group of dedicated USEA members and supporters to discuss, learn, and enjoy being surrounded by other eventing enthusiasts. The USEA organizes multiple seminars in addition to committee meetings, open forums, and tons of fun! The 2019 USEA Annual Meeting & Convention is taking place at the Sheraton Boston Hotel in Boston, Massachusetts, December 11-15, 2019. Click here to learn more about the USEA Annual Meeting & Convention.
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Eventing News
Santa Anita Park Confirmed As Venue for Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028 Equestrian Events
Santa Anita Park, located in proximity to the Los Angeles city area, has been confirmed as the venue of the equestrian events of the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028 (LA28).
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Emerging Athletes U21
USEA Names Athletes for 2025 EA21 Regional Programs
The United States Eventing Association (USEA) is delighted to announce the selection of athletes for the 2025 USEA Emerging Athlete U21 Program (EA21). Members of the USEA Young Rider program who are aged 21 and under are eligible to participate. The EA21 program aims to establish a pipeline for potential team riders by identifying and nurturing young talent, enhancing horsemanship and riding skills, and fostering consistency and improvement for the next generation of elite event riders.
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Eventing News
Relaxation Exercises for Horses: A Guide to Soft, Supple, and Light
The following excerpt is from "Relaxation Exercises for Horses: A Guide to Soft, Supple, and Light," by Guillaume Henry, and published by Trafalgar Square Books.
Apr 14, 2025
Competitions
A Confidence-Boosting Event at the Twin Rivers Spring International
The Twin Rivers Spring International showed that there isn’t just one right answer when preparing your horse. The CCI4*-S served as a qualifier in the US Equestrian Open of Eventing, but before the $200,000 finals at Morven in Virginia, on Oct. 9-12, seven of the 11 horses were competing in their final prep before the approximately 2,300-mile haul to Lexington for the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event in two weeks.
