At the 2021 USEA Annual Meeting & Convention, the Adult Riders committee led an open forum featuring guest speakers Asia Vedder and Dr. Kevin Keane, both busy and active eventers. Throughout the forum, Vedder and Keane answer several questions on juggling work, life, and eventing to help fellow adult riders find creative ways to make all of the pieces of the puzzle fit together.
Keane, a high-level veterinarian based in Area II who has previously acted as a Team Veterinarian for three countries and has competed up to the five-star level, put together the acronym DRAFTS for key points of consideration for adult riders which stands for:
Discipline
Riding Program
Ability
Funding
Time Management
Suitability
Vedder, who has a lifelong history in horses from competing in showjumping to working with racehorses and steeplechase horses, now works for her family ranch and competes at the three-star level of eventing. She offered some different perspectives as a California resident: "I am not in a barn or a program, I am doing this on my own most of the time. So all of Kevin's points are amazing and I wish I was in a program where are of those points were dictated for me, but I have to create all of that myself. I go for a lesson probably once a week, if I can do two I will but I have to choose between taking a dressage lesson or a jump lesson so I often am jumping on my own with my father, usually setting for me."
Check out the entire Open Forum replay here and see what practices Keane and Vedder suggest that you can implement into your own program.
The Olympic gold medallists Tom McEwen and JL Dublin lit up the arena at the MARS Badminton Horse Trials with a stunning performance and took the lead after the first day of dressage with the excellent mark of 22.4. They have almost five penalties over second-placed Emily King and Valmy Biats on 27.3.
At some point in your riding career, you probably found yourself feeling or dealing with a little fear, failure, or frustration. We’ve all been there. Regardless of whether we’re competitive or recreational, we’ve likely found ourselves getting a bit stuck on stress or a struggle; dealing with a little defeat or disappointment, or feeling overwhelmed or underprepared.
We might still be recovering physically from the excitement of the 2025 USEA Intercollegiate & Interscholastic Eventing Championships, but mentally we keep playing the weekend over and over again in our heads. This is a weekend that many eventers and lovers of the sport all over the country (ourselves included) look forward to each year and this year was no exception. From teams getting to experience their first time ever at the championship to mascots swapping gear in a show of camaraderie, there were so many great moments that took place during this year's end-of-the-school-year event. Take a look at some of our favorite moments from the three day competition below!
As we gear up for the summer, the competition season isn’t slowing down and it’s time for one of the staple events on the international calendar in the U.S., the Tryon International Three-Day Event (Mill Spring, North Carolina). This event hosts one of five CCI4*-L events on the U.S. calendar, and this year there are 13 competitors in the field. Continue reading below for more interesting facts pertaining to the event that kicks off this Thursday, May 8.