Cindy Burge Memorial ECP Grant

The USEA and the Eventing Coaches Program (ECP) call your attention to the Cindy Burge Memorial ECP Grant, offered each year by each USEA Area’s Adult Rider Program to one (or more) of its Area’s coaches who meet the grant’s qualification standards and is selected as a recipient. These qualification standards include merit as a coach, service to the sport, potential to provide future benefit to the sport, and demonstration of compatibility with the educational goals of ECP and intention to be assessed for ECP certification.

This grant program honors Cindy Burge, who was a spirited leader of eventing in the Northwest and one of the first coaches to be certified by ECP. With her coaching and competing and her organization of the Deep Creek Horse Trials outside of Spokane, Washington, Cindy benefited eventers every day with her knowledge and experience, her riding ability, and her organizational talent and hard work.

The ECP thanks the USEA Areas and their Adult Rider Programs for helping to identify and assist coaches all over the country who, like Cindy, are interested in confirming and enhancing their knowledge and skill as eventing coaches. This grant money will help pay the fee for each recipient’s participation in an assessment for ECP certification.

Before being assessed by ECP, coaches at Levels I -V must attend a three-day Teaching of Dressage Workshop and a three-day Teaching of Jumping Workshop. The Teaching of Jumping Workshop covers the teaching of both show jumping and cross-country riding/jumping. Once the workshop requirements are met, candidate coaches may be evaluated for certification at an ECP assessment at the ECP Level appropriate for them.

Because the U.S. is so large, it is often necessary to travel a distance to both workshops and an assessment. ECP is similar to the USDF coaches certification program in this way. Nonetheless, due to the importance of increasing the safety and skill of eventing riders and horses – as well as their enjoyment of the sport – all eventing coaches are highly encouraged to go to the USEA website to view the ECP workshop and assessment calendar. Everyone who attends ECP workshops and assessments shares and learns, including their hosts and riders.

For more information about ECP, including the definition of each ECP Level and a list of already certified ECP instructors, visit the Eventing Coaches Program page of the website. For more information about your Area’s Cindy Burge Memorial ECP Grant, contact your Area Adult Rider Coordinator.