USEA Convention: USEF Active Athletes Open Forum

The USEF Active Athletes Open Forum wrapped up quickly, with Joanie Morris leading most of the meeting and Phillip Dutton and Buck Davidson speaking at the end. The key highlights to take away from this session: WEG applications are due March 15 and the WEG team will be announced June 20. Here’s a summary of the meeting, with Joanie kicking things off:

The selection process for the World Equestrian Games has been approved. It will be done by online application only, with a due date of March 15. We tested the application this week, and it will be live next week. There is a $70 application fee if you submit the application on time. You can put multiple horses on one application. If you have a horse that is even remotely a possibility for the World Games, put it on the application. All riders will receive an email when the application is ready.

The WEG team will be announced June 20, which is right after Luhmuhlen. This is significantly earlier than it has been in the past. The process will be a bit different once the team is chosen. David will be doing private training with the team at their barns. The decision for earlier team selection has really been athlete driven. We hope that it works and proves to be successful.

For other European trips not related to WEG, again we’ll do grants based on application. If you have any thought of wanting to take a horse somewhere, it’s much easier to apply than wish you had done it after the deadline has already passed.

The Training Sessions schedule will be approved at the High Performance Committee Meeting with the listed riders to make sure it works with their schedules. If people want to audit or have access to additional meetings when David is in the area, they can email Joanie. Especially in California when David is teaching the Eventing 25 riders, he’ll have time.

The High Performance Committee still needs to approve the timeline for the grant process. It will be a similar timeline to this year, with spring grants in one group and fall grants in another group. We’ve talked about holding back one grant in the spring in case someone has a disaster before Kentucky so the horse could be sent to Luhmuhlen instead to run a four-star. That will all be discussed tomorrow. As soon as the grant process timeliness is approved, it will be published and posted. Grant applications will also likely be due on March 15.

Luhmuhlen is the last selection trial for WEG; all selection trials are posted on the USEF website.

If you did a targeted CCI this year, you’re not actually qualified for the World Games. You have to do a CIC3* as well. If you think you have a horse qualified, just double check to be sire.

Impact Test: Try to take it while at the Convention. It’s the concussion test; it just gives you a baseline of where you are. If you fall off, it’s the only way you can get back after falling off inside of two weeks from a medical suspension.

All High Performance riders who haven’t taken the Impact Test this year need to take it again. With the passing of Craig Farrell, we no longer have control over the tests from past year. If you haven’t taken it in 2013, you need to take it again. Then it’s good until you have a concussion. You have to get the test done if you’re seriously thinking about making the team.

The Giltedge Challenge, Ms. Mars’ generous matching donation pledge up to $500,000, was supposed to go through July, and she’s extended it. She will continue to match donations. A lot of athletes have stepped up to donate at whatever level they feel comfortable. It guarantees our funding through the USET Foundation through the next three years.

Update your email address. Every time I send out an email to all the riders, I probably get 25 back, so that’s 25 people who should be getting information and are not. If you’re not getting emails from me regularly, be sure to update your address.

Phillip Dutton on the Active Athletes Committee: “The idea is to create a great atmosphere so we can prosper as a sport so you can excel in your riding and bring in more owners. I wouldn’t look at this as it will make your career. You’ve got to do that. We want to put in a good system so you can work hard and get the right horses and support. It’s pretty exciting, and I hope everyone can get behind it, and we’ll gradually get better and better.”

Buck Davidson: “Pretty high on the list of things to do this year is to select a show jumping coach. If anyone has an idea of people you think should apply, please have those people send their information to Joanie.”

0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments