Editor's Note: Emma Knight emailed Lou Leslie, USEA Vice President of Area Affairs, and Cathy Wieschhoff, Area VIII Chair, about the recent redraw of three USEA area borders. She sent us the letter and asked us to reprint it. Click here to read more on the redraw.
The new USEA area borders. Illustration by EN.
Dear Cathy and Lou,
I am also an eventer from Area VIII. My dad, Mark Knight, recently sent an email to you encouraging another look at the new borders and offering his help in publicizing and explaining why the old borders should remain. I simply wish to expand on the why.
I am currently a Junior at Walsh Jesuit High School. That being said, I only started my riding career a few years ago, and I immediately fell in love with the sport. Who wouldn’t? The dressage makes you feel like a ballerina, the stadium phase is always testing the limits, and the cross country phase is, well, cross country! I currently ride in JV Novice in Interscholastic Equestrian Association Zone 5 and am a D3 in Western Reserve Pony Club.
Western Reserve was previously run by Jackie Smith as District Commissioner, who only stepped down this year. I have the pleasure of volunteering at almost all her events and competing when I can. She has taught me a lot of things, including that to really, truly achieve something, you have to fight for it. Whether that is pushing yourself to jump a 2’7″ fence on a strange horse when you normally jump 2’3″ at home on steady horses or pushing for the borders of Area 8 to stay the same, someone has got to fight and something has got to give.
Because of my volunteer experience at Stone Gate, I know how chaotic they can be. And the entries have been steadily rising. The current main events in Area 8 are now limited in Ohio mainly to Stone Gate and South Farm, and while I am sure those farms are crowing with delight in the extra income, imagine all the new strain. At the last event of the season, horses were being stabled at three different barns, excluding the trailered. Erie Hunt and Lost Hounds deserve the riders and the opportunity to keep their tradition of events within Area 8.
In Pennsylvania, it is extremely easy to get to Ohio through the turnpikes. Losing the western half of Pennsylvania would decrease event attendance in both areas. It would also be considerably annoying to the people of Pennsylvania (Of course, this is speculation, but it is a lot easier to drive a trailer on mainly flat and straight highways to get to Ohio than it is to drive the twisty turns of the mountains to get to Area 2). The people of Area 8 will sometimes go to the East Coast to compete, but it is rare to find an Area 2 eventer in the Area 8 Trials.
The new loss in events has put a new rise in the Mini Trial. The North Eastern Ohio MT Association now has over five stables, each of which normally hold two events per year. These Mini Trials (which I strongly support), may become the downfall of the older events. Why trailer far away and pay twice as much to go to a Horse Trials when you can get a better, friendlier experience at a Mini Trial? Without these two events in PA, amateurs will flood the Mini Trial circuit, especially in Area 8, where it is heavily encouraged. The USEA will lose income, amateurs will be less likely to rise to the professionals, and eventually, members.
I hope my reasons why show better how the borders should stay as they are. My writing is not refined as a news column, or objective like statistics. It simply holds the truth. Listen to the people, USEA. They want to be heard.
Thank you for your time,
Emma Knight
