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What You Might Have Missed at the USEA Annual Meeting and Convention

By Leslie Threlkeld on Dec 7, 2015 1:00 pm -

Tamie Smith celebrating receiving the $30,000 Rebecca Broussard Developing Rider Grant during the Year-End Awards Luncheon at the 2015 USEA Annual Meeting and Convention. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.

The 2015 USEA Annual Meeting and Convention at the Omni Shoreham Hotel and Resort in Washington, D.C. last weekend had a packed schedule of committee meetings, educational seminars and brainstorming sessions. Professionals and amateurs, owners and riders, committee members and sponsors worked together towards bettering the sport, tackling everything from membership growth to safety equipment to volunteerism.

We worked hard, but we played hard, too, celebrating together at receptions, year-end awards and of course the dazzling Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Quite a few attendees even managed to go outside and enjoy the sights in our nation’s capital.

All in all, the Annual Meeting and Convention can be a lot to take in and we covered many topics here on EN over the four days. In case you missed anything or want to save a link to read later, here is all our coverage from the 2015 Convention. We have even more to bring you in the coming days, so stay tuned!

USEA Membership, Number of Competitors Trending Up in 2015: The USEA released its 2015 membership and starter statistics ahead of the Annual Meeting and Convention, showing an increase in both membership and the number of riders competing in recognized events.

Team USA Year in Review: Key Facts & Figures from 2015: U.S. Team Coach David O’Connor led the first of his sessions for the High Performance riders on Thursday, taking a look back at some key facts and figures from the 2015 season.

What You Need to Know From Day 1 of the USEA Convention: The USEF Eventing Technical Committee discuss rule change proposals; David O’Connor talks wait lists and balloting; course design certification and building standards are considered; the Membership Committee wonders if members should be allowed to choose their Area; new FEI competitions are on the horizon for 2017; the Event Owner’s Task Force discusses how to engage and show appreciation to owners.

USEA Board of Governors Convention Meeting Highlights: Highlights from the first of two USEA Board of Governors meetings where various USEA Committees presented status reports and general association business was discussed.

David O’Connor Outlines Proposed 2016 Plan for U.S. Eventing Team: David O’Connor outlined his proposed 2016 plan for the U.S. eventing team as we look ahead to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro during the Friday High Performance Riders meeting.

Memorable Moments at the USEA Year-End Awards Luncheon: The awards are always a bittersweet ceremony as we celebrate our friends in the sport who have succeeded in their endeavors and honor those we love and have lost. These are just a few of the many memorable moments that stuck out to us during Friday’s Year-End Awards.

What You Need to Know from Day 2 of the USEA Convention: Details on the new Modified division; PRO accident and disability insurance; collegiate eventing; free jumping for Future Event Horses

A Full Summary of the Eventing 2016-2026 USEA Summit: The much anticipated Eventing 2016-2026 USEA Summit and Town Hall Meeting took place Saturday morning with lively discussion on the following topics: Eventing Costs, Membership Growth, Organizers, 21st Century Sport/Business, Calendar/Pricing, ICP/Education, Professionals and Adult Amateurs.

Adult Riders Check In At the USEA Convention: The Adult Rider Coordinators for each area check in and report on the educational activities, grants and developments in each Area’s program.

Key Topics from the Rule Change Open Forum at USEA Convention: USEF Eventing Technical Committee Member Malcolm Hook went over key rule changes that were approved by the USEF Eventing Technical Committee this weekend and will now go forward to the USEF Board of Directors at the USEF Annual Meeting January 13-16 in Lexington, Kentucky.

What You need to Know from Day 3 of the USEA Convention: Welcoming new USEA CEO Rob Burk; volunteer initiatives; Toronto to Rio; the methodology of dressage judging.

USEA Convention Wrap: What You Need to Know: It was a light day with Area II conducting business during its committee meetings and honoring Area II members at the awards luncheon. The USEF Developing Riders and USEA Board of Governors also met this morning. Here is what you need to know from the final day of the 2015 Convention.

USEA Convention Links: Website, Schedule, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

Jacob Fletcher Believes in a Systematic Approach to Success

By Sally Spickard on Dec 7, 2015 11:00 am -

With the recent naming of the 2016 Eventing 25/18 Training Lists, there are a lot of talented young riders who are ready to take the eventing world by storm. This winter, we’ll be spotlighting the E25 and E18 riders as they prepare for their training sessions with Leslie Law.

Jacob Fletcher and Atlantic Domino. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Spend any time at all in a conversation with Jacob Fletcher, and he will happily tell you about his time in Europe last year learning from Kevin McNab. Jacob brought home with him an arsenal of knowledge, and immersing himself in the training system utilized by Kevin McNab has prepared him for a successful career here in the States with his own horses.

Jacob is a full-time student at the University of Arkansas, but he splits his time between school and competitions and training for his horses. Jacob was recently named to the 2016 Eventing 25 training list and will once again be able to participate in lessons and seminars with Developing Rider coach Leslie Law.

“(Leslie is) very personalized and really works with you,” Jacob said. “I had a great experience with him last year. His system really works with mine, so instead of deconstructing what I am doing he provides helpful tips to build on it.”

Riding with Kevin, Jacob adopted a more forward riding technique which has brought several riders success. Jacob acknowledges that every rider has a different style and system, but he’s integrated a style that he feels works for him and his horses.

Jacob Fletcher and Atlantic Domino. Photo by Jenni Autry.

“I really liked Kevin’s riding style — it was very soft and forward, and he’s had great results with it,” Jacob explained. “I was a bit hesitant about it at first, and here in the States it’s not as heavily favored. But you see the results that Kevin, Jock Paget and Chris Burton are having and it’s hard to argue with. I think there are times when no one will argue that you need to be in a more defensive position, but I think (the forward riding seat) is about producing horses too. Your horses don’t worry about you getting into a defensive position and learn to carry you on a bit more.”

Jacob has observed that Leslie often uses this position as well, which has worked really well for their training together. “He still tells me to sit up every once in awhile,” Jacob laughed. “He had me work a lot last year on the automatic release. Especially with Domino, who can be a bit frisky at the beginning of the year, I would have trouble with turning questions. I’d jump with a looped rein and long release and would pick up the contact at the back of the fence. Leslie taught me how to use the auto release so that the contact was held in a soft, consistent way, so there was no argument on landing.”

Jacob has begun planning the next season with his two top horses, as well as some younger ones coming up through the pipeline. Despite not having the weekend he wanted at Galway Downs in October, Jacob remains positive and has a clear plan for what he wants to improve in 2016.

Jacob Fletcher and Fly Away Ferro. Photo by Jenni Autry.

“Atlantic Domino has really proven that he can do a test,” Jacob said. “He show jumps clear almost every show, and on cross country he’s either brilliant or we have a blip. I think we’ll just be working day and night to improve his consistency. I think he can be really competitive. I think it’s reasonable to want him to achieve a top placing at a CCI3* next year — we’re thinking Bromont at this point.”

“(Fly Away Ferro) is just eight and has progressed really quickly,” he continued. “He had just done his first one-star at the beginning of this year. He still gets quite hot and strong in the ring, so I’m still working on developing him. I’m hoping he will also be very competitive. Leslie and (regular coach Mike Huber) have been really helpful with his dressage, so I’m aiming to squeeze some better scores out of him.”

Jacob will spend time driving back and forth from school in Arkansas to Florida for training and is also exploring the option of traveling back and forth to Aiken and Georgia. Even with a busy schedule, Jacob knows that Leslie and Mike will always be there to assist him in whatever way they can. “I’ve really appreciated the Developing Rider program,” he said. “I send Leslie videos probably every week of myself riding and talk to him every other week throughout the year. It’s not just one week of intensive training, it’s the entire year that is personalized for each rider.”

EN’s 12 Days of Christmas: Win a One K Defender Air Helmet!

By Sally Spickard on Dec 7, 2015 9:00 am -

Image courtesy of One K Helmets.

Happy Monday, EN! We’re kicking off an exciting week of holiday giveaways, and if you’ve missed out so far, keep entering! Today’s prize is a good one: a One K Defender Air helmet! It’s always important to #mindyourmelon when it comes to horse sports, and One K gets that style and safety should go hand in hand.

We recently reviewed several One K helmets, and the Defender Air was definitely a big hit for us. Between the custom fit air pockets that allow you to truly achieve the best fit to the stylish appearance that goes well in a schooling or show environment, this helmet is a winner that ticks all of the boxes. You can read our review here.

One lucky winner will receive this classy helmet, so use the Rafflecopter widget below to submit your entry. Entries will close at midnight tonight and we will announce the winner in tomorrow’s News & Notes. Good luck!

Disclaimer: Information given in the Rafflecopter widget, including email addresses, may be shared with the corresponding sponsor at their request. You will also be signed up for our weekly EN eNews email newsletter, if you aren’t already. Don’t worry — you’ll just wonder what you’ve been missing out on — and you can unsubscribe if you don’t want it.

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Monday News and Notes from Event Clinics

By Leslie Threlkeld on Dec 7, 2015 12:46 am -

Derek and Bea di Grazia with James Wofford. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld

Derek and Bea di Grazia were honored with the Wofford Cup at the 2015 USEA Year-End Awards during the Annual Meeting and Convention. The Wofford Cup is awarded to recognize a person’s dedication to the sport, and that person is chosen by past recipients of the award. This is only the second time the Wofford Cup has been given to a husband and wife together, and it was touching to see Bea and Derek make their way to the stage with tears in their eyes and a standing ovation escorting them. As they posed for a photo, Bea accidentally knocked the trophy out of Derek’s hands in her excitement. Sadly, not one of the three photographers standing by the stage captured that priceless moment on camera, so this picture will just have to do. Congratulations to everyone who was honored for their achievements!

USEA Convention Links: Website, Schedule, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

Monday News and Notes:

Congratulations to Allison Thomas, the winner of yesterday’s 12 Days of Christmas giveaway! Allison will take home a big bucket of prizes from Kentucky Performance Products, which will make her horse very happy! [12 Days of Christmas: Kentucky Performance Products]

Looking for the perfect gift for the Thoroughbred lover in your life? Head over to the Retired Racehorse Project website for tons of OTTB inspired gifts. All proceeds of sales fund RRP programs including the Thoroughbred Makeover and Off-Track Thoroughbred Magazine, plus you get a free OTTB poster with your purchase of $75 or more. RRP Members receive 10% off purchases from the online store. [Shop RRP Gear]

There are big things coming to the 2016 Cloud Eleven ~ Gavilan North LLC Carolina International, which has quickly become a destination event after only two years running. The 2016 competition will be feature new courses designed by Ian Stark and fat stacks of prize money for all divisions. There will also be a live stream of the two- and three-star provided by EQSportsNet. [Carolina International Raises the Bar]

Monensin tainted horse feed is in the news once again, as a barn operator in California is claiming 13 horses have died and another 49 are chronically ill after ingesting allegedly tainted feed from Western Milling LLC, who recalled some batches of their Western Blend horse feed in September. [Barn Owner Seeks Settlement]

Anytime we make a change in our horses’ diets, we do so slowly, over several days or weeks, so as not to disturb their sensitive digestive systems. A recent study concluded that a horse’s hindgut responds to an abrupt hay change even if the composition of the two hays are similar. [Hindgut Sensitivity to Hay Change Studied]

British Eventing and the Eventing Riders Association recently celebrated its members during an awards ceremony. Kitty King picked up multiple awards, as did rising star Emily King. Ben Hobday and Hannah Francis, both of whom were diagnosed with cancer this year, were honored, as was William Fox-Pitt, who is recovering from a head injury sustained at Le Lion d’Angers. [BE/ERA Awards Winners]

“Christmas in Middleburg” was celebrated this weekend in Middleburg, Virginia. Horses were a highlight, of course!

Weekly OTTB Wishlist from Cosequin

By Sally Spickard on Dec 6, 2015 5:00 pm -

Happy holiday season! It’s an exciting time of year for those of us who are horse shopping. In light of the holidays, several OTTB organizations are offering some massive deals on their available horses. Second Stride, Inc. in Kentucky is offering waived adoption fees for approved parties for the month of December and New Vocations is knocking 50% off all adoption fees for approved applicants this month as well. Now is your chance to get a great horse at a steal!

As always, purchasing a horse is always the least amount of expense. For that reason, many organizations require an approved application before you can select a horse. This ensures that even at a low cost the horse is still going to a capable home.

Here’s a few horses available from Second Stride and New Vocations this month. Act quickly if you are interested — they won’t last long! We make no guarantees on the availability of the horses we feature.

Photo via Second Stride Inc.

Our first horse is available through Second Stride. Lucygotgame (Proud Citizen – Fast Included, by Include) is a 2009 mare who raced 41 times, winning three times and winning over $50,000 during her career. She last raced in September of this year at Churchill Downs and is now looking to move on to a new home where she can show off her athleticism.

Lucygotgame stands 15.1 hands and is said to be bold, forward thinking and athletic. She’s ready for her new home where she can put that athletic ability to good use!

Lucygotgame on Second Stride Inc

Photo via Second Stride Inc.

Highrate (Exchange Rate – Belicia, by Unbridled’s Song) is a 4-year-old gelding also available through Second Stride Inc. Standing 16.1 hands, Highrate raced three times, placing once. He also raced at Churchill Downs and has not raced since 2014.

Highrate’s description says that he performed well for his first ride on the farm and even did some ground poles on his first try.

Highrate on Second Stride Inc.

Photo via New Vocations.

This handsome guy is named Olmstead, and he’s currently available through New Vocations’ Lexington, Ky. location. Olmstead (Cocky Sox – Krug Catch Up, by Yellow Max) is unraced and is said to be a barn favorite with his lovable personality. He’s described as being suitable for a more lower level career, and he’s already making great progress with his retraining during his stay with New Vocations.

Olmstead on New Vocations

Sunday Video: Horses Having a Blast Playing in the Snow

By Jenni Autry on Dec 6, 2015 3:00 pm -

Here’s a fun Sunday video! Many thanks to EN reader Joan Mayfield for sending in this video of a herd of horses having the time of their lives playing in the snow. It’s been an unusually warm and snow-free winter thus far for much of the East Coast, but surely we’re due for a big storm soon, right? Send us your winter pictures and videos to [email protected].

Final Day of the USEA Convention: What You Need to Know

By Leslie Threlkeld on Dec 6, 2015 1:00 pm -

Eventing 25 rider Caroline Martin accepting an award from USEA President Diane Pitts at the 2015 USEA Year-End Awards. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld

The 2015 USEA Annual Meeting and Convention wrapped up today at the Omni Shoreham Hotel and Resort in Washington, D.C. It was a light day with Area II conducting business during its committee meetings and honoring Area II members at the awards luncheon. The USEF Developing Riders and USEA Board of Governors also met this morning. Here is what you need to know from the final day of the 2015 Convention.

USEF Developing Riders Are Going to Europe

Developing Riders is a pipeline for future stars of the sport, and Coach Leslie Law wants to mentor and guide them through the beginning of their riding careers and prepare them for a hopeful eventual transition to the High Performance lists and training with David O’Connor. The Developing Rider program is doing well and young riders are inspired to get involved.

The whole of Developing Riders is very excited about the new Karen Stives Developing Rider Tour, which will send Eventing 25/18 riders to Europe for a three to four week long educational experience with the ultimate goal of competing in the Under 25 CCI3* at Bramham International. Leslie has big ideas for the tour, with plans to take the riders to top dressage, show jumping, eventing and steeplechasing yards to get a look at their programs and ask questions of some of Europe’s top professionals.

Eventing 18/25 riders go through an extensive application process before they are named to a list. For riders applying to be considered for Eventing 18 specifically, Leslie encourages them to send in videos of them riding. Talent spotters do their best to watch everyone who applies competing at events throughout the year, but there are many interested young riders, and videos can help selectors get a better, longer look at a rider’s skill and potential.

Leslie stressed that the Eventing 18 and Eventing 25 program and training sessions are not just about riding but also incorporating unmounted education like stable management, farriery, nutrition, media. Leslie would like to continue developing the unmounted portion of the training sessions and start incorporating sports psychology.

“It’s about becoming a student of the sport. It’s about becoming a scholar,” Leslie said.

USEA Board of Governors Supports Volunteer Incentive Program

The BOG welcomed the following new Board members to their final meeting for the weekend this morning: Denise Dailey-Thomas (Area IV), Jonathan Elliott (At Large), Eric Markell (Area VI), Carol Kozlowski (At Large), Robert Stevenson (Area IX), Dawn Robbins (At Large) and Mary Coldren (At Large).

There was a discussion to allow USEA members to choose which Area they want to claim on their membership. This was born out of the redrawing of the Area lines that removed Western Pennsylvania from Area VIII and into Area II. The Board was receptive to the concept and will work out the details to implement this in the 2017 membership year.

Vice President of Education Phyllis Dawson reported that the Licensed Officials Committee has created an ombudsman position to advise people going through the process of becoming a licensed official. Gretchen Butts has been selected for that role. The LOC is also working on restructuring the education system and moving as much educational material as possible online for continuing education, training programs and evaluations. This is intended to give those seeking licensing as much time in the field as possible for hands on experience during training sessions and reduce the amount of time spent in the classroom. This update to the system will be implemented in stages over the next two years.

Holly Covey and Bonnie Kibbie were able to present their ideas for a Volunteer Incentive Program inspired by the late Seema Sonnad. We will bring you many more details on that program soon, but the Board was extremely supportive of the concept and moved to form a Volunteer Committee headed by President-elect Carol Kozlowski to create a proposal for the program.

Jennifer Hardwick, USEA’s Director of Member Services and Meeting Planner, reported that the Convention had approximately 408 attendees. More than half of them were on site registrations, which reflects the convenient and appealing location of the Convention in Washington, D.C. this year.

The 2016 Annual Meeting and Convention will be in Fort Lauderdale, Florida at the Diplomat Resort and Spa Hollywood, Curio Collection by Hilton. The dates for the meeting are December 7-11. If you’re on the fence about planning to attend, just know that the hotel has a private beach.

Thank you so much to the USEA for putting on an excellent convention that brings eventers together to celebrate and advance the sport. We are honored to have attended. Stay tuned to EN for even more coverage from the Convention coming your way.

USEA Convention Links: Website, Schedule, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

This Week in Horse Health News Presented by Absorbine

By Colleen Peachey on Dec 6, 2015 11:00 am -

Let's talk about equine wound care...when to wrap and when to not. Photo by Colleen Peachey.

I’m one of those people that tend to overreact when I notice something amiss with one of my horses. At the slightest hint of a problem, I immediately pull out the barn first aid kit and start taking temperatures. And if something really seems off, and there is no apparent reason for it, I call the vet without delay.

Fortunately, the majority of the time when something looks out of place, it is not something serious. For the most part, I see minor cuts and scrapes…and so I reach for some of the basic wound care items in my first aid kit. In those cases, cleaning the affected area and then applying an aerosol bandage is sufficient.

However, sometimes a deeper cut or laceration requires some extra treatment and care to make sure that it heals properly. The idea is to make sure the wound stays clean and covered, so that it can heal. But what factors should you consider when making the decision of whether to bandage or not?

Check out this article over at Equus Magazine’s website to read up on some tips to help you decide whether to bandage a wound or not. And while you’re there, make sure to check out the two video resources included on changing bandages.

And then check out some of the other headlines from This Week in Horse Health News, presented by Absorbine.

Top Winter Hoof Care Tips: Have you considered how you will care for your horse’s hooves during the upcoming cold and snowy winter months? Two veterinarians recently offered their opinions on how you can help keep your horse’s hooves in good health during the upcoming cold season. [The Horse]

Shelter Preferences of Horses and Donkeys: A British study of horses and donkeys will be undertaken in order to help determine their preferences of shelter in different weather conditions, including wet and cold conditions, as well as sunny and buggy conditions. The study will be a year long undertaking, which will monitor 150 horses and donkeys. [Horsetalk]

Equine Gastric Ulcers: How much do you know about treating a horse with gastric ulcers? Head over to TheHorse.com to check out this video to gain an up to date understanding of this condition, which features Dr. Frank Andrews of LSU. [The Horse]

Cold Weather Leg Wrapping: Is there a benefit to wrapping a horses legs in the winter, in the hopes of aiding circulation in very cold temperatures? Check out this Q&A post over on TheHorse.com that offers an opinion from Raul Bras, DVM, CLF on this very topic. [The Horse]

EN’s 12 Days of Christmas: Win a Prize Bucket from Kentucky Performance Products

By Sally Spickard on Dec 6, 2015 9:00 am -

Photo courtesy of Kentucky Performance Products.

We are rocking and rolling with our 12 Days of Christmas giveaways, and we hope you’re enjoying them as much as we are! Continuing right along, today we are giving away a great big bucket full of Optimal Joint Support products from Kentucky Performance Products. Here’s what’s in the bucket:

1 – 1.16 lb. jar of Joint Armor – Complete joint supplement, maintains fluid motion and soundness

1 – 1 gallon jug Contribute – Omega-3 fatty acid supplement, supports reduce levels of inflammation

These products retail for right around $142 on a normal day, so this is a great opportunity to stock up if you’re today’s winner! The prize bucket also includes two coupons for 25% off TWO future online orders, hat, set of mugs, pens, note pads, and lip balm.

So, without further ado, here is your widget for entering — remember, entries close at midnight tonight and we’ll announce the winner in tomorrow’s News & Notes. Happy entering!

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Sunday Links from One K Helmets

By Erin Critz on Dec 6, 2015 12:01 am -

Nothing like barn friends helping you celebrate a birthday. Photo from Barnacle Eventing on Facebook

One of my cousins’ birthdays is in late December and as such, I think it’s always made me extra sensitive to those folks who have birthdays in December – especially the later half. When I was young, we’d always have a family get together around Christmas and during part those few days in Southern California, we’d have a birthday celebration for my cousin. I remember thinking how it could be somewhat frustrating to have your birthday eclipsed by Christmas and to have birthday presents show up wrapped in Christmas paper. I also found myself pondering on what it would be like to never ever have a summer-time pool-side birthday party. My cousin was always a good sport about it, but I’ve had other friends who were December-babies that found it much more frustrating. All of that said, if you’ve got a barn-buddy with a December birthday, throw some BIRTHDAY cheer their way like the folks at Barnacle Eventing did for their fearless leader!

Sunday Links:

Congratulations to Hannah, the winner of yesterday’s 12 Days of Christmas giveaway from Tredstep Ireland! Enjoy your stylish new pair of Azzura Pro Breeches, Hannah! [12 Days of Christmas: Tredstep Ireland]

Famed horse racing announcer Trevor Denman abruptly announces retirement

Arizona delegation wants progress on Salt River horse plan

Couple crossing US on horse and buggy stop in Heartland

Unwanted horse coalition launches new website

An American In Tokyo: Neon Lights, Horse Racing and Robots

Torture by Hunger: Horse breeder describes desperate days in Turkmen Prison

Sunday Video: Art class is in session.