News From The USEA Annual Meeting And Convention: Day 1

When Malcolm Hook looks down sternly over his dark-rimmed reading glasses and prompts everyone to “make a concerted effort” to do something, it’s not taken lightly.

Hook, the U.S. Equestrian Federation Eventing Technical Committee Chairman, opened the first full day of action at the U.S. Eventing Association Annual Meeting and Convention in Reston, Va., today, Dec. 3, with an open session of his committee.

Debate on a competitive double standard—or the misconception of one—ensued during a discussion on the popular training level three-day event program. Committee member D.C. McBroom mentioned that although the program is hailed as an educational experience, some riders are missing the message about the hazards of over-competing their horses.

McBroom said she’d recently become aware of one horse that had completed 23 competitions this year, and another that had contested a training level three-day and then immediately gone to a preliminary horse trial.

Committee appointed athlete Bobby Costello and USEA President Kevin Baumgardner expressed wholehearted agreement after Hook asked that the USEA “make a concerted effort to educate on this issue.”

But when international superstars like British rider Oliver Townend appear to be running their horses more than ever at the top levels of the sport, it sends a mixed message to up-and-coming eventing enthusiasts. Townend placed eighth at the Rolex Kentucky CCI**** in April, won the Burghley CCI**** (England) in September and then contested the Pau CCI**** (France) in October, all on Carousel Quest.

USEF Eventing Chef d’Equipe Mark Phillips stepped in to explain that many coaches are changing their theories on four-star fitness. He said British coach Yogi Breisner even considered sending Carousel Quest to the HSBC FEI European Eventing Championships, three weeks after Burghley.

“The recovery period is so much quicker than it used to be when we had endurance,” Phillips said. “It’s much more like a race horse, which maintains a higher level of fitness throughout the year and peaks maybe once a month, instead of twice a year. I’m absolutely convinced that the horse has got to be just as fit today, if not fitter, than before.”

Phillips noted that many European horses are able to maintain that fitness because they’re training and competing on superior footing compared to much of what’s in the United States.

This apparent double standard leaves eventing officials with the daunting task of educating less experienced riders and promoting horse welfare.

“We have to be careful to not create a false perception,” said committee member Roger Haller. “We have to be very careful to stress that the horse’s fitness has to be maintained.”

The Watch List: Dormant, But Effective

Last year’s major push for education was manifested in the USEF Eventing Watch List, and Hook moved the discussion of that program, which was originally slated for the closed session of the committee meeting, to the open portion to get the word out that the program is working.

Committee members seemed unanimously agreed on the effectiveness of the Watch List—even though there’s no one on it.