The U.S. Hunter Jumper Association is pleased to announce dates, locations and clinicians for the 2022 Lindsay Maxwell Charitable Fund/USHJA Emerging Athletes Program Regional Training Sessions. This year’s 10 clinics will feature mounted sessions led by Jeff Cook, Joe Fargis, Cynthia Hankins, Candice King, Julie Winkel and Jim Wofford. Tracy Forman, Julia Hogan, Colleen Reed, Nanci Snyder and Anne Thornbury will lead stable management sessions. Applications are now open and close on April 1.

This year’s regional training sessions will be held at the following locations:

• June 13-17 at The University of Tennessee at Martin’s Campus in Martin, Tennessee, led by Jeff Cook and Anne Thornbury
• June 20-24 at Centenary University in Long Valley, New Jersey, led by Jim Wofford and Tracy Forman
• June 20-24 at Great Southwest Equestrian Center in Katy, Texas, led by Joe Fargis and Nanci Snyder
• July 4-8 at Fox Lea Farm in Venice, Florida, led by Julie Winkel and Colleen Reed
• July 6-10 at Elvenstar Farm in Moorpark, California, led by Cynthia Hankins and Julia Hogan
• July 11-15 at Ledges Sporting Horses and Show Grounds in Roscoe, Illinois, led by Candice King and Nanci Snyder
• July 11-15 at Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts, led by Jeff Cook and Colleen Reed
• July 20-24 at Lake Erie College in Painesville, Ohio, led by Jim Wofford and Nanci Snyder
• July 20-24 at Sweet Briar College in Sweet Briar, Virginia, led by Cynthia Hankins and Tracy Forman
• August 3-7 at Tryon International Equestrian Center in Mill Spring, North Carolina, led by Candice King and Nanci Snyder

New in 2022 is the Stable Management Trainee Program, which offers a non-riding component to a select number of participants who are interested in learning more about the behind-the-scenes management of top-level equine athletes and competition barns.

Participants will shadow the stable management clinician at their selected regional training session and receive more intensive instruction on horse care and management, providing an immersive learning experience on managing a barn and competition horses under the guidance of some of the top stable managers in the sport.

Applicants interested in the Stable Management Trainee program must submit an application and three recommendations by April 1 to be considered.

The Emerging Athletes Program is open to junior, amateur and professional members age 12 and older as of Dec. 1, 2022, and is offered at 0.90-meter and 1.0-meter fence heights. Riders interested in participating must complete and return the application, associated fee and three letters of recommendation to USHJA by April 1. For 2022, completion of the USHJA Horsemanship Quiz Challenge Level One Quiz is not required.

Riders accepted into the Emerging Athletes Program begin by participating in a five-day regional training session, during which they have the opportunity to work with top riding and stable manager clinicians. Riders provide their own horses for the regional training session and provide all care themselves.

Once the Regional Training Sessions conclude, 16 riders and a select number of stable managers will be invited to attend the national training session based on their riding and stable-management skills and potential shown during their regional session. Only members between 12 and 25 years of age as of Dec. 1 of the current competition year are eligible for the national training session. The dates and location for the 2022 Lindsay Maxwell Charitable Fund/USHJA Emerging Athletes Program National Training Session will be announced at a later date.

Each USHJA Zone offers a minimum of two grants to EAP participants to help offset the cost of attending a regional training session or the national training session. For more information, visit ushja.org/zones, select your home zone, then click on “Grants and Scholarships.” EAP Grant applications must be completed by April 1.

The USHJA Emerging Athletes Program was created for riders to gain riding and horsemanship knowledge in their pursuit to become informed and experienced horsemen and women within the hunter/jumper community. Since the program’s inception in 2009, EAP athletes have gone on to work for Olympic and nationally recognized trainers, as well as compete and succeed in top hunter, jumper and equitation in the United States and abroad. For more information on program specifications and application requirements for the USHJA Emerging Athletes Program, visit ushja.org/EAP.