United States Eventing Association

This week 12 talented Young Rider athletes from all over the country have gathered together in Ocala, Florida, for the 2024-2025 USEA Emerging Athletes U21 National Camp (EA21), led by EA21 Director of Coaching David O'Connor! These riders were hand-selected following the five USEA EA21 Regional Clinics that took place in the summer of 2024 and will spend the week immersed in an educational experience like no other with classroom sessions, hands-on learning led by industry experts, and in-the-saddle instruction facilitated by O'Connor. The National Camp kicks off tomorrow on Dec. 31, 2024 and will run through Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025.

The Facts:

The purpose of the USEA Emerging Athletes U21 Program (EA21) is to identify and provide consistent quality instruction to the next generation of elite event riders. The aim is to create a pipeline for potential team riders by identifying and developing young talent, improving horsemanship and riding skills, and training and improving skills and consistency. The USEA Emerging Athletes U21 Program was launched in 2022 with a model of five summertime regional clinics taught by selected USEA Eventing Coaches Program (ECP) instructors, leading to a winter national camp consisting of selected Young Riders from the regional clinics.

• This is the second time the National Camp has taken place in Ocala, Florida. Last year's camp took place in Temecula, California.
• EA21 athletes consist of members of the USEA Young Rider program who are aged 21 and under per FEI standards. The riders must be established at the Training level or higher (minimum 4 MERs at the Training level or higher).
• Five riders participating in this year's National Camp will be utilizing generously donated catch-ride horses. Thank you to the catch-ride donors Emily Mastervich, Joe Meyer, and Sara Kozumplik!
• Morning classroom sessions in the pavilion, followed by riding sessions each day. Lunch will be provided to all selected athletes.
• Auditing is free for all, for the ridden sessions. Bring your own chair. Classroom sessions are closed to selected National Camp athletes only.
• The USEA received over 160 highly-qualified applications from young riders across the country for the 2024 EA21 regional program, and a vigorous selection process chose 12 riders for each of the five EA21 regional clinics.
  
• All EA21 clinics are/were taught by Eventing Coaches Program (ECP) certified coaches.

The five 2024 EA21 regional clinics were as follows:

• Central Clinic – Longview Horse Park (Kansas City, Missouri), June 18-19, 2024
• East I Clinic - Morven Park International Equestrian Center (Leesburg, Virginia) on June 25-26, 2024
• East II Clinic - Stable View Farm (Aiken, South Carolina), July 23-24, 2024
• West I Clinic - Twin Rivers Ranch (Paso Robles, California), June 25-26, 2024
• West II Clinic - Aspen Farms (Yelm, Washington), Aug. 13-14, 2024

The EA21 coaches worked with the selection team to invite 12 athletes to the 2024 USEA EA21 National Camp. One of this year's alternate athletes was called upon to fill positions that the originally selected athlete could not utilize. This year's final list of EA21 national athletes are listed below in alphabetical order:

• Kayley Batt (Twin Rivers West I Clinic)
• Shruti Bona (Aspen West II Clinic)
• Emeline Gilbert (Morven Park East I Clinic
• Megan Hopkins (Longview Central Clinic)
• Audrey Littlefield (Stable View East II Clinic)
• Caitlin O’Roark (Morven Park East I Clinic)
• Harper Padgett (Aspen West II Clinic)
• Eliza Quigley (Morven Park East I Clinic)
• Caterina Ritson (Aspen West II Clinic)
• Willow Schwartz (Longview Central Clinic)
• Devon Tresan (Stable View East II Clinic)
• Elsa Warble (Twin Rivers West I Clinic)

Get to know each of the selected athletes a little better here.

Thank you to Kerrits, the Official Competition and Training Apparel of the USEA, for providing the official kits for all 12 national athletes, including five shirts, one jacket, one hat, and two breeches, for each participant!

Schneiders Saddlery is also providing custom embroidered EA21 show scrims for each athlete to take home for their horse.

Other sponsors are providing gifts as well, and all EA21 Sponsors include: ARMA, Bates, Kerrits, PulseVet, RideiQ, Schneiders Saddlery, Sidelines Magazine, YETI, #WeRideTogether.

For questions regarding the Emerging Athlete U21 Program, please email Kate Lokey at [email protected].

Helpful Links:

• EA21 Homepage
• Event Coverage

Don't forget to follow the USEA event coverage on social media!

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About the USEA Emerging Athlete U21 Program (EA21)

The purpose of the USEA Emerging Athletes U21 Program (EA21) is to identify and provide consistent quality instruction to the next generation of elite event riders. The aim is to create a pipeline for potential team riders by identifying and developing young talent, improving horsemanship and riding skills, and training and improving skills and consistency.

The USEA Emerging Athletes U21 Program was launched in 2022 with a model of five summertime regional clinics taught by selected USEA Eventing Coaches Program (ECP) coaches, leading to a winter national camp consisting of selected Young Riders from the regional clinics. Athletes who are 21 years or younger, are current members of their USEA Young Rider Area program, and are established at the Training Level or higher, are eligible to apply for the EA21 program. Click here to learn more about the USEA EA21 Program.

The USEA would like to thank ARMA, Bates Saddles, Kerrits, PulseVet, Ride iQ, Schneiders Saddlery, Sidelines Magazine, YETI and WeRideTogether for sponsoring the USEA Emerging Athletes U21 Program.