Caitlin Silliman riding Catch A Star in a jumping lesson at the Florida session (USEF Archives).

Lexington, KY - The USEF Eventing Team Coach David O'Connor conducted the first two training sessions of 2013 for the redesigned USEF Developing Riders/Eventing 25 Program. The first session took place January 21-24 at Flying Tail Farms at Red Fox Farm in Gilroy, CA for West Coast riders, followed by the second session on January 27-February 1 at Meredyth South in Ocala, FL. The sessions consisted of both mounted lessons as well as lectures encouraging the riders to become students of the sport with a well-rounded knowledge. O'Connor lectured on the riding theory and technique, stable management, and course design. Guest speakers also gave presentations on various topics at the training sessions.

To view the list of riders who attended the training sessions, please click here. 

"David is an exceptional coach who is taking great pride in rebuilding the high performance program in the U.S.," said California session participant Marc Grandia (Onalaska, WA). "I am just excited to be in a position to be a part of his vision for the future. I took away from the training session a very clear understanding of the expectations for the future and what it will take to be the best in the world both individually and as a country. As David says, he has provided a path and it is up to us to follow it."

Florida session participant Lizzie Snow (Milwaukie, OR) had a wonderful experience. "It was fantastic. This week was more focused on the education side with the lectures and lessons. I learn a lot better visually so it was great to be able to watch everyone. I learned more this week than I have in a long time."

To view photos from the training sessions, visit the USEF Eventing High Performance Facebook page.

The USEF would like to thank Dr. Jack Snyder, Max Corcoran, Jo-Anne Wilson, Dr. Joe Pagan of Kentucky Equine Research, Randy Pawlak, and Dr. Jill Copenhagen for lecturing at the training sessions. The training sessions provided wonderful learning opportunities to the nation's up-and-coming riders. The USEF would also like to thank SmartPak for donating fly bonnets and jackets and Toklat for donating saddle pads to each rider, and DeAnne Howe for providing lunch and Dayna Lynd-Pugh for hosting a dinner at the California session.

The three West Coast- based High Performance training-listed riders rode with O'Connor in Gilroy and the next High Performance Spring Training session gets underway February 6th in Ocala, FL. 

Please click here to see the complete list of High Performance training sessions.

For more information about the 2013 USEF Developing Riders/Eventing 25 Program, please click here: https://usef.org/_IFrames/breedsdisciplines/discipline/alleventing/hpeventing.aspx

Follow the 2013 Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team here.

Please contact Joanie Morris, USEF Managing Director of Eventing, with any questions regarding the training sessions at [email protected].