USEA Podcast U.S. Eventing Association

USEA Podcast Host Nicole Brown is back for one of the most exciting podcasts of the year, the Team Talk with USEF Eventing Technical Advisor and Chef d'Equipe Bobby Costello! With the recent announcement of the horse and rider pairs that will represent the U.S. at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, Costello takes some time to discuss the team selections and upcoming preparations to gear the team up for this year's Games. 

With an Olympic Games on U.S. soil in Los Angeles, California, in just four years time, all eyes are on talented U.S. pairs as they continue to produce their horses and improve their own skills in the saddle in hopes of getting the chance to represent Team USA on the Olympic stage. Producing up-and-coming horse and rider pairs is big focus of US Equestrian, which is why the US Equestrian Development Program was born. Led by USEF Eventing Emerging/Development Coach Leslie Law, this program aims to support athletes with the perceived talent and ability to reach Pre-Elite status within the next two to three years by focusing on developing the skills needed to progress up the pathway.
USEA Podcast interim host Rosie Russell caught up with Law while overseas with the athletes selected to participate in the 2024 Spring U.S. Eventing European Development Tour. Check it out! 

We are still riding on a bit of a high after the success of the 2024 USEA Intercollegiate and Interscholastic Eventing Championships, so we loved taking the opportunity to chat about this year's event with Stable View's Barry Oliff, member of the winning Intercollegiate team Hayden Wathen, and member of the winning Interscholastic team Collins Zgutowicz. Let the countdown to the 2025 championships begin... 

On this week's edition of the USEA Podcast, interim podcast host Rosie Russell touches base with this year's Defender/USEF CCI5*-L National Champion Lauren Nicholson who was the highest-placed U.S. rider in the 2024 Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event. Rosie talks with Lauren about her history with her horse Vermiculus, their preparations for Kentucky, their outstanding performance at the five-star event, and so much more! 

The USEA Intercollegiate Championship has always been a fan-favorite amongst USEA staff and members alike, but this year this year-end showdown which was dubbed the "happiest horse trial on earth" by a USEA staff member is getting bigger and better with the addition of the inaugural USEA Interscholastic Eventing Championship. 
Interim host Rosie Russell caught up with former USEA Intercollegiate competitor Kate Boggan, USEA Board of Governors representative Molly Pellegrini, and USEA staff member Kaleigh Collett to talk about the amazing opportunities that can arise from this year's conjoined championships which take place May 4-5 at Stable View Farm in Aiken, South Carolina. 

The USEA Podcast gets a fresh new perspective from interim Host Rosie Russell as Nicole Brown takes some time to enjoy her newest addition to the family, a beautiful baby boy! The USEA sends all of our love and congratulations to Brown and her family.
In this week's episode, Russell chats with New Zealand riders Matthew Grayling and Monica Spencer, both of whom have spent the start of the year competing in the U.S. in preparations for Kentucky. Hear all about how Grayling balances a dairy operation and his eventing goals at the young age of 60, why Spencer is now calling the U.S. her home base, and so much more in our Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event preview episode!