Lexington, Ky. – US Equestrian is pleased to announce the introduction of a new national championship format for FEI CCI1* through CCI4* level competitions, aiming to broaden accessibility and opportunity for participants targeting national championship recognition regardless of geographic location. The US Equestrian Eventing National Championships League will launch in 2024, with the inaugural champions to be crowned in 2025.
“In introducing this new national championship format, we identified needing to further support participation from athletes around the country and in reviewing our previous championship model, we felt there was room for improvement in terms of access and opportunity,” said Amber Braun, Managing Director of Eventing. “We worked very closely with our committees to find a format that would benefit combinations competing at the FEI levels without interfering with the USEA American Eventing Championships at the national levels.”
The championship will combine an athlete's three lowest cumulative scores throughout the participation period, with one long format competition required for the CCI2* levels and above. The League will include divisions for U25 athletes, amateurs, and professionals at each competition level. A live USEF leaderboard for each level and division will show current standings and scores, creating a more engaging way of following results and performance.
A final event will be held at the conclusion of the participation period at Morven Park International & Fall Horse Trials in 2025, but attendance at the final is not mandatory towards eligibility for national championship awards. All national champion honorees will be recognized officially at Morven Park International & Fall Horse Trials, concluding the first year of the newly revised format.
“On the heels of celebrating our 50th anniversary of eventing at Morven Park International Equestrian Center, we are thrilled to have been selected for this honor,” said Stacey Metcalfe, Executive Director & CEO of Westmoreland Davis Memorial Foundation Inc./Morven Park. “We are excited to continue our legacy of eventing excellence, and we look forward to welcoming athletes from across the nation to Leesburg, VA, and our beautiful facility.”
The idea of the league concept has been supported by the Eventing committees as it removes geographic barriers, which have made location-based national championships challenging for participants, while also providing equal opportunity for all U.S. FEI Eventing organizers to participate as host venues where participating scores can be earned throughout the year. The goal of the new format is to broaden national championship opportunities, increase participation, and encourage a more modern approach with multiple competitions and scoring based on cumulative results versus results from a singular event.
During the transition to the new format, USEF Eventing National Championships will not be named for the CCI2*-CCI4* and Advanced levels in 2024 as preparation begins for the exciting League launch. Both divisions of the USEA/USEF Developing Horse National Championship will still be named for 2024. For more information on the US Equestrian Eventing National Championship League, please contact Amber Braun, Managing Director of Eventing, at [email protected].
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The USEF International High Performance Programs and the USEF High Performance Pathway Programs are generously supported by the USET Foundation, the philanthropic partner to USEF. High Performance Program support is also provided by the USOPC and USEF sponsors and members.