NEW EVENTING GRAND
PRIX AWARD 2009
Announcement to all Regions and Clubs and
Members
WIN A TRIP TO IRELAND 2009!
Click here for a Fact Sheet
General
The USPC Eventing
Committee has just announced approval of the Eventing Grand Prix
Award. USPC Preliminary Eventing riders from around the USA can
win an all-expense paid trip to Ireland leaving Tuesday August
4, and returning Friday August 14, 2009 by being the first
placed team at the USPC Eastern Championships 2009 to be held in
Lexington, Virginia, Thursday July 23 - Saturday July 25.
In the true competitive spirit of Pony Club, this is a team
award. One five-member team, consisting of 4 riders and one
stable manager, are welcome to enter. The 5 winning team members
will be announced at the awards ceremony at Championships. If a
rider is unable to participate, the next highest scoring
competitor on the second place team will be eligible, and so on.
If the stable manager is unable to participate, the stable
manager from the second placed team will be the alternate and so
on. It should be noted that although the Preliminary
Division at Eastern Championships is a recognized USEA "closed"
event, the scores may be used to qualify for moving-up,
competing in a One Star event and/or the American Eventing
Championships. No leader board or Horse of the Year points can
be earned.
The future plan for this prize would be to present it at the
awards ceremony at Eastern Championships each year, including
Festival Years, to the team of competitors that achieve the
winning score. A two year trial period has been approved by the
Board of Governors. This award also depends on securing
sponsorship, which is already in place for 2009.
Any current USPC C-3 and up member who is in good standing,
recommended by their RS and meets the requirements, is eligible
to compete at Championships at the Preliminary Level. C-2s who
are USEA qualified to compete at Preliminary level may apply for
an exception through their RS but need to attend a qualifying
rally. It is not necessary for Bs and above to attend a
qualifying rally if they have two USEA qualifying affidavits
from the last 11 months. These must be completed without
elimination, and one must have no XC penalties and the other no
more than 20 XC penalties.
Now is the time to start planning for this exciting
once-in-a-lifetime International USPC team experience. The
tentative itinerary for 2009 will likely include a visit to
historic Dublin, as well as other cultural activities with an
emphasis on horse sports, and meeting pony club members in
Ireland who also event. Additionally there could well be
opportunities to ride, to visit an Irish riding academy,
breeding farm, and possibly the famous Dublin Horse Show.
Purpose
1. The purpose of
an award of this nature is to reward the hard work, dedication
and skill it has taken to achieve such a high level of
accomplishment in the sport of Eventing. USPC National
Championships is the perfect venue to showcase the value of team
work, horse management and veterinary knowledge that USPC
teaches and encourages its membership to practice. The level of
training, conditioning and mutual trust and respect between
horse and rider at the Preliminary level is the culmination of
all that USPC teaches, producing worthy representatives and
leaders.
2. A second purpose is to present an incentive for older,
more experienced pony club members to continue to enter and
compete in USPC Championship competitions to enhance the
mentoring concept supported by this organization.
3. A third purpose is to provide an exciting goal for the
lower-level pony club members to which to aspire, encouraging
them to continue their efforts to advance in the sport of
Eventing.
4. This type of prize is offered in the spirit of USPC
mission statement "to develop in young riders strength of
character, alert minds and sound bodies" by contributing to the
development of young adults' awareness, sympathy and
understanding of cultures different from their own around the
world, and to furthering the pony club experience outside of the
United States. By providing a horse-related fun and educational
experience for Pony Club members, the recipients will benefit by
making friends and learning about the people, customs and
culture of the host country.
5. Finally, these young riders will be international
ambassadors of USPC.
Itinerary
Vicki Brush, as a
seated Member of the USPC Eventing Activities Committee, will
spear-head the planning of the itinerary and activities of each
annual award. The final plan will be reviewed and approved by
the Eventing Chair, the Director of Activities as well as the
International Exchange Committee due to its extensive history of
international USPC exchanges, thereby greatly increasing the
scope and success of the trip. This tentative itinerary will be
finalized as soon as possible:
Tuesday Aug 4
Depart Washington Dulles International Airport
Tuesday Aug 5
Arrive Dublin Airport
Wednesday Aug 6
Tour Dublin
Thursday Aug 7
Dublin Horse Show (August 5 - 9)
Friday Aug 8 TBD
Saturday Aug 9
TBD
Sunday Aug 10 TBD
Monday Aug 11 TBD
Tuesday Aug 12
TBD
Wednesday Aug 13
TBD
Thursday Aug 14
TBD
Friday Aug 14
Depart Shannon
Note: Watch for
updates as the schedule is firmed up.
How to Apply
Competitor
Actions:
1. Preliminary riders and stable managers who would like to
qualify for the Grand Prix prize are required to fill out all
application paperwork PRIOR to Championships. Form will be
posted on this site as soon as they are available.
2. Traveling team members are required to sign a USPC Code of
Conduct.
3. All riders and stable managers would be required to update
their passport PRIOR to Championships and send copy to the USPC
National Office.
4. Each person is responsible for their travel arrangements
to the departing airport.
5. Each person traveling will be asked to obtain Travelers
Insurance to cover medical, ticket cancellation etc.
6. Each person traveling will bring their own spending money.
7. There will be a USPC tour jacket for the 5 members of the
team.
Chaperones
The USPC Eventing
Committee will select the two chaperones to travel with, and be
responsible for, the International Exchange team. A chaperone
may not be a current Eventing Committee Member nor a parent of a
current International Team member, unless there are no other
qualified candidates. The minimum requirements for both are:
1. The chaperones must be 30 years of age as of January 1 of
the year of the exchange.
2. They must have good character, stability, and maturity,
and be supportive of all USPC policies, including the policy on
drugs/alcohol.
3. They must have the personal qualities that would make them
good ambassadors of USPC and the ability to get along well with
children and adults.
4. They must be knowledgeable about Pony Club.
5. They should be, or become familiar with, the customs of
the host country.
6. They must be a Corporate or Life Member of USPC, Inc.
7. At least one chaperone should have a sound knowledge of
safe riding expectations, given that there may be riding
opportunities for the traveling team.
To apply for either position, interested persons should
submit the following to the USPC Eventing Committee Chairperson:
1. Resume containing name, address, and telephone number,
date of birth, dates and duration of Pony Club activities.
2. Two letters of recommendation attesting to the seven
requirements listed above.
3. A list of five references (name, address and telephone
number) who can be called by the committee. These are in
addition to the two letters of recommendation, and three should
be references from individuals outside of Pony Club.
Based on the above, and a personal interview, the USPC
Eventing Committee will make its selection.