If you're passionate about the sport of eventing, then plan on making your way to the USEA Convention! Presented by Nutrena, the convention will take place December 7-10th at the Hyatt Regency in St. Louis, Missouri.

This year promises to be one of the most entertaining and educational conventions in USEA history! Events include the Event College seminars and open forum discussions on everything from Organizers, Adult/Junior Riders to new rules and regulations, a recap from our World Equestrian Games team and coach, evening receptions and the induction of several new members at the USEA Hall of Fame Gala Friday night.

Meetings, seminars, and forums will keep everyone busy during the day, with the very eventing appropriate motto of "work hard, play hard" applying after the sun goes down. Don't stay out too late each evening as you don't want to miss the impressive list of seminars and forums each day. The Event College format is back again, offering the following four options:

Track 1-Organizers/Officials;
Track 2-Riders/Trainers;
Track 3-Instructors/Coaches;
Track 4-Horse Management.
Check out the list of Event College Seminars with top names in the sport covering topics ranging from hands on show jumping course construction with Richard Jeffrey, what is dangerous riding, drug & medication rules, moving up from training level to preliminary, how to judge Young Event Horse classes, rider fitness, publicity strategies and synthetic riding surfaces,—to name just a few.

Register for the Convention

Please download the registration form (PDF 306K), print it, and fax it to 703-779-0550 or mail it to:


USEA Convention Registration,
525 OLD WATERFORD RD, NW
LEESBURG, VA 20176

Online registration is coming in October! Register by Monday, November 20, 2006 and take advantage of reduced rates!

St. Louis Union Station

The site for the 2006 Convention is the Hyatt Regency Hotel located in the St. Louis Union Station. The St. Louis Union Station originally opened in 1894 and was at one time the largest and busiest passenger rail terminal in the world. Now Union Station is one of St. Louis' most popular tourist attractions and a premier marketplace, with a ten-screen movie theatre, 80 specialty shops, 12 full service restaurants, and several sites that offer live entertainment every night of the week.

Check out more to do at St. Louis Union Station

Hyatt Regency St. Louis

Surround yourself with elegant luxury at the AAA Four Diamond Hyatt Regency St. Louis. This stately St. Louis Union Station hotel reflects the graciousness of its historic landmark location with towering ceilings, period furnishings and impeccable service. USEA rates are: $109 for standard single or double occupancy. On-site self parking, fee $12 per night; Valet parking, fee $19 per night. The cut-off date for USEA rates is Wednesday, November 15, 2006. Reservations can be made on-line through this link, which is on the convention page on the USEA website, or by phone at (800) 633-7313 or (314) 231-1234

Hyatt Regency St. Louis Reservation
Hotel Directions and Shuttle Information


Convention Highlights

USEA Open Forum

A USEA Open Forum will be held Thursday afternoon. This is the opportunity for everyone involved in the sport—competitors, organizers, owners, sponsors, and volunteers—to discuss what they'd like to see at all the eventing competitions throughout the country. Worried about footing, entry fees, promotion, properly completed entry forms, refunds...? This is the place to put these issues into a public forum, and brainstorm for solutions. Don't miss it! Thursday 4:00 – 6:00 p.m.

Trade Fair

This year's trade fair will spotlight several of our annual meeting sponsors, including Coffee Break sponsor Lamplight Equestrian Center, host of the 2007-2009 Wellpride American Eventing Championships. Stop by for a cup of coffee and browse the booths for Christmas gifts for friends, family, and of course your horse! Thursday: 1:00pm – 5 pm Friday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm; Saturday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm; Sunday 8:00 - noon.

Continental Breakfast

Make sure to grab a quick bite on your way to your morning meetings on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Coffee, tea, fresh fruit, and pastries will be available in the registration area from 7:00 – 8:30 am. Sponsored by Rebecca Farm

Board of Governor's Reception

To kick off the convention in style, everyone is invited to enjoy tasty hors d' oeuvres and drinks, meet members of the USEA's Board of Governors, catch up with friends, talk shop, and of course talk horses. In addition, Bit of Britain will host a short auction with approximately ten top quality items, including a Stackhouse saddle. Thursday, 6:00 - 7:30 pm.

Eventing Hall of Fame Gala

We promise an evening of laughter and tears when we honor the following new inductees as they take their place in the annals of eventing history: Denny Emerson, Michael Page, Karen Stives, Biko, and Kilkenny. Make sure to purchase tickets early, as this event is sure to sell out. Friday, 7 p.m. to Midnight.

Year-End Awards Luncheon

This celebration of the year's best and brightest is one of the most anticipated events at the Convention. Host Jim Wofford will help us honor the success of horses and riders from all levels of competitions, and the efforts the sport's most dedicated volunteers. Saturday, 12 noon - 2 p.m. Sponsored by Maui Jim Sunglasses.

USEA Annual Meeting and USEA Website Operators' Manual

The USEA Annual Meeting of Members is an important part of the weekend, where we bid a fond farewell to board members who have completed their terms, and welcome our new board members. Then, we'll take a closer look at the USEA website, which over the last year has grown in popularity, averaging more than a million pages viewed per month.

As a response to feedback, new features are popping up every week and keeping up with the technology can be daunting, but at the same time vastly rewarding. Learn the ins and outs of the website in this "Operators' Manual" seminar conducted by the USEA's Manager of Web Development & Services. Keep on top of your and your horses' records, member services, the web store, messaging, data sharing, media streaming, and more. A question and answer session will follow the presentation with opportunity for your feedback. Saturday: 2:00 – 3:30 p.m.

A Look Back At Aachen

Take a trip down memory lane with members of the FEI World Equestrian Games squad, as they recall their experiences in Aachen, Germany. Joining them on stage, to give a behind-the-scenes view on the highs and lows of their trip to Germany, will be the team's Chef d'Equipe, Captain Mark Phillips. Saturday 4:00 – 5:30 p.m.

Cocktails under the Stars

One of the highlights of this year's USEA Convention in St. Louis will be the Saturday evening reception, hosted by Area IV and organized by Dr. Tim Holekamp. Buses will carry us from the convention hotel to the famous St. Louis Science Center and Planetarium starting at 6:15 p.m. Fabulous food will be catered by Wolfgang Puck along with adult beverages generous donation from Anheuser-Buschin the dome of the planetarium, where the ceiling will be lit with a show of the night sky. Saturday from 6:30 – 10:30 p.m.

Cancellation and Refunds

After registering, if you find you cannot attend the convention, please notify us in writing by Tuesday, November 21. We will refund your registration fee and the cost of any special event tickets, minus a $10 cancellation fee. No refund will be given for cancellations received after November 21. No telephone cancellations will be accepted.

A word about our sponsors: A big thank you to all our convention sponsors! This convention depends upon their generosity, and you are encouraged to support them in return. In particular: our Presenting Sponsor Nutrena Reception Sponsors - USEA Area IV, Bit of Britain, Lamplight Equestrian Center, Maui Jim Sunglasses, Rebecca Farm: Additional Sponsors - Adequan, Amerigo, Broadstone Equine Insurance Agency, DG Stackhouse Saddles, FEI World Cup, Hi-Tech Horse Jumps, Practical Horseman, SmartPak Equine, and Well Pride

See you in St. Louis!