United States Eventing Association

Tips and Tricks of the Trade is a new article series being provided through a partnership between Athletux and the USEA. Marie Dallan, head groom for Dasha Ivandaeva, gives us her top tips for staying organized and competitive at a one-day event.

As the summer eventing season progresses, many riders will be packing up their tack, and trucking out to a variety of one-day events. One-day events are fun and educational, but can get hectic especially if you are taking more than one horse. Staying organized during a one-day event is crucial to a successful show day, for riders and grooms.

One of the most helpful tips for staying organized is to make a list. It makes things easier to keep track of once the day begins. Make a list of all the horses competing, their show times, and what tack and preparations they need. That way with multiple horses, you can have a visible schedule handy, and will be able to get things done in between (ie. cleaning tack, grooming, putting in studs etc). It’s important to make sure that you have enough time organized to make sure everything gets done at the show, and nothing gets left behind.

When you get to the event, I would first give each horse a hay bag and clip a water bucket where each horse is tied. It’s important, especially in the summer, that each horse has access water available at all times. Setting up your area for a one-day right at the beginning means that besides simply topping off buckets, you will be free to focus on your task at hand throughout the day, knowing your horses can be comfortable.

During the day, when the riders and horses are competing, it is helpful to have your parent, friend or helper have a bag of essentials while you’re warming up. This can include fly spray, towels to wipe off boots, basic grooming supplies, water, etc. That way no one has to go running back and forth to the trailer when times are tight.

Ultimately, one-day events are supposed to be fun and enjoyable. These few tips will help everyone stay organized and make the day run smoothly for riders, horses and grooms. Don’t forget to arrive early and have a good ride!

About Dasha

A Canadian Young Rider long-listed for the Canadian National Team, Dasha Ivandaeva is quickly making a name for herself in the Eventing world with top results at the Advanced level in Canada and the United States. Through hard work and determination, Dasha hopes to represent Canada internationally, and with her natural ability and talent she is well on her way to making that a reality.