the Annual meeting is this coming week. I wonder how this will be addressed…for example at the High Performance meetings some of which are open to the public. In other years, both Eric and Jenny would have spoken…
Of course you’re right, but you’d think someone from USEF would have at least said that.
USEF is being quite curt about it.
I wonder if the riders got to provide input. Knowing USEF, I bet not.
I think Erik was great for the program. I think Leslie is amazing. Looping in Peter Wylde…I started in jumpers and that man is a equine genius. They used good dressage coaches.
They have raised the bar. I wish the program was more transparent. USEF seems like they are going for a reverse Brian Kelly. I expect the next press release to start “All y’all…”
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From the statements that some riders have released (Boyd and Philip at least, pretty sure I saw a couple others as well) it definitely doesn’t sound as though the riders were asked for input or even kept in the loop as far as the decision was concerned.
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To recap:
Phillip’s Post:
“I want to say how sad and disappointed I am in the USEF for not renewing a contract of some form with Erik Duvander.
The U.S. eventing program is far from perfect at the moment and needs to be revamped, as it has not really changed much for 20 years. For me, ideally, the role held by Erik needs to be less about coaching and more about being an adviser, manager, and overseer – modeled similarly to Robert Ridland’s role with U.S. show jumping.
U.S. eventing looks to have a bright future with some really promising performances this year from a variety of different riders, and Erik certainly played a leading role in this. I’ve been fortunate to work with some incredible horsemen and horsewomen in my career, and I would put Erik at the top of this list. Like any of us, there are areas that can be improved, but Erik’s correctness in training and advising horse and rider far outweigh his flaws. For me, it is an incredible shame that a talent such as Erik’s should be lost for all of our riders.”
Jennie Brannigan’s Post:
“I would like to join Boyd in saying a huge thank you to Erik Duvander (and his family) for all his help and support. I truly feel like he gave riders and horses a shot that might be overlooked at times. He put a huge amount of effort into my program and truly turned my confidence around. I was impressed that he would walk into the barn and would take the time to speak to everyone… from owners to working students to see how they are and how things are going at home. He truly cared about the horses and it showed.”
Jordan Lindstedt Granquist:
“So sad to hear the recent news that Erik Duvander’s no longer our USA team coach. I really enjoyed working with Erik over the years and greatly appreciate all his enthusiasm to the sport and helping each individual horse and rider be their best! Erik has been inspirational in many ways, from coaching, guidance on syndications, helping you believe in what you can be, working so well with the owners and each riders individual team at home. I believe he has changed the career of many riders through all his coaching and constant mentoring and I think as a whole the US owes him a lot of our recent success. As we continue to look forward to the future and what our country can do on the international stage we will remember what you’ve done!”
Robert Kellerhouse:
"Thank you to Erik Duvander and Jenni Autry for your efforts to elevate the USEF high performance program over these four years.
I am grateful for the time and energy you have provided to our efforts at Galway Downs and Woodside Eventing."
Tamie Smith:
This horse!!! He’s come so far in a short period of time. But he also has developed into a super horse because of the people that have helped me. Over the years I’ve gotten to ride with some amazing people. But the difference in my program has a lot to do with Erik Duvander who spent an immense amount of time helping me hone in the fine details. His dedication to American Eventing has been second to none, his sacrifice away from his family was in itself a huge sacrifice, but the hours he spent on the phone and with the high performance riders was unmatched from anyone I’ve ever seen in that position.
I think you are going to continue to see the benefits from his hard work over the last 5 years and with things changing at the top it might be a blessing in disguise who knows but one thing I do know is this man has been a tremendous reason for my last few years of success and I thank him and his family for all he has done for us. Cheers to new beginnings, I don’t think it’s the last you’ll see of Mr. Duvander.
~Emily
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Happy to help. These are definitely confusing times but for sure no one talked to the riders about this change. But Phillip’s part made me wonder when he said:
“Like any of us, there are areas that can be improved, but Erik’s correctness in training and advising horse and rider far outweigh his flaws.”
The flaws mentioned by PD seemed to come off as something those in the know would know what he was referring to, but that the rest of us would just assume it was part of the rider/ coach relationship that are almost never 100% perfect down to the minutiae.
Emily
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Both Phillip and Boyd are far enough along in their careers to express opinions without having to worry too much about politics. Those guys will always have great owners and horses as long as they want to keep competing.
As such I find it interesting that they have made the statements that they have. I agree with everyone else who has said it sounds like the riders didn’t see this coming.
Phillip’s comment makes it sound like perhaps some politics were involved. He spoke very highly of all the things that a coach is first and foremost supposed to do (help horses and riders). What “flaw” would there be outside of those tasks, especially if the riders seemed to be happy with Duvander. Who else would he be interacting with? Maybe some fruction between Duvander and USEF?
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After reading USEF’s lame non-explanation and the corresponding very professional statements by Duvander and Autry, I smell a rat. I read it as USEF screwed up in some way either directly or indirectly through things involving money and/or nasty politics.
Right. That statement stood out for me in particular. Something is NQR.
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Especially given the brusque manner in which USEF made that statement. They didn’t even bother to say anything nice about him, i.e. "we thank him for the work he has done for US Eventing over the last couple of years and wish him well in his future endeavors…
weird
“Right. That statement stood out for me in particular. Something is NQR.”
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I don’t know anything about any of this and I don’t love speculating because I don’t want to defend wrongdoers or diminish the virtuous in any way. I agree that the statement from USEF is curt.
But for example one fact that would fit this data would be that there was friction in terms of up-and-coming riders, real or imagined.
Or it could be something like sloppy paperwork that created legal headaches.
I’m just here to counter the knee-jerk reactions of “I don’t understand, therefore USEF evil.” USEF gets a lot of money from successful, happy elite athletes and they have every incentive to provide coaches that create those results.
Of course there is loss whenever there is a separation like this.
Hopefully everyone can go along and maintain the relationships that are working for them and that a successful replacement will be found.
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Perhaps more (if not all) will be clear once the successor is revealed?
Obviously Phillip and Boyd have more freedom to be candid, but did anyone not speak up or out who might have been expected to speak in favor of ED?
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I hope the successor isn’t DOC again or Leslie Law.
Posting anonymously to share opinions and observations without it being obvious which team riders or other people might have been involved.
I’ve had the opportunity to observe team training sessions across several disciplines. I’ve been very impressed with Robert Dover’s team training - both for technical excellence and the humor he brings to his coaching style. Some people don’t like the guy, but I’ve talked with him and find him to be very personable. Same with Erik Duvander. He absolutely knows how to develop camaraderie amongst the riders.
I do not like Leslie Law’s style at all. Although his personal record speaks for itself (his olympic medals), from what I’ve observed, I think he spends way too much time talking and not enough time on actually improving technical things with the riders he is supposed to be coaching as part of the US Eventing program. He is the opposite of Erik in terms of his interest in what’s going on in general at the farms he visits. Leslie walks in, does his thing, walks back out. The sessions I’ve seen appear to be more of a check-in to see is the rider doing his/her homework rather than a session to help that rider improve. Leslie likes to talk and tell stories, but I don’t find him to be personable at all in any sense of the word. Distant and a bit aloof is what I would call it.
someone can get results without being a people person, but he’s so much the opposite of Duvander in that way that I’d be disappointed if he ended up being the successor.
On a related note, I’ve heard firsthand people within the program say that the development program is a joke. As in how US Eventing does a good job at the very top levels, funding people to go abroad, but how things in the lower ranks of the pipeline programs feel like a token gesture rather than a real program aimed at true development.
I can totally see why some people are seeking, and obtaining, private funding to go abroad for training or competitive opportunities. Relying totally on US Eventing and waiting around for them is too frustrating.
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Is this in regards to someone suggesting LHS may have had an influence?
Because I thought ED was dating ML for a bit, maybe they still are…who, I would think has the biggest backer in US eventing history on her side?
Silence of which riders, in particular? Our best riders seem to all have something to say about it.
My mind didn’t go to something like this, although it’s possible. I don’t know ED at all, so it’s hard to make any sort of guess as an unwashed mass – but my first thought was companies typically silently operate when something unpalatable comes to light about an individual.
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this is what I saw commented either here or on FB comments, can’t remember. I thought that was weird too, but I see she hasn’t made a statement on her social media. I didn’t think any riders had issues but what do I know haha
That was my thought too and I hope thats not the case.
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I have no idea about the insider politics …
But this sounds as if someone wants to buy their own personal U.S. eventing team.
How dependent is the eventing team on this one donor, assuming this is the case? If that person were not pleased, would the team survive?
That’s why it’s best not to be dependent on one or a very few sources of funds. Where possible, realizing that eventing is a relatively small sport.
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1- Who is LHS?
2- With acute awareness that an intimate relationship that represents a conflict of interest would not be a new situation for the team … Shouldn’t there be a rule about such conflicts of interest? Could it be that a personal conflict of interest is a reason for the non-renewal?
