Working Equitation is somewhat new to the USA but has been around in Europe since the early 1990's. This incredibly fun discipline, which is open to all breeds, is a combination of dressage type tests, obstacle courses, and obstacle speed courses. Its popularity is really starting to grow. Our journey with this sport started a little late compared to some, in 2013, but we have had the most amazing time learning and competing with Working Equitation. We have attended a number of clinics and schooling shows, the Judges Seminar with Claudia Elsnor Matos, and have competed at the IALHA, Haras Cup, WE United, and USAWE Region 5 Championships. We both attended the 2015 week long Trainer's Seminar in California where we had the privilege of learning from Nuno Matos, clinician for the Pedro Torres Academy of Portugal. We also hosted him two more times here in Illinois. In 2023 we began trips to Portugal to be able to work with top WE riders Gilberto Filipe and Nicole Silva so that we could advance our training and WE skills. These trips and their education has been invaluable the last two years and we are already seeing the benefits in ourselves and our horses! Erica enjoyed the sport so much so that in 2013 she decided to work towards earning a judge card for Working Equitation. After a number of years of shadow judging, learning, competing, judging schooling shows, and attending judge seminars, Erica applied for her "r" judge card with WE United, and in the fall of 2018 she was granted her license. At the conclusion of 2020, WE United and the Confederation for Working Equitation came together to create a single association for Working Equitation in the United States. The new association, USAWE, was created the start of 2021 and it now governs WE in the US. Licensed officials from both associations who passed the USAWE 2021 Licensed Officials Test, were grandfathered in as licensed officials of USAWE. Erica passed that test, allowing her to representing USAWE as a 'r' judge. Then in 2025, Erica's judge card was promoted to "R" status, an advancement that she was excited about and worked hard to earn. If you are planning a WE show, Erica is a fantastic judge, with a great eye, upbeat attitude, and passion for the sport. Check out our Events page to see what dates she is available to judge, or where you may see her at a competition. If you are looking for WE clinicians, we are a great team, and since we come as a pair we can handle larger number of riders. If interested in learning more about Working Equitation, please contact us, or visit www.usawe.org. We are part of the Fox Valley Saddle Association USAWE affiliate organization, and together we hope to introduce this fun sport to more and more people and really get Working Equitation growing!!
The Ultimate Learning Experience... Riding with and Learning from top Working Equitation riders; Gilberto Filipe, and Nicole Silva and her Lusitano Academy team. Once again, Julie Alonzo set a WE fire under us. "Go to Portugal and take some lessons!" she urged. So in April of 2023 she put together a trip and we all rode at Morgado Lusitano. But one learning experience is nowhere near enough. And then the next idea was put forward... "What if you could go multiple times a year??" And so we did, and we have continued to go... 4 times a year for the last 2 years. We make each trip count, getting as much riding in as we can, dividing our time between Gilberto and Lusitano Academy. And it has most definitely made a difference, and we are seeing the changes to ourselves and our horses here at home. We are beyond thankful to all that have made this possible and can only imagine what the future holds while on this course! Dec. 2025
Erica has promoted to a USAWE "R" Judge! In the fall of 2024 Erica had completed all judging and education requirements necessary for her judge card advancement, and therefor submitted her application. She then went through the required advancement live testing and completed the written test and interview. All of that led to the decision of USAWE to grant her advancement to "R" status. Erica is honored to have this advancement and looks forward to her continued work as a USAWE judge!
International WE Education...Yes Please! Thanks to the collaboration of Julie Alonzo, USAWE and WAWE, officials had the opportunity to attend an LO seminar in Portugal to help them hone in their skills. Erica took advantage of the shadow judging along with fellow US judges Kim Roe and Tracey Erway, and Australian judge Kim Peterson. They all shadow judged with WAWE judge Antonio Vicente during the WE competition held in Vimeiro, Portugal May 3-4. They had in depth conversations and evaluations during the Dressage phase. For the Ease of Handling they were asked to score each ride, and then all their scores were compared against the official judges scores to see where strengths and weaknesses were. The seminar also had a large number of auditors from numerous other countries, who also wanted to take advantage of this knowledge building event. Howard was one of those auditors! This event was truly worth every moment, despite the occasional rain, and especially because of Antonio's passion and expertise as they viewed some of the top international riders that the sport has to offer. May 2 - 4, 2025
2025 Licensed Officials Seminar with Claudia Matos, Las Vegas, NV Howard and I had a wonderful weekend of learning from the incredibly knowledgeable WAWE Judge, Claudia Matos, me as a participant and Howard as an auditor! My very first seminar was with Claudia in 2013 when I first started thinking of getting a judge card. What growth this sport has had here in the US and worldwide, since that time! Thank you to Claudia for taking the time to come to the US to help us all grow! Thank you to all at USAWE who made this event come together! Jan. 17, 2025
Erica earned her Bronze Lifetime Rider Medal! What an exciting achievement! After a handful of years and with the help of really great horses, Erica was able to earn her USAWE Bronze Medal. Erica wants to say Thank You to Janita Smith, who allowed her to share Faraona for the 2024 competition year so that Erica could get the final 2 Novice B scores she needed to accomplish this milestone. Erica is also happy to know that Rocky, Howard's redhead, also earned her some of her Novice B scores! Horses Lena, Malagro, Memoria, and Barquillero also helped her get the needed Novice A scores. Sept. 2024
USAWE Region 5 Championship Working Equitation Show, Hoosier Horse Park, Nineveh, IN, October 23 - 24, 2021 What an exciting acheivement for our region! The show committee did a fabulous job of organizing a wonderful event, full of fun, friends, great competition, and supportive sponsors! Peet Equestrian was happy to sponsor the use of all the obstacles and sponsored 2 awards: Best Dressed Western attire and Best Dressed English attire. We were very happy to be a part of it. 7 horses went to the show from the Peet Equestrian barn. Here is how we all did: Novice A Open: Champion, Aviva of Whisper Way Farm and Howard Peet Novice B Open: Reserve Champion, Jubiloso Del C and Erica Peet Intro Open: Reserve Champion, Nochero and Howard Peet Intro Open: 3rd place: Bolero BP and Howard Peet Intermediate A Open: 3rd place: SM Serafin and Howard Peet Intro Amateur: 8th place, Faraona ROY and Janita Smith- we are thrilled considering this is their second time in public together! CDC Pacifica also went, but she competed in the b-rated show, not in the Championship show.
Howard and Erica are both Pewter Lifetime Medal Riders! During the summer of 2021, Howard and Erica were informed that they had each earned their USAWE Pewter Lifetime Medals. It was a pleasant surprise, as neither of us pay attention to our points. Thank you to the USAWE Awards committee for their hard work in keeping track of the information necessary to make this award program possible!!
Erica is part of the USAWE Professional Instructor Program (formerly the Coaches Network) August 2021 Erica is excited to be a part of the the USAWE Professional Instructor Program ( formerly the Coaches Network). The program is USAWE's way, "to promote and recognize a diverse network of trainers and instructors committed to improving horsemanship through working equitation." You can learn more about this program and who is a part of it at https://usawe.org/education/professional-instructors-program/
US Licensed Officials Seminar, April 4-8, 2019 In keeping up with her education and judge requirements, Erica attended the US Licensed Officials Seminar in San Diego California spring, 2019. The seminar was taught by International WAWE judge, Antonio Vicente. Antonio was a fantastic instructor! His experience and passion for the sport really shown through the whole event. The youth of this sport, especially in the US, keeps the associations ever learning and changing in an effort to maintain the spirit of the sport. Having the WAWE instructors critique and offer suggestions is a priceless process.
Erica has earned her "r" Judge Card! As of October 2018, Erica is now able to officially judge Working Equitation shows. Erica would like to Thank WE United and their Licensing Committee for granting her this title! Her hard work over the last 3 years has paid off.
Confederation for Working Equitation Judge Training Seminar Erica is making progress towards earning a Working Equitation judge card! She attended the Judge Seminar taught by Tarrin Warren and Carmen Franco May 11 - 14, 2017 in Raleigh, NC. She successfully completed 13 classroom hours and 9 practical hours of study. One step closer!!
2015 Haras Cup - CDC Memoria & Erica Peet
2015 Haras Cup - CDC Luna & Howard Peet
Working Equitation Trainer's Seminar with Nuno Matos!! The week long Trainer's Seminar with Nuno Matos was an amazing time. Nuno Matos, Working Equitation rider of Portugal, ran 6 of us (trainers from around the US), through an intensive work course with our horses, to improve our negotiation of the obstacles for the ease of handling phase, increase our scores in the dressage phase, and gave us fantastic pointers for the speed phase. At the end of the week, a clinic and schooling show, open to the public, was held and we all put our new knowledge to the test.
Haras Cup Working Equitation International Championship, Oct. 24-26 2014, Magnolia, Texas
The first ever Haras Cup was held at the beautiful property of Haras Dos Cavaleiros. They offered Kids 13 & under, Juniors 14-17, Novice, Intermediate, and Advanced levels for Working Equitation. It was judged by 2 international Working Equetation judges; Claudia Elsner Matos of Portugal & Sandra Migl of Austria. We took 3 horses. Erica rode Barquillero LXIV Novice level, and placed 2nd out of 22!! Howard rode Kudu GF Intermediate level and placed 5th out of 7, Howard also rode Memoria CDC Novice level, and Meagan Hansen also rode Kudu in the Juniors level, and took 4th place! This was one of the most fun shows we have ever participated at. The atmosphere was happy, all the fellow competitors cheered for each other and helped each other out. We are so happy to have gotten involved in this discipline and look forward to getting to more events in the future!
Andalusian World Cup - Las Vegas, Sept. 25-27 2014
The inaugural Andalusian World Cup National Show went off without a hitch! What a way to show off all of our horses abilities, a combination of American performance classes, Working Equitation, and ANCCE halter classes made this quite the show! Everyone had a great time! In addition to the championships earned by the horses, Howard was awarded the Andalusian World Fellowship Award- for a person who has gone to great lengths to create a sense of unification, friendship, and fellowship within the rest of the horse community. Thanks to the World Cup show committee for putting on such a great event, and here's to the next one!!
Working Equitation Judging Seminar- Eugene, OR. Sept. 3-7, 2014
In an effort to better educate ourselves about the growing sport of Working Equitation, Erica attended the Judging Seminar. She sat in as an auditor to learn as much as she could from the clinician, Claudia Elsnor Matos of Portugal. Claudia spent 3 days lecturing, showing video clips, and testing the judge prospects that attended to get licensed as Working Eq. judges. It was a very informative seminar, and Erica came home with a much deeper understanding of the discipline and how it should be done. In addition to the seminar, there was also a riding clinic being presented by Jorge de Sousa. He worked with a number of riders on how to improve their dressage phase tests, and how best to work on improving certain obstacles. Erica watched the clinic as much as she could and picked up some really good pointers. In all, this was time VERY well spent and we highly recommend it to anyone who wants to truly understand Working Equitation!
Nuno Matos Working Equitation Clinic, Eugene, OR, July 2, 2013
Howard took a few days to take advantage of being able to learn from an international Working Equitation professional, Nuno Matos of Portugal. Howard was able to be schooled on Armani owned by Julie Alonzo. Howard loved Nuno's no nonsense approach to teaching horses about obstacles and his easy going demeanor. It was a great time and Howard cannot wait for the next time!
